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Teen Faces Family’s Guilt Trip Over His Inheritance, Refuses To Share It With “Random Kids”
Teen Faces Family’s Guilt Trip Over His Inheritance, Refuses To Share It With “Random Kids”
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Teen Faces Family’s Guilt Trip Over His Inheritance, Refuses To Share It With “Random Kids”

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Setting up a trust fund is a great way to ensure that your loved ones are financially supported and protected, no matter the circumstances. However, when a lot of money suddenly comes into the picture, other family members often feel entitled to a share of it, even though the person who left it in the first place didn’t include them for a reason. 

When this redditor’s family tried convincing him to share the money his dad set up in a trust fund, he firmly refused. Since he wasn’t going to college, he planned to use it to secure a good future and wasn’t going to risk losing it all to support his half and stepsiblings. 

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    Having a trust fund is a very fortunate situation to be in

    Image credits: KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA (not the actual photo)

    However, when this teen was about to receive his, he struggled to fend off other family members from it

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    Image credits: Kindel Media (not the actual photo)

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    Image source: Latter_Pudding_9938

    The main reason people set up trust funds is to control who receives their assets

    Image credits: Kampus Production (not the actual photo)

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    According to Nationwide, an insurance and financial services company, “Trust funds are legal arrangements that allow individuals to place assets in a special account to benefit another person or entity.” 

    The main reason people set up trust funds is to control who receives their assets. For instance, they might want to help with a family member’s education or the purchase of their home. 

    Trust funds come in various forms and their types can differ depending on their purpose and beneficiary. If the grantor (person who wants to pass down their assets) wants a straightforward way to set up a trust fund, they can choose between revocable and irrevocable trusts. Both are created when a person is alive. The difference between them is that revocable can be changed, whereas irrevocable can’t be altered or dissolved. 

    There’s also a testamentary trust that comes into existence when the grantor passes away. And a charitable trust passes down assets to charity or the general public. It’s worth mentioning that there are many other sub-types that constitute trust funds so it’s important to analyze each one or reach out to a professional before deciding on one. 

    The receiver or the beneficiary of the trust fund can become the so-called trust fund baby if their parents or grandparents decide to pass down their assets to them. Normally, they can start using the money once they reach 18. In the meantime, the trust is managed by the trustee, who can be a neutral third party like an individual or a bank.

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    Trust funds aren’t just for the wealthy

    Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)

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    Despite common belief, trust funds aren’t just for the wealthy. Sure, there was a time when that was the case but now it has become a more common tool for everyone to plan their estate. 

    Since more and more people choose to pass down their assets in this way, it may be more important than ever to discuss the mistakes to avoid. 

    According to attorney Ronald D. Payne, selecting the wrong trustee (the third party that manages the trust fund) is the biggest misstep parents can make while setting up a trust fund. The trustee has immense power over it and when parents name a close family member as one, it can be a very risky move. For instance, an unqualified trustee who recklessly invests or fails to file taxes can significantly reduce the size of the trust. 

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    Reviewing the trust annually is also important, as laws and family situations might change. Unfortunately, an outdated financial plan can be as good as having none at all. So it’s crucial to review the trust and reassess if the trustee is still eligible for this role, if every beneficiary you want is included, and so on. 

    To prevent the money from falling into the wrong hands, it’s vital to make sure that all possible protection is in place. The best way to do that is to consult with a legal professional who can help find the trust that will meet all of your needs and ensure that all the documents are created properly. 

    Readers supported the teenager’s decision to keep the trust fund to himself

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    Austeja Zokaitė

    Austeja Zokaitė

    Writer, Community member

    Read more »

    Hi, glad you swung by! My name is Austėja, and in the past, I was a writer at Bored Panda. In my time here, I’ve covered some fun topics such as scrungy cats and pareidolia, as well as more serious ones about mental health and relationship hiccups. You can check them out below! I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them:)

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    Austeja Zokaitė

    Austeja Zokaitė

    Writer, Community member

    Hi, glad you swung by! My name is Austėja, and in the past, I was a writer at Bored Panda. In my time here, I’ve covered some fun topics such as scrungy cats and pareidolia, as well as more serious ones about mental health and relationship hiccups. You can check them out below! I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them:)

    What do you think ?
    KatSaidWhat
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow - it's rare to not see some sub-IQ not throw a YTA in there because "family/sick/you've got enough". His mother is being a bitter cow and is going to end up pushing him far away.

    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Simple. It was left to you. It's yours. You can do with it what you want. Is your mother psychic or something that she knows what your late father would have wanted? The children are your parents' responsibility, not yours.

    Gatorraid
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Def NTA. Giving his inheritance now is WAAY too risky as he might not get paid back. He could, not saying he should, lend them parts of his income should he get a good job.

    Papa
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Here's an idea. If you can't afford to go to college, don't go to college. Many people make a good living that have never attended college a day in their life.

    Schmebulock
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No chance in hell his dad wanted the money to go to his kid's step/half siblings. They can get student loans if they need to pay for college like a lot of people do and repay them.

    Stacy Jones
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If his father wanted his mother involved in deciding how the money was spent, he wouldn't have put in into a trust controlled by the uncle and granddad, we would have made the mother the trustee. Mom needs to get Dad's name out her mouth.

    Christopher Crockett
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My best friend's mother died a few years ago and her father remarried. The stepmother, (henceforth referred to as LT, for Lady Tremaine) has forced her out of her father's life as much as possible. Though initially supportive, LT turned on my friend when my friend wouldn't bend to LT's wishes. She has thrown her out, stolen money from her, cut off the money her mother earmarked for my friend to go to college, and limited access to her father. LT and her father said they were staying home for Christmas last year. My friend finds pictures a few weeks later showing her father, LT and LT's children out at a museum several hours away. The only family member who wasn't there was, surprise, my friend. It really is amazing how poorly people will act sometimes. My friend deserves better.

    Spittnimage
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mom is trying to manipulate him. I can't believe she thinks if he's not going to college then he won't need the money for anything else - like to buy a house or just to make his life easier. He will need money for trade school, too.

    Yu Pan
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Your dad would want you to be a good brother." "You want to go ask him now?" I hate it when people say stuff like this: you never truly know what a person will say/do in any situation, so don't assume. Unless you hear it from their own mouth, it's not said.

    Caring Panda
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mum reckons Dad would have wanted him to give it to his step and half siblings then why didn't Dad have her instead of the grandfather and uncle in control of the money? I think he knew.

    Load More Comments
    KatSaidWhat
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow - it's rare to not see some sub-IQ not throw a YTA in there because "family/sick/you've got enough". His mother is being a bitter cow and is going to end up pushing him far away.

    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Simple. It was left to you. It's yours. You can do with it what you want. Is your mother psychic or something that she knows what your late father would have wanted? The children are your parents' responsibility, not yours.

    Gatorraid
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Def NTA. Giving his inheritance now is WAAY too risky as he might not get paid back. He could, not saying he should, lend them parts of his income should he get a good job.

    Papa
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Here's an idea. If you can't afford to go to college, don't go to college. Many people make a good living that have never attended college a day in their life.

    Schmebulock
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No chance in hell his dad wanted the money to go to his kid's step/half siblings. They can get student loans if they need to pay for college like a lot of people do and repay them.

    Stacy Jones
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If his father wanted his mother involved in deciding how the money was spent, he wouldn't have put in into a trust controlled by the uncle and granddad, we would have made the mother the trustee. Mom needs to get Dad's name out her mouth.

    Christopher Crockett
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My best friend's mother died a few years ago and her father remarried. The stepmother, (henceforth referred to as LT, for Lady Tremaine) has forced her out of her father's life as much as possible. Though initially supportive, LT turned on my friend when my friend wouldn't bend to LT's wishes. She has thrown her out, stolen money from her, cut off the money her mother earmarked for my friend to go to college, and limited access to her father. LT and her father said they were staying home for Christmas last year. My friend finds pictures a few weeks later showing her father, LT and LT's children out at a museum several hours away. The only family member who wasn't there was, surprise, my friend. It really is amazing how poorly people will act sometimes. My friend deserves better.

    Spittnimage
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mom is trying to manipulate him. I can't believe she thinks if he's not going to college then he won't need the money for anything else - like to buy a house or just to make his life easier. He will need money for trade school, too.

    Yu Pan
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Your dad would want you to be a good brother." "You want to go ask him now?" I hate it when people say stuff like this: you never truly know what a person will say/do in any situation, so don't assume. Unless you hear it from their own mouth, it's not said.

    Caring Panda
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mum reckons Dad would have wanted him to give it to his step and half siblings then why didn't Dad have her instead of the grandfather and uncle in control of the money? I think he knew.

    Load More Comments
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