Revocable vs. irrevocable trust: What’s the difference?

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Will you want to make changes later?

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Trusts are estate planning tools designed to hold your assets and make sure they’re used the way you want. When you set up a trust, it’s a legal entity that’s separate from you. You no longer own the assets—the trust does. If you decide to set up a trust, you’ll need to decide whether to use a revocable or irrevocable trust.

Let’s take a look at how trusts work and what you need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of revocable versus irrevocable trusts.

Trusts are often used as a way to manage assets and pass them on to others after you die. When you set up your trust, the ownership of your property and assets passes to the trust, which manages them on your behalf and for the benefit of your beneficiaries. Depending on the type of trust, you might be able to protect your assets from lawsuits or garner tax advantages later on.

The person who establishes the trust is called the grantor or the creator. A trust is managed by trustees, who are appointed to make sure the assets are used appropriately; sometimes the person setting up the trust is also the trustee. A trust is managed on behalf of its beneficiaries—those who will receive benefits from the trust. Both the grantor and the trustees may possibly be beneficiaries of the trust.

One of the main selling points of a revocable trust is that it can be used to pass assets to your children and grandchildren (or other beneficiaries) without going through probate. Plus, it’s possible for you to act as a trustee of the trust, in addition to being the person who establishes the trust. You can also make changes to this type of trust throughout your lifetime, including switching out beneficiaries and changing trustees.

However, it’s important to note that the trust owns your assets and not you. It doesn’t always protect your property; depending on the situation, a creditor might be able to force you to liquidate the trust. Additionally, the assets in a revocable trust aren’t sheltered from state or federal estate taxes, and typically any income made by the trust (such as interest) is taxable to the grantor.

Advantages of a revocable trust:

Disadvantages of a revocable trust:

Some people choose to establish irrevocable trusts because they provide a greater degree of protection for assets. It’s harder for someone to sue you and demand the assets in an irrevocable trust. There are some tax benefits associated with irrevocable trusts. And, as with revocable living trusts, you can use an irrevocable trust to pass assets down to another generation without going through the probate process.

There are some drawbacks to using an irrevocable trust. The primary one is that you can’t usually change an irrevocable trust once it’s established. Changes can be made only in very specific circumstances; it’s extremely difficult, and can be quite expensive. Additionally, the grantor or creator of the trust can’t be a trustee. That means you need to put someone else in charge of your assets if you create an irrevocable trust.

Advantages of an irrevocable trust:

Disadvantages of an irrevocable trust:

As you might expect, the biggest difference between a revocable versus irrevocable trust is the fact that an irrevocable trust can’t be changed, while a revocable trust can be adjusted throughout your life (although it’s still more complex and/or costly than changing a will).

When deciding on trustees for an irrevocable trust, it’s important to choose someone whom you know will manage the trust according to your wishes. Once your assets are in an irrevocable trust, they remain there, and you aren’t in control of how they’re managed. In contrast, if you establish a revocable trust, you can be one of the trustees (or the only trustee) and participate in asset management. You have more decision-making power, even though the trust is considered a separate legal entity.

Another big difference is the amount of protection for your assets. Both types of trust offer some level of protection. With a revocable trust, you have more privacy, because the details can remain in your family after you pass on. An irrevocable trust isn’t as private, since legal proceedings can force a record of the details.

On the other hand, if you think you might be a party to a lawsuit, an irrevocable trust keeps your assets out of the hands of creditors and other litigants. And although both types of trust help keep your assets out of probate, only the irrevocable trust comes with tax-sheltering properties. With a revocable trust, assets are still subject to estate taxes.

A trust can be a valuable estate planning tool to help you pass your assets on to your heirs with a minimum of fuss. However, it’s important to carefully review your needs and consider the purpose of the trust. If you just want a way to pass on assets and have a basic level of protection, a revocable trust can be a good choice.

On the other hand, if you’re more concerned about tax sheltering and keeping assets out of creditors’ hands, an irrevocable trust can be the way to go—as long as you’re comfortable giving up control and know for sure that you won’t want to change the trustees or beneficiaries later.