The enactment of the latest statutory framework limiting estate freezes and publication of the final regulations have focused attention on the use of various planning techniques whereby property is placed in trust with an interest retained by the grantor. The major approaches are the grantor retained interest trust (GRIT), the grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) and the grantor retained unitrust (GRUT).

The objective is to reduce the gift to children or other remainder holders by retaining an interest for a period of years and hopefully to live beyond the period of the retained interest, with the property passing to children or others under favorable tax circumstances.