For many investors, a family trust may be a key part of a smart estate and financial plan, especially for preserving and passing on wealth.

A family trust is a specific type of trust you could use to help ensure your loved ones receive your wealth, and potentially avoid public disclosure of trust assets.

Wondering if a family trust is right for your assets? Speaking with a financial advisor could be a good first step to answering that question and potentially setting one up.

Benefits of a family trust:

• Avoid probate: Helps keep matters private and potentially saves your heirs time and legal fees.
• Shield assets: Potentially protect assets from creditors, lawsuits, and even divorce.
• Legacy planning: Define how and when beneficiaries receive their inheritance
• Tax strategy: With estate tax thresholds set to decrease in 2026, trusts can potentially be used proactively to minimize exposure and lock in current exemptions while they last.

If you’re thinking about creating or updating a trust, now may be the right time to speak with a fiduciary financial advisor.

That’s why we created a free tool to help match you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, each legally bound to work in your best interest.

It’s never too late to plan to work toward a comfortable retirement. Get your financial advisor matches today. 

Try SmartAsset’s Financial Advisor Matching Tool

Hire a pro. Find and compare vetted financial advisors serving your area, each legally bound to work in your best interest.

Get Started 

This is not an offer to buy or sell any security or interest. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Working with an adviser may come with potential downsides such as payment of fees (which will reduce returns). Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. There are no guarantees that working with an adviser will yield positive returns. The existence of a fiduciary duty does not prevent the rise of potential conflicts of interest.

SmartAsset.com is not intended to provide legal advice, tax advice, accounting advice or financial advice (Other than referring users to third party advisers registered or chartered as fiduciaries (“Adviser(s)”) with a regulatory body in the United States). The article and opinions in this publication are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you consult your accountant, tax, or legal advisor with regard to your individual situation. 

SmartAsset Advisors, LLC (“SmartAsset”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Insight Technology, is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. SmartAsset’s services are limited to referring users to third party advisers registered or chartered as fiduciaries (“Adviser(s)”) with a regulatory body in the United States that have elected to participate in our matching platform based on information gathered from users through our online questionnaire. SmartAsset receives compensation from Advisers for our services. SmartAsset does not review the ongoing performance of any Adviser, participate in the management of any user’s account by an Adviser or provide advice regarding specific investments. 

We do not manage client funds or hold custody of assets, we help users connect with relevant financial advisors.

---

Saturday’s Exclusive Article

These 3 Stocks Just Saw Major Insider Moves—Time to Be Bullish or Bearish?

Reported by Leo Miller. Published: 1/27/2026. 

In Brief

• Three major names saw outsized insider activity: Interactive Brokers, Micron Technology, and AutoZone—each with a different read-through for investors.
• Micron’s large director purchase is the cleanest bullish signal in the group, while Interactive Brokers’ discretionary sale is more cautionary.
• AutoZone’s headline sale looks bearish at first glance, but the Form 4 details tie it to option exercise activity, not a conviction exit.

Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR), Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), and AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) are three notable stocks that recently saw large insider trades. Micron’s purchase is a clear bullish signal for one of 2025’s best-performing stocks. However, while IBKR and AZO insiders are selling, the implications for each company differ.

IBKR Insider Initiates Big Sale After +40% Gain in 2025

Interactive Brokers is a major player in brokerage, with a market capitalization above $130 billion. The stock performed very well in 2025, delivering a total return of nearly 46%. The company posted 19% growth for the full year and saw its pretax margin reach a record high of 77%. Trading volumes were strong, and IBKR added over 1 million net new accounts — another record.

This Message Is Incomplete Without You (Ad)

Americans who believe in real retirement protection are adding their names to a statement going out to Washington and Wall Street. It’s a message that people are fed up with inflation and the erosion of their savings. President Trump took a stand on protecting American wealth. Now you can add your voice while also learning how to move part of your IRA or 401(k) into physical gold and silver, tax and penalty free.Add your name and claim your free Gold IRA Guide today.

Despite the strong 2025 results, Vice Chairman Earl Nemser is now selling. On Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, Nemser sold roughly $19 million of IBKR shares. These sales were not made under a predetermined 10b5-1 plan, so they were discretionary — typically viewed as a bearish signal. He sold at an average price near $77, slightly above the stock’s Jan. 26 closing price.

That said, insider sales don’t always reflect a lack of confidence in the business. Nemser may simply be raising cash for personal reasons rather than signaling a negative view of IBKR’s prospects.

Micron’s Insider Buy: Director Purchases Over 20,000 Shares

After a stellar 2025, U.S. semiconductor giantMicron Technology registered another notable insider trade. Micron shares skyrocketed about 240% last year as demand for memory chips used in AI systems surged, creating tight supply conditions. In 2026, shares are already up another 36% as investors continue to bet on pricing power for memory-chip makers.

Insiders are participating, too. On Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, Director Liu Teyin purchased approximately 23,200 Micron shares for roughly $7.8 million. Insider purchases are generally interpreted as bullish: they indicate confidence in the company’s future. Note, though, that shares are already about 15% above Liu’s purchase price, trading near $337.

At the same time, Micron Executive Vice President Manish Bhatia sold more than 26,600 Micron shareson Jan. 22, totaling about $10.4 million. Those sales were not under a 10b5-1 plan and occurred at an average price near $391, close to Micron’s Jan. 26 close of roughly $389. Bhatia’s sales temper some of the bullish signal from Liu’s purchase.

AZO Insider’s $11M Sale Isn’t What It Seems

AutoZone returned roughly 6% in 2025. Revenue growth has been uneven over the past four quarters, ranging from under 1% to 8%, and the company’s adjusted operating margin last quarter was about 17% — more than a 350-basis-point decline from the year-ago period. Still, the stock has started 2026 strongly, rising almost 12%.

Amid that rebound, Senior Vice President Richard Smith executed a sale. His Jan. 16 transaction amounts to more than $11 million and was not part of a 10b5-1 plan, which at first glance might look bearish.

A closer look at Smith’s Form 4 filing clarifies the situation. Smith exercised options with a strike price near $745 and sold the resulting 3,190 shares at about $3,500 per share, realizing the spread. Because these shares came from option exercises that are part of his compensation, the sale is not necessarily a negative signal — it more likely represents converting compensation into cash.

Analysts Keep Boosting MU Targets

The clearest signal among these transactions is the bullish one from Micron’s insider purchase, though investors should weigh the caveats noted above. The MarketBeat consensus price target for Micron is near $347, which implies roughly 11% downside from current levels. However, analyst targets continue to rise: several firms now have $500 targets on MU, implying nearly 29% upside.

Insider trades provide useful color, but they are best considered alongside company fundamentals, analyst views and your own investment horizon.

Thank you for subscribing to The Early Bird, MarketBeat’s 7:00 AMnewsletter that covers stories that will impact the stock market each day.

This email message is a sponsored email for SmartAsset, a third-party advertiser of The Early Bird and MarketBeat. 

If you have questions about your account, please don’t hesitate to contact our U.S. based support team at contact@marketbeat.com.

If you no longer wish to receive email from The Early Bird, you can unsubscribe.

Copyright 2006-2026 MarketBeat Media, LLC. All rights protected.
345 N Reid Place #620, Sioux Falls, S.D. 57103. United States of America..

Read More: Two AI Stocks Getting Quiet Attention (Click to Opt-In)