X-Message-Number: 28623 From: Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 11:28:20 EST Subject: Response, cryonics trusts status, semi long but probably wort... In a message dated 11/3/2006 5:01:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, writes: >Tell us what (Alcor) had to say about their new >Reanimation Fund (at their conference). You've already talked about the idea - you were going to >do one yourself, I believe. How's that coming along? Or is it the same as >Alcor's? Or did they trump yours? Flavonoid wrote above. The following is Rudi Hoffman writing. Thanks for your continuing interest in cryonics estate planning. In three sections, here is my response. 1. The "New" Alcor Reanimation Trust The Alcor based reanimation fund is, as I understand it, an individually funded and individually disbursed trust. While there was some discussion and presentation of this at the last Alcor conference, and Tonya Jones did a good job explaining the basic concept, there was not sufficient time to gather all the details. The idea that if we trust Alcor with our lives, we should trust them with our money was brought up, and this does make sense to me. It is my understanding that the trust can be funded with life insurance and/or assets. And that Alcor uses the same investment advisory service and separate board of trustees to manage these funds that is used for the "Patient Care Trust." Michael Riskin, the president of the Alcor board and an attorney, was going to be doing the presentation, but I believe he was ill and could not be there. There was also no details provided about exactly how one could view the trust, or obtain answers to concerns about it. The impression I got was that there has been some important work that has occurred over several years, but that the actual trust document is not ready to be disclosed and/or used by members as of this moment. I could be wrong about the above, and I will call Tonya today or next week to see if I can get further details on the Alcor Reanimation Trust. In short, this may or may not be a "ready for prime time" planning tool. But one should certainly CAN and SHOULD establish a separate life insurance policy which can later name this trust as partial beneficiary. If this explanation sounds a bit "lame" (as it will to some) so be it. I have been encouraging Alcor to come up with a solid individual reanimation trust for 12 years, and I am just happy that something is being pulled together we can all use. 2. The Hoffman Prototype Cryonics Trust As I write these words, I own some 2.3 million dollars of life insurance on my life. Part of this goes to fund my Alcor suspension, of course. (I have signed with CI as a backup, and need to restructure one of my policies to reflect this.) Part of the proceeds go to my wonderful wife and partner Dawn. And part of the proceeds currently to two separate cryonics trusts. Folks, if you increase or add to your life insurance you can do a LOT of very exciting things. You can take care of organizations you care about, including ALCOR and the CRYONICS INSTITUTE with large donations at pennies on the dollar. You can fund MULTIPLE trusts, in MULTIPLE venues, for your possible reanimation. You can take care of your family and loved ones in a significant manner. One of these is the Hoffman Prototype Cryonics Trust. This was developed by some very high powered and very expensive estate planning attorneys here in Florida. Although Florida has now joined the states that no longer disallow "Perpetuity Clauses" in trusts, at the time my trust was developed there was a limit of 360 years after the date of "death" as the limit to the trust. This is a type of "DYNASTY TRUST." The dynasty trust is "black letter law" in that it is solid and trusted and historically utilized type of trust. This type of trust, an IRREVOCABLE trust, has it's own tax ID number. It has historically been utilized by wealthy individuals who want to put stipulations on the disbursement of their funds. A trustee manages the funds. As a huge additional value added service, some of my best clients who qualify have been sent a redacted version of this trust. 3. The Liechtenstein Reanimation Foundation This is the foundation developed by well known ant-aging pioneers and long term cryonicists W*illiam Falo*n and Sa*l K*ent. (I am using asterisks to minimize search engine hits on these names here, as a courtesy to these admired heroes of cryonics.) This is a foundation designed by cryonicists, for cryonicists. It is an individually funded arangement, with the amount of funds available dependent on the amount contributed. Most people using this have utilized the simple expedient of naming this LRF as a partial beneficiary on their cryonics policy. It is, of course, important to have a LARGE enough policy face amount to do this. The actual verbiage is available through Dayna Dye at LEF. I would hope that anyone making inquiries of the LEF based would actually BE a LEF and cryonics organization member. Bill F. and Saul have been good enough to make this available to us as an option, currently as a courtesy and at no cost to us. It is not my purpose to practice law here, and I am officially and clearly stating that any research you do or ideas or advice must be understood as a "best efforts, here is what we know" situation. Because of my profession, licenses, and designations, the potential liability attached to actions, information, and observations I make is supposed to be couched with legal disclaimers. Please consider this sentence and common sense to be all the legal disclaimers required. If you are a good, loyal, and high value client, I WILL work with you individually. I will NOT respond publicly to any and all questions and responses. Flavanoid, it is not my job to satisfy your idle curiosity. I DO have several jobs which I take very seriously, but this is not one of them. Be advised that I may not respond, at least publicly, to any and all questions that this or any posting may generate. I will let shots across my bow and aimed directly at me go unanswered, trusting the good will and good sense of the majority of the cryonic community KNOWS what is appropriate. In closing, please know that cryonics estate planning is ALIVE and WELL, although still, like cryonics itself, in the pioneering decades. This is a LONG TERM project. Respectfully Submitted, Rudi Hoffman CFP CLU ChFC Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=28623