Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT)

An irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) is a legal entity that holds and manages a life insurance policy. By transferring your life insurance policy to an ILIT, you can strategically shield the policy's death benefit from estate taxes. Additionally, an ILIT allows you to dictate specific terms for how the policy's proceeds are allocated to your beneficiaries. This tool is especially advantageous for those with substantial assets or intricate family relationships, as it offers financial control and tax efficiency.

In an ILIT, the trust owns the life insurance policy rather than the individual. This arrangement provides a dual advantage: it keeps the death benefit out of your taxable estate, and it allows you to set specific terms for how the estate distributes money to its beneficiaries.

An ILIT operates through a well-defined process involving multiple parties.

• The Grantor: The individual who sets up the ILIT. The grantor transfers the ownership of a life insurance policy to the trust.

• The Trustee: Appointed by the grantor to manage the ILIT. Responsibilities include paying premiums and distributing the death benefit according to the trust's terms.

• The Beneficiaries: Individuals or entities named in the trust document who will receive the death benefit.

When the grantor passes away, the death benefit from the life insurance policy goes directly into the ILIT, bypassing the taxable estate. The trustee then allocates these funds to the beneficiaries based on the guidelines set in the trust document.

There are several factors to consider when setting up an ILIT. These variables can significantly impact the effectiveness of the trust in achieving your financial and estate planning goals.

• Trustee Selection: The trustee plays a pivotal role in managing the ILIT. Choose someone reliable and capable of adhering to the trust's terms.

• Distribution Terms: Clearly outline how and when your beneficiaries will receive the allocated death benefits. This could be immediately upon your death or at specified milestones.

• Type of Life Insurance Policy: The kind of policy you choose — term or permanent — can affect the trust's utility and flexibility.

• The Three-Year Rule: When transferring an existing life insurance policy into the ILIT, it's helpful to understand this rule. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may include the death benefit in your taxable estate if you pass away within three years of the transfer.

You should also be aware of the various financial costs when establishing and maintaining an ILIT, including legal fees and administrative expenses.

• Legal Fees: Drafting the trust document is a legal process that typically requires the expertise of an estate planning attorney. Fees can vary based on complexity.

• Administrative Costs: These are the ongoing expenses of managing the trust, such as annual accounting or trustee fees.

When it comes to putting life insurance in a trust, you have two primary options: revocable and irrevocable. A revocable trust provides the advantage of flexibility. You can alter its terms, add or remove assets and even dissolve it if your circumstances or intentions change. However, this flexibility comes at the cost of fewer estate tax benefits, as the assets in a revocable trust are still considered part of your taxable estate.

Conversely, an ILIT is set in stone once established. You relinquish control over the life insurance policy, making it impossible to change the trust's terms without the consent of all beneficiaries. While this may seem restrictive, the irrevocable nature of the trust offers substantial benefits, including potential estate tax savings and enhanced asset protection. The assets in an ILIT are not part of your taxable estate, providing a clear tax advantage.

Irrevocable life insurance trusts are versatile financial tools that offer more than just a vessel for life insurance policies. Here are a few common uses for an ILIT:

• Charitable Giving: You can designate a charity as a beneficiary of the ILIT. This allows you to make significant charitable contributions upon your death, which can also offer estate tax benefits.

• Special Needs Planning: An ILIT can be structured to provide for a special-needs beneficiary, ensuring they have financial support without jeopardizing their eligibility for government assistance programs.

• Business Succession Planning: An ILIT can hold a life insurance policy for business owners that funds a buy-sell agreement. This ensures a smooth business ownership transition, providing liquidity when it's most needed.

• Educational Funding: You can set up the ILIT to disburse funds specifically for educational expenses, ensuring your beneficiaries have the resources they need for higher education.

• Spousal Support: You can design an ILIT to provide income for a surviving spouse, with the remainder going to other beneficiaries after the spouse's death.

• Generation-Skipping Transfers: You can structure an ILIT to benefit grandchildren or later generations, effectively skipping your immediate heirs. This can be a strategic way to maximize the financial benefits across multiple generations while minimizing estate taxes.

• Equalizing Inheritances: If you wish to leave other significant assets to specific heirs — like a family business — an ILIT can help equalize inheritances among all your beneficiaries without liquidating or dividing those assets.

• Liquidity for Estate Settlement: An ILIT can provide immediate liquidity to cover estate taxes and other settlement costs, preventing the forced sale of other assets like real estate or family heirlooms.

• Avoiding Probate: Since the ILIT is a non-probate asset, the proceeds can be distributed to beneficiaries without the often lengthy and costly probate process.

These uses demonstrate how you can tailor ILITs to meet many estate planning and financial goals, providing benefits that extend beyond the immediate needs of your beneficiaries.

ILITs offer a blend of advantages and challenges. Understanding these pros and cons can guide you in determining whether an ILIT aligns with your estate planning objectives and financial situation.

Establishing an ILIT is a multi-step process that requires careful planning. Each step is vital to ensure that the trust functions according to your estate planning goals and provides the intended benefits to your beneficiaries. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

Determining whether an ILIT is right for you and your loved ones involves a nuanced evaluation of your circumstances.

An ILIT may be right for you if:

• You Have a Sizable Estate: If your estate is large enough to be subject to federal or state estate taxes, an ILIT can offer significant tax advantages.

• Asset Protection is a Priority: An ILIT can shield your life insurance death benefit from creditors, making it a smart choice if you're concerned about asset protection.

• You Want Control Over Distribution: If you have specific wishes about distributing your assets after your death, an ILIT allows you to set those terms explicitly.

• You Have Complex Family Dynamics: In blended families or situations where you want to set conditions for beneficiaries, an ILIT provides the structure to do so.

• You Have Charitable Giving Goals: If you intend to leave a portion of your assets to charity, an ILIT can facilitate this in a tax-efficient manner.

An ILIT may not be right for you if:

• Your Estate is Below Tax Exemption: If your total estate value is below the federal estate tax exemption limit, the tax benefits of an ILIT may be irrelevant.

• You Value Flexibility: ILITs are irrevocable. If you anticipate needing to change the terms, a more flexible estate planning tool like a revocable trust might be better suited for you.

• You Have Cost Concerns: The legal and administrative costs of setting up and maintaining an ILIT can be prohibitive for some.

• You Need Access to Cash Value: If you think you'll need to borrow against the life insurance policy in the future, an ILIT will restrict that option.

Understanding the different aspects of an ILIT can help you decide whether it suits your financial goals and needs. Below are commonly asked questions on ILIT to give you more information you can use when deciding.