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CRUT Payout Path Calculator

 

Note: Monte Carlo simulations may take a few seconds 
 

What It Does

A conventional payout schedule projects the trust forward on two assumptions: a fixed payout rate and a single growth rate held constant for the entire term. The payout rate genuinely is fixed — it is written into the trust. The growth rate is not. Real returns vary year to year, and the order in which strong and weak years arrive changes the outcome. That is why this calculator models payout paths rather than a payout schedule. A payout path is one possible future for the trust: a single sequence of annual returns, and the payouts and remaining corpus that follow from it. A schedule draws one line. This calculator generates thousands of paths and reports the distribution — the range of outcomes, and how often each occurs across the simulation.
 

The CRUT Payout Path Calculator projects what a charitable remainder unitrust may pay over time — functioning as both a CRUT distribution calculator and a long-term income projection tool. Enter the trust's current value, payout percentage, and projection period — the calculator runs thousands of simulations to show a realistic range of annual distributions, cumulative payouts, and ending trust values across both good and bad markets. The result is a probabilistic picture of trust cash flow, not a single optimistic line.
 

Who It's For
 

• Attorneys and financial planners advising clients on charitable remainder trust planning

• Donors considering a CRUT who want to see how funding amounts or payout rates affect future distributions

• CRUT beneficiaries who want to understand what their trust may pay in the years ahead
   

How It Works
 

Provide four inputs:

• Current Trust Value — fair market value of trust assets, or the contemplated funding amount

• Fixed Payout Rate — the unitrust percentage in the governing instrument (e.g., 5%, 6%, 7%)

• Projection Period — years to examine (up to 40)

• Investment Style — portfolio allocation from Conservative (bond-heavy) to Equity-Heavy
   

Then choose a modeling lens:

• Historical — draws from 150+ years of U.S. market data since 1871

• Forward-Looking — models sustained bull and bear cycles based on post-1950 patterns

• Stress Case — tests prolonged downturns similar to 1970s stagflation or Japan's lost decades
   

What You'll See
 

Three charts showing 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile outcomes: annual payouts, trust value over time, and cumulative distributions. Toggle between nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars to assess real purchasing power.

Work With the Attorney Behind the Model

 

Work With the Attorney Behind the Model
 

No calculator substitutes for professional judgment. A CRT's real economics depend on asset type, cost basis, client age, charitable intent, tax situation, and governing instrument design — factors that require an attorney who integrates legal drafting with quantitative analysis. Klaus Gottlieb, Esq. offers professional-grade modeling, structural analysis, and full trust drafting for California clients.