Gifts That Pay You Income

Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs) are a great way to make a lasting difference for ministries while receiving tax-favorable income for you, your spouse and your children. Many supporters prefer charitable gift annuities because of their attractive payout rates and their significant impact.

Charitable Gift Annuities

Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs) are a great way to make a lasting difference for ministries while receiving tax-favorable income for you, your spouse and your children. Many supporters prefer charitable gift annuities because of their attractive payout rates and their significant impact.

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Charitable Remainder Trusts

Income for life for you and your family while reducing your taxes. By using assets or cash to fund the trust, you receive income and an income tax credit the year in which you transfer your assets. The remaining portion of the trust, after all payments have been made, comes to you.

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Trust Funding: The Essential Step to Ensuring Your Estate Avoids Arizona Probate

ou’ve sat down with a lawyer, discussed your wishes, and signed your Revocable Living Trust. You might think the hard work is over—but for many Arizona families, the most critical step is left undone.

A trust is like a secure vault. The legal document creates the vault, but it doesn't automatically put anything inside it. To protect your assets from the Pima County Probate Court, you must "fund" the trust. This means changing the legal ownership of your assets from your individual name to the name of your trust.

What Happens if You Have an Unfunded Trust?

In Arizona, if an asset is not titled in the name of your trust (and exceeds the "Small Estate" thresholds), it will likely trigger a probate case upon your death. An unfunded trust is a common—and costly—mistake. It results in:

Unnecessary Probate: Your heirs will still have to go to court, even though you paid for a trust to avoid it.
Public Record: The privacy of your trust is lost because the court must now oversee the transfer of those outside assets.
Higher Fees: Your estate will pay both the trust administration fees and probate attorney fees.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Funding Your Arizona Trust

Funding your trust isn't a single event; it’s a process of re-titling your world. Here is how it works for the most common Arizona assets:

1. Real Estate and the Arizona Deed

Your home or investment property is likely your largest asset. To fund it, a new deed must be prepared (usually a Quitclaim or Warranty Deed), signed before a notary, and recorded with the County Recorder. This officially moves the property from "John Doe" to "John Doe, Trustee of the Doe Family Trust."

2. Bank and Brokerage Accounts

Most local Tucson banks and credit unions require you to bring a "Certification of Trust" to their branch. You don't necessarily need a new account number; you simply change the "title" on the account.

3. Accounts with Beneficiary Designations

For assets like Life Insurance or IRAs, you typically don't change the owner to the trust (as this can cause tax issues). Instead, you update the Beneficiary Designation to name your trust as the primary or contingent beneficiary.

The "Pour-Over Will" Safety Net

Every well-crafted Arizona estate plan includes a "Pour-Over Will." Think of this as a safety net that catches any asset you forgot to put in the trust and "pours" it in at the time of your death.

Important Note: While a Pour-Over Will ensures the asset eventually gets to the right person, it does not skip probate. The court still has to "pour" the asset into the trust for you. The only way to skip the court entirely is to fund the trust while you are alive.

Check Your Titles Today

The peace of mind that comes with a trust only exists if the trust is functional. If you aren't sure if your Tucson home or your bank accounts are properly titled, now is the time to verify.

Estate Planning

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Move from Uncertainty to Financial Clarity

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