UNMATCHED CRT EXPERIENCE
Evan Unzelman
Founder & CEO
With nearly 25 years of specialized experience in charitable remainder trust planning, Evan Unzelman is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading CRT experts.
He has reviewed thousands of CRTs and advised tens of thousands of CRT beneficiaries and professional advisors on all aspects of CRT planning. His experience spans initial trust design and structuring – including complex arrangements such as income-deferral CRUTs, multi-tier income beneficiary structures, and CRTs that hold closely held business interests or other illiquid assets – as well as ongoing trust administration and secondary planning.
Evan has particularly deep experience in CRT secondary planning, including the sale and rollover of CRT income interests. Before founding CRT Experts, he served as president of a charitable planning firm, where he helped pioneer the secondary market for CRT income interests and personally oversaw the successful completion of sale and rollover transactions for thousands of CRT beneficiaries across the United States.
Evan is a trusted resource for trust and estate attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors on all aspects of CRT planning, with particular depth in the sale and rollover of CRT income interests. He designed CRT Experts’ service offering to complement, rather than compete with, the work of tax, legal, and financial advisors. CRT Experts does not manage or custody assets and does not provide tax, legal, financial, or insurance advice.
Evan is a frequent speaker and writer on CRT planning for professional audiences nationwide. His articles have appeared in publications including Estate Planning; National Association of Estate Planners & Councils’ Journal of Tax & Estate Planning; Taxation of Exempts; Atlanta Bar Association’s The Mortmain; Wealth Strategies Journal; and Atlantic Trust’s Trusted Advisor.
A Pacific Northwest native, Evan graduated summa cum laude from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, with degrees in finance and economics.
Selected Speaking Engagements and Presentations
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Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning
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American Bar Association, Trust & Estate and Real Property Section
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National Association of Estate Planners & Councils
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American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
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American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys
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Society of Financial Services Professionals
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Advanced Tax Planning Institute
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Southern California Tax & Estate Forum
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Hawaii Tax Institute
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Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services
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U.S. Bank, Private Client Group
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Bank of America Private Bank, National Wealth Planning Strategies Group
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Bar associations, estate planning councils, financial planning associations, wealth planning teams, and advisor groups across the United States