Blog Archives

Discretionary trusts are just one of the many types of trust that Keystone Trust set up and administer. The use of these trusts still continue to be an extremely useful addition to your estate planning portfolio and an excellent way to manage and preserve wealth. With income tax rates remaining high the Government is focusedRead More »

No matter how much or how little you might be worth, it’s important for you to have an estate plan so that the maximum amount of your assets are passed onto your chosen beneficiaries. Adequate planning and a trust fund will help reduce the likelihood of family disagreements, unanticipated taxes and high probate costs. However,Read More »

Trust Funds, or Trusts, can have outstanding benefits for yourself and your family. There are several different types of trusts which can often make the set-up process fairly complicated. However, once you understand exactly why you want one in the first place, you will begin to understand which one is more relevant to your requirements.Read More »

Studies have shown that up to 70% of wealthy families lose their fortune by the second generation, and 90% by the third. Many are concerned that their children are not financially responsible enough to handle their inheritance, while others find it difficult to disclose the full extent of their wealth and explain how to retainRead More »

New years come with resolutions and plans to improve wealth management – there are a number of ways that you can make trusts work for you in the coming months and years to help provide for your family and mitigate your inheritance tax liabilities too. Plan for School & University Tuition Fees The rising costRead More »

Asset Protection Services have existed in the UK for millennia; even in the Crusades, when knights left the country they would entrust friends to guard their assets and wealth until they returned. Slowly, this system turned into what we now know as trusts, with an established relationship between trustees, beneficiaries, and donors. Modern asset protectionRead More »

Trusts are a secure and legal way to keep family wealth intact and ensure it is passed from generation to generation. Inheritance tax is currently set at 40% once the threshold is reached, but since the country’s largest fortunes are held in trusts this type of taxation only made up a modest £4.7bn of theRead More »

There are more reasons now than ever as to why high quality Trust Administration matters.  The number of lifetime trusts being created has fallen as have the sums being put into trust.  As a result, the administration costs of a trust are scrutinised even harder.  In this climate, keeping costs down through driving efficiencies inRead More »

Trusts are extensively used to preserve and protect the family’s assets by ensuring the assets pass to the correct people when they have the necessary maturity to inherit.  With the tax benefits they also provide Trusts are also a valuable solution for clients who want to plan using investment properties/second homes. With income tax ratesRead More »

Giving children and grandchildren the best start in life through private schooling and university education is expensive – but can be achieved with effective tax-efficient Trust planning. Why is this so important? “…£53,366 is the average it costs to send a child to university…” “…annual private school fees average £13,194 in 2014..”] “..Private Education costsRead More »