Ensuring that your assets stay protected is critical. The purpose of asset protection is to take preventative measures to safeguard against future and unexpected claims. This article covers how to protect your assets in seven steps. Let’s get started.
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Get The Best Insurance Coverage
The first thing to do is purchase asset protection through insurance. With your coverage, you can obtain benefits that keep your assets protected, including umbrella plans and professional liability insurance.
Depending on the specific assets you need coverage for, you can find plans covering cyber and homeowner liability. Work with an estate planner to learn about asset protection and insurance options.
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Contribute To Your Retirement Plan
You can save money and stay protected against creditor claims by submitting the maximum contribution to qualify for retirement. You can save money and protect your assets from most creditor claims by giving the most allotted to your 401(k). Additionally, ensure that if you’re renting out your property to help with your retirement fund, you look into a credit check for landlords to ensure that you make smart decisions about who to rent to before finalizing a lease agreement.
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Transfer Assets Strategically
Once you have insurance, the next step is to transfer your assets to those you trust to avoid asset seizing from creditors and litigants. By transferring your assets to others, your assets remain protected.
Designate your power of attorney to those you trust. Make sure you pass over your assets to those you can count on, such as your partner or children. You can reduce the likelihood of creditors taking assets by choosing relatives or friends to obtain your assets.
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Redistribute Your Wealth
Transfer your funds under a new name of business protection, such as an LLC or FLP; these are two types of limited arrangements that help to maintain business interest.
By transferring your assets to your entity and the respected persons involved, you can ensure that your wealth is redirected how you see fit and that you are protecting your assets in the process. Creditors are not usually able to seize an entity’s assets.
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Use Domestic Asset Protection Trusts
With a domestic asset protection trust, you are protected against any creditor asset claims, regardless of whether or not you are a discretionary beneficiary. Make sure that you structure and support your trust with proper funding to avoid court challenges related to your trust. You also do not need to live in a state that allows DAPTs to benefit from them.
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Change Your Titles
Another way to safeguard your assets is to retitle your assets. For instance, your home can be changed to a tenant status, which keeps the property from accumulating personal debt for the spouse. Although not a perfect solution, i.e., (combined debts of both spouses are not protected under this approach), it can provide foundational protection when you need to take action later.
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Get An Offshore Trust
With an offshore trust, so long as it complies with reporting standards, you can obtain greater protection in countries with greater asset protection laws. Although other countries may not recognize orders within American courts, international creditors are unlikely to recognize such claims, keeping your assets safe.
Be Selective In Your Approach To Asset Protection
Protecting your assets is about taking proactive measures to care for finances strategically. You want to give enough time and thought to the processes you choose to go with to ensure that your wealth is distributed as you’d like it to be.