Funding your trust

Funding means retitling

Signing the trust creates an empty container. Funding means changing the legal owner of each asset from your individual name to your name as trustee — for example, from 'Jordan A. Reyes' to 'Jordan A. Reyes, Trustee of the Jordan A. Reyes Revocable Living Trust dated March 4, 2026'.

Asset by asset

• Real estate: a new deed transferring the property to the trust, recorded with the county. Check whether your state charges transfer tax and whether your lender requires notice.
• Bank and credit union accounts: the branch retitles the account to the trust; you keep the same account and debit card in most cases.
• Brokerage and non-retirement investment accounts: the firm opens a trust-registered account and transfers the holdings in kind.
• Retirement accounts (IRA, 401(k), 403(b)): do NOT retitle these into the trust — that can trigger immediate income tax. Update the beneficiary designation instead.
• Life insurance and annuities: keep ownership as is; name the trust or individuals as beneficiary depending on your goals.
• Business interests: assign your LLC membership or corporate shares to the trust, subject to your operating agreement or buy-sell agreement.
• Vehicles: many states let vehicles pass outside probate; retitling is often unnecessary.
• Personal property: covered by a general assignment of tangible personal property to the trust.

Keep the schedule current

Update Schedule A when you buy or sell something significant. Review the whole plan after a marriage, divorce, birth, death, business sale, or a move to another state.