Author Archives: Steve Masterson

About Steve Masterson

Court-appointed Trustee and Personal Representative, providing neutral, third-party, administration of Trusts and Estates; estate planning consultant to families, attorneys, and fiduciaries; and expert witness for trust and estate litigation matters. See my website at www.idahotrustee.com

Recent OpEd

https://cdapress.com/news/2021/mar/06/c1-my-turn-make-most-rising-assets/

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Idaho Supreme Court Opinion

In 2018 I testified as an expert witness in a local case. The decision for the defendant Trustee was appealed up to the Idaho Supreme Court. In his decision upholding the trial court decision, Justice Bevan quoted the following portion … Continue reading

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Statements from a Judicial Verdict

In a recent decision, Judge Edward Nicholas included the following statements in his Final Judgment: “Mr. Masterson gave the Court a primer on the criteria necessary to establish a fiduciary duty, both express and by implication. His analysis was thorough, … Continue reading

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Fiduciaries and The Duty of Prudence: The True Impact of Mutual Fund Fees

Mr. Watkins is right on target.  If you have fiduciary duties when it comes to investments, being prudent with investment costs is one of your primary responsibilities. Fiduciaries and The Duty of Prudence: The True Impact of Mutual Fund Fees.

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Seller Financing is About to Get Ugly on January 10

Originally posted on Clint Coons, Esq:
Seller Financing is being squashed by Dodd Frank In 3 months private seller financing will come under the control of the Empire, err… actually the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).   Congressmen Dodd and Frank…

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Should I have Co-fiduciaries? A Practical Consideration

Not to sound like a broken record, but selection of a trustee in your estate plan is one of the most important decisions you can make. Here’s a good synopsis of what you should consider if you are thinking about … Continue reading

Posted in Estate Planning, Executor, fiduciary, trustee | 2 Comments

Ohio Court Approves Will Written on Samsung Tablet

Originally posted on Marshall's Oklahoma Law Blog:
An Ohio Judge has allowed the admission of a will that was written with a stylus on a Samsung Tablet.  According to the man’s two brothers, the decedent had no paper, and…

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Who Will Be Your Trustee?

Here is an excellent review of important considerations when choosing a Trustee for your Trust.  These considerations also apply when you are choosing a Personal Representative or an Executor. Who can you trust…with your Trust?

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PI +

Personal Injury Plus, or PI+, is a collaboration with a couple of local professionals, Pat Wardian and Dan Brownell.  My role is to provide consulting expertise when there is trust solution being considered as part of a personal injury settlement. … Continue reading

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Trusts, Obamacare, and the New Tax Act

Trusts, Obamacare, and the New Tax Act As pointed out in the article in Forbes, to which I’ve linked in the title of this post, both the 3.8% surcharge on investment income required by Obamacare and the tax increases on … Continue reading

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