Estate Planning Essentials: Trusts and Strategies for MASSMutual Employees

Healthcare Provider Update: Healthcare Provider for MassMutual MassMutual primarily collaborates with a range of healthcare providers through its employee benefits plans but does not operate a dedicated healthcare provider network itself. Instead, MassMutual provides health insurance options to its employees through various partnerships with leading insurance carriers. Projected Healthcare Cost Increases for 2026 As we approach 2026, healthcare costs are anticipated to increase significantly, with potential premium hikes driven largely by the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies for ACA marketplace enrollees. Experts forecast that Americans could face average increases of over 75% in out-of-pocket premium costs due to these subsidy reductions, alongside aggressive rate increases from major insurers, some of which are as high as 66.4% in places like New York. Furthermore, rising medical costs and inflation are compounding the financial strain on consumers, marking 2026 as a challenging year for healthcare affordability. Click here to learn more

Setting up a trust as a beneficiary for your Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) provides MASSMutual employees a way to manage asset distribution beyond their lifetime. This method is key in estate planning, aligning distributions with your goals and legal requirements. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, enacted in December 2019, introduced major changes to the rules around inherited IRAs, making it crucial to understand the different beneficiary categories and how they impact distributions.

Key Elements for IRA Beneficiary Designations

Choosing a trust as your IRA beneficiary lets MASSMutual employees specify asset distribution terms. The SECURE Act revised distribution requirements for IRAs inherited from those who passed away on or after January 1, 2020. It classifies beneficiaries into three groups: eligible beneficiaries, designated beneficiaries, and non-designated beneficiaries. Understanding the distinctions among these groups is important, as they directly affect distribution rules and tax implications.

Types of IRA Beneficiaries Under the SECURE Act

• Eligible Beneficiaries :  This group includes the IRA owner's spouse, children under 18, disabled individuals, chronically ill persons, and anyone less than 10 years younger than the IRA owner . Eligible beneficiaries can receive IRA assets based on their own life expectancy or the original owner's, with an option for a surviving spouse to treat the IRA as their own.

• Designated Beneficiaries :  Individuals who do not qualify as eligible are subject to the ten-year rule, which mandates that all IRA funds be withdrawn within ten years of the owner's death .

• Non-Designated Beneficiaries : This category includes estates, certain types of trusts, and other entities. The rules depend on whether the IRA owner died before or after the required beginning age for required minimum distributions (RMDs).  If the owner passed away before this age, the five-year rule applies; if after, distributions are based on the owner’s remaining life expectancy .

Using Trusts as IRA Beneficiaries Strategically

MASSMutual employees may use different types of trusts to manage IRA beneficiary designations effectively, such as conduit trusts and accumulation trusts:

• Conduit Trusts :  These trusts automatically pass all IRA distributions to beneficiaries upon distribution, functioning as pass-through entities that do not affect the beneficiary classification for IRA purposes .

• Featured Video

  Articles you may find interesting:

  Loading...
  • Corporate Employees: 8 Factors When Choosing a Mutual Fund
  • Use of Escrow Accounts: Divorce
  • Medicare Open Enrollment for Corporate Employees: Cost Changes in 2024!
  • Stages of Retirement for Corporate Employees
  • 7 Things to Consider Before Leaving Your Company
  • How Are Workers Impacted by Inflation & Rising Interest Rates?
  • Lump-Sum vs Annuity and Rising Interest Rates
  • Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (Governing Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans)
  • Corporate Employees: Do NOT Believe These 6 Retirement Myths!
  • 401K, Social Security, Pension – How to Maximize Your Options
  • Have You Looked at Your 401(k) Plan Recently?
  • 11 Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Planning for Retirement
  • Worst Month of Layoffs In Over a Year!

  • Corporate Employees: 8 Factors When Choosing a Mutual Fund
  • Use of Escrow Accounts: Divorce
  • Medicare Open Enrollment for Corporate Employees: Cost Changes in 2024!
  • Stages of Retirement for Corporate Employees
  • 7 Things to Consider Before Leaving Your Company
  • How Are Workers Impacted by Inflation & Rising Interest Rates?
  • Lump-Sum vs Annuity and Rising Interest Rates
  • Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (Governing Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans)
  • Corporate Employees: Do NOT Believe These 6 Retirement Myths!
  • 401K, Social Security, Pension – How to Maximize Your Options
  • Have You Looked at Your 401(k) Plan Recently?
  • 11 Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Planning for Retirement
  • Worst Month of Layoffs In Over a Year!

  Accumulation Trusts : These trusts retain and accumulate IRA distributions over time, often used to help beneficiaries manage inheritance carefully.  However, these trusts generally face less favorable taxation under the five-year payout rule if they include non-individual beneficiaries .

Origins of Trust-Based Beneficiary Designations

Trusts are commonly used to address complex family dynamics, such as providing for children from previous marriages or preserving assets for future tax benefits. They may be structured to give a surviving spouse steady income while maintaining the principal for other beneficiaries.  Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) trusts, for example, allow the trust owner to control asset division after the spouse’s death, so designated heirs ultimately receive the intended inheritance .

Implications of the SECURE Act

The SECURE Act’s changes to beneficiary categories and distribution rules add complexity to estate planning with IRA s. Employees at MASSMutual companies, along with their advisors, should consider these changes carefully. Effective planning involves a solid understanding of the beneficiary’s relationship to the deceased and the tax consequences tied to different distribution strategies.

Conclusion

Setting up a trust as your IRA beneficiary is a powerful tool for estate planning, supporting controlled and tax-efficient distribution of assets. However, the complexities introduced by the SECURE Act require detailed analysis and thoughtful planning to meet estate goals without triggering unwanted tax or legal consequences. Consulting with financial and legal professionals is vital to navigate these intricacies and to make the most of IRA estate planning.