Family Trusts

Book excerpt: Demystify family trust planning with this easy-to-read guide Family trusts can be quite complex and difficult to set up correctly, and many people don't realise just how beneficial a trust can be. Even for families of average income, trusts deserve a second look. Family Trusts: A Plain English Guide for Australian Families of Average Means, 5th Edition is a comprehensive guide to the advantages and disadvantages, investment nuances, taxation regulations, and social security rules surrounding trusts. This book, by author Nick Renton, and newly updated by Rod Caldwell, provides the information you need to make an informed decision and ask the right questions of your financial and legal advisors. The book details all aspects of both setting up and running a family trust, including discretionary versus unitised trusts, trust deeds, and the roles and responsibilities of settlors and trustees. You'll learn how trusts can be used to benefit philanthropic foundations, and how to manage a trust intended for the financial care of a child with an intellectual disability. This Fifth Edition has been fully updated for the 2014 – 2015 tax year, and amended to parallel the May 2014 budget. The new material details topics like: Rates and trustee qualifications Hybrid trusts and non-resident beneficiaries Borrowing by trustees, and trustee meeting minutes Protecting assets against creditors, bankruptcy, and divorce The book also includes real-life case studies that provide examples of proper handling and help illustrate important concepts. Additionally, alternatives are discussed for situations where a family trust may not be the best structure to use. If you're an average person wishing to ensure your family's financial well-being, Family Trusts: A Plain English Guide for Australian Families of Average means, 5th Edition is the most complete guide on the market.