If a large portion of your assets are held in IRAs, 401(k)s, or 403(b) retirement plans, you may want to establish a Stand-Alone Retirement Trust, or SRT.

An SRT gives you flexibility in

• Naming beneficiaries and contingent beneficiaries
• Extending the tax-deferred growth of the assets
• Protecting the assets from creditors and predators
• Controlling how beneficiaries spend the funds

Applying the Stretch Principle

During your retirement, you can take distributions from your retirement plans—like drawing a paycheck—while your investment continues to grow.

After your death, the longer distributions from your retirement plan account can be deferred, the greater the investment income may be for your beneficiaries. Your account remains in a tax-deferred environment until distributions are made to your beneficiaries, according to your instructions.

Safeguarding the Use of Your Assets

Your assets continue to be protected against creditors and predators. And you can specify how your beneficiaries can spend the funds. For example, you may want the funds spent on education, a house, a wedding, and not on spring break in Florida.

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