This is the step that quietly sinks more estate plans than any other. People sign a beautiful living trust, put it in a drawer, and assume they're protected. But a trust only controls the assets that are actually in it. If your home and accounts are still titled in your own name when you pass, they can go through probate anyway — trust or no trust. "Funding" is how you prevent that.
Step 1: Retitle your Florida home
Your home is usually the biggest asset. To fund it, you sign and record a new deed transferring the property from you individually to yourself as trustee of your trust. In Florida this must be done carefully to preserve your homestead protections and tax benefits — which is one reason guidance matters here.
Step 2: Retitle bank and investment accounts
Non-retirement bank and brokerage accounts are typically retitled into the name of the trust. Your bank or custodian will have a process; you'll usually provide a certificate of trust rather than the whole document.
Step 3: Handle retirement accounts and life insurance by beneficiary
Don't retitle IRAs or 401(k)s into a trust — that can trigger taxes. Instead, you generally update the beneficiary designations. Life insurance is handled the same way. Coordinating these designations with your trust is an important detail.
Step 4: Address other assets
- Vehicles and boats — often left out of the trust in Florida; ask what's appropriate for your situation.
- Business interests — LLC or partnership interests may be assigned to the trust.
- Personal property — typically transferred with an assignment of personal property.
Don't go it alone on the deed
Most of funding is straightforward — but the home deed is the step where Florida homestead rules can bite if it's done wrong. That's exactly the kind of detail a Florida-specific plan (and an optional attorney review) is built to get right, instead of leaving you guessing.
Get a Trust That's Actually Funded
The Florida Estate Kit includes step-by-step funding guidance. Take the free quiz, then build your living trust — self-guided or attorney-guided by Arthur Simpson, Esq.
See Living Trust Plans →This article is attorney advertising and general information only — not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deeds, homestead, and tax issues are fact-specific; consult a licensed Florida attorney. Arthur Simpson, Esq. is licensed in Florida (Bar #529265). No particular result is guaranteed.