Want to benefit from stock market volatility? Start a Trust.

Minimize the estate tax

If you are worried about estate taxes and want to maximize the $15 million per person estate tax exemption, it can make sense to gift shares of stock to a trust during a market downswing, assuming you expect them to rise in value again, says Sara Wells, a partner at Morgan Lewis. “If they’ve gone down in value, get them and their future appreciation out of your estate.”