Under federal law, very few assets are exempt from a Medicaid "spend-down." However, on the "short list" of exempt assets are assets used in a business for self-support and assets that are structured so that they are inaccessible to a nursing home resident. The Asset Protection Limited Liability Company (APLLC) is a strategy that combines these two exemptions and provides solid protection for your assets from the Medicaid spend-down. Furthermore, the APLLC provides this protection without requiring you to give up control of your assets.

Our basic estate plan is a Revocable Living Trust. We provide a "Trust Package" that includes much more than ordinary estate plans. Along with the trust, we provide the following provisions:

• A Layman's Explanation of the Trust;
• A Declaration of Intent and Memorandum of Trust;
• Pour-Over-Wills;
• Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care and Property;
• Disposition of Personal Effects;
• Funding Forms and other useful forms.

Furthermore, continued membership entitles you to free changes or corrections to your documents.

Heritage has many members who have money sitting in an IRA or other qualified plan, and those members simply don't need those funds to support themselves.  For such members we offer the perfect planning tool – a Private Foundation. This devise is also known as a “Section 4947(a)(1) Trust”. It automatically receives treatment as an “exempt organization” without an approval required from the IRS.  With a Private Foundation you can  withdraw money from your IRA or other qualified plan absolutely tax-free. Using this device you can escape ALL estate taxes, regardless of the size of your estate. With a Private Foundation you can travel the world on “charitable business” with all expenses paid by the Private Foundation. Furthermore, this type of trust is perpetual and will allow all of your future generations to enjoy the same benefits and privileges.

Most estate planners are familiar with an Irrevocable Insurance Trust, or ILIT. An insurance trust allows you to provide the dollars needed to pay the any estate tax with life insurance dollars, and keep the death benefits from being counted as part of your estate.

The Family Limited Partnership can be a great estate plan for the small business owner. The Family Limited Partnership is an opportunity for the member to have both control of their assets as well as protection of their assets from lawsuits, creditor claims, even IRS liens. A Family Limited Partnership reduces or eliminates federal estate taxes, and may even reduce income taxes.