Is your trust actually funded?
Most trusts fail because assets were never properly transferred. This quick check helps you see if yours is at risk, without sharing any personal details.
Or download the free Trust Funding Checklist to review on your own.
We never ask for your name, email, or what you own.
Can you confidently prove your real estate is in your trust?
- Calling the county recorder's office in the state where each property sits
- Signing and recording a new deed naming the trust as owner
- Having a copy of the new recorded deed in your files
- Seeing the trust's name on your property tax statement
Note: Each property in a different state requires a separate deed transfer in that state.
Can you confidently prove your accounts are connected to your trust?
- Visiting or calling each bank and brokerage separately (one call per institution)
- Filling out a form to either retitle the account or add a "Transfer on Death" designation to the trust
- For retirement accounts: updating both primary and contingent beneficiaries to align with the trust
- Having confirmation paperwork from each institution in your files
Note: Retirement accounts are different. They should not be retitled to the trust, but the beneficiary designations must coordinate with it.
Can you confidently prove your life insurance points to your trust?
- Calling each life insurance carrier to update beneficiaries (one call per policy)
- Filling out a beneficiary designation form for each policy
- Receiving written confirmation that the trust is listed as a primary or contingent beneficiary
Can you confidently prove your valuables and digital assets are in your trust?
- Signing a "Personal Property Assignment" listing valuable items to be governed by the trust
- Creating a written inventory of online accounts, crypto wallets, and access information
- Leaving instructions for your trustee on how to access digital assets
Can you confidently prove your business interests are owned by your trust?
- Signing assignment paperwork transferring your ownership interest to the trust
- Updating the business's governing documents (Operating Agreement for LLC, Shareholder Agreement and Stock Ledger for Corp, or Partnership Agreement)
- Having updated copies of both the assignment and the governing documents in your files
Note: A signed assignment alone is not enough. The business's internal records must also reflect the change.
Your family may still go through probate
Common things we find during trust funding reviews
Trust Align has reviewed hundreds of trusts. These are the gaps we see again and again, even from people who worked with top estate attorneys.
- Properties never transferred into the trust
- Brokerage accounts never retitled
- Missing contingent beneficiaries on retirement accounts
- LLC operating agreements never updated to reflect the trust
- New accounts opened after the trust was signed, then forgotten about
- Life insurance still naming a spouse or child directly, not the trust
Schedule your free trust funding review
A free 15-minute call with a Trust Align specialist. We sign a privacy agreement before reviewing anything specific to you. Then we go through your trust together, identify exactly what needs to be done, and handle it for you start to finish.
- Trust documents
- Property deeds
- Bank accounts
- Brokerage accounts
- Beneficiary designations
- Business interests
Your quiz answers aren't saved or shared. We only collect an email if you choose to request the checklist.