As the year winds down, your thoughts might drift to the future. And, as part of that future, you may be thinking of where your financial assets will end up. You’ve worked hard to accumulate them, and you’ll certainly need some of them to support your retirement, but what about the rest? What’s the best way to pass them on to your loved ones?

There’s no single path for everyone to follow. But you might consider establishing a trust, which offers some key benefits. For example, your estate...