If you have assets, one of the most important things you can do is to protect them.  Trusts offer some fantastic benefits to protect your assets.  Having written my first trust in 1998, and having drafted several hundred trusts including New Zealand Foreign Trusts for over 12 years now, including in my time at Big 4 Chartered Accountancy Practice Deloitte, and as a solicitor in leading law firm Russell McVeagh, and as a Trust Practitioner holding a current legal practising certificate, I feel well qualified to talk about my other passion, Trust Law.

Too many people own their own home in their own names.  This is common knowledge and can be confirmed from doing simple RPNZ searches.  This can be dangerous in so many circumstances including relationship breakdown, dying intestate or with a poorly composed will, hitting a new Mercedes and having no insurance cover, failure to be below the thresholds to avail yourself of tax breaks, nursing (rest home) & pharmaceutical subsidies, and of course creditor/predator protection.  A properly formed and managed trust means that you can legitimately control but not own your assets.  This is very exciting news.

Why have a Trust?

If you have your home or significant personal assets you need to protect them.  Owning these in your own name does not do this.  Having a family trust can give you this protection.  There are several reasons for forming a family trust including but not limited to:

  1. Creditor protection
  2. Relationship property issues
  3. Succession planning
  4. To create a living will
  5. Aged care subsidies
  6. Wealth management
  7. Potential tax savings

Contact either of us to get the right trust for your objectives today on (+64 9) 30 22 799 or email david@davidwhitburn.com.

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