A trust is a legal arrangement through which a person gives control of capital or property to a trustee for the benefit of a third person. A beneficiary is a person for whom the trust fund is created. A beneficiary can be a person like, a child, a grandchild or a spouse, and can also be organizations and entities. Beneficiaries can be minors or even unborn children.
Beneficiaries can be divided into two categories. First are the fixed beneficiaries who are entitled to receive a fixed amount from the trust. Second are the discretionary beneficiaries for whom the trustees must decide as to how much capital they will receive in what time period. In the case of the fixed trust, the beneficiaries can be considered the owners of the capital held under the trust. But in case of discretionary trusts, the trustees have control over the funds and can make decisions as they see fit.
Nowadays, beneficiary trust funds are an important part of any legal system. Most wealthy families create trust funds for their children that they get benefited from at a certain age, which is usually 21 years. One can say that it is an elite concept created for safeguarding wealth and passing it on through generations. Trust funds are created to ensure that the offspring will live a comfortable life, and can be created for many purposes such as education or living. Trusts can also ensure that property and funds are handled according to your wishes after your death. Trust property or capital can include land, buildings, money, investments or valuables.
The period of time for the trust is different across countries. There are some countries that have laws against perpetual trusts. The time period has to be specified in the wording of the trust document. For example, beneficiaries can receive regular income from bank accounts over a certain period of time, or they can become owners of a particular sum of money or property when they are of the specified age. Continue reading ‘Beneficiary Trusts and Their Characteristics’ »