A lifetime trust, also known as a living trust, can be the difference between people controlling their estate and being subject to the expense, confusion, and problems that sometimes affect unplanned estates.
Nevertheless, a whole industry has grown around overselling living trusts when they are not really needed. Now, AARP and Kiplinger have gone in the other direction proclaiming that trusts are expensive and not needed. In the June 2013 Personal Finance issue, the newsletter gives really bad advice to avoid trusts.
Happy Mother’s Day – Too Much Hype For and Against Living Trusts | TaxConnections Worldwide Tax Blog