Trusts and Estate Planning Foundations: Managing Assets Across Generations

Estate planning involves the tools and strategies for managing assets during life and distributing them at death. Understanding the role of trusts, wills, and other tools, and how they work together, is essential for thoughtful planning. This course gives you a calm, structured introduction. You will learn the major estate planning tools, the difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts, and how to think about comprehensive planning. The course stays grounded in widely used principles and respects that estate planning has significant legal and tax complexity. What you'll learn: - Understand the major estate planning tools including wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and titling - Recognize the distinction between revocable and irrevocable trusts and what each provides - Read the role of probate including its costs, delays, and how planning can avoid or minimize it - Identify how estate taxes work including federal and state frameworks - Apply principles for evaluating whether complex planning fits your situation - Distinguish informational guidance from legal advice for actual estate planning The course begins with major tools, moves through revocable versus irrevocable trusts, probate, estate taxes, evaluation principles, and closes with the line between information and legal advice. Written exercises help you assess planning needs. This course is designed for absolute beginners with no estate planning background, including adults with growing assets, parents thinking about children's inheritance, and adult children supporting parent planning. No legal background is required. The course is informational and does not provide legal advice; estate planning has significant legal and tax complexity and benefits from consultation with qualified estate planning attorneys.