For wealthy parents, these loans are a way to pass on their wealth to their children at a low cost. Every week for the past 14 months, the wealth advisor Aaron Bell has had to help his affluent clients buy houses. With interest rates on loans as low as 2%, clients can save money by taking out loans they don't need, rather than liquidating their stock and incurring hefty capital-gains taxes. Parents pledging their investment accounts with their child as the borrower is a tax-efficient way to pass along assets before death. These lines are also secured by the value of the property, which means that as it appreciates, the adult child's dependence on their parents' assets decreases.

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