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Unlock the unexpected power of regret to grow your charitable giving

Did you know the FM Area Foundation provides “regret mitigation” services? We’re only half kidding! Not surprisingly, financial regrets are common, with those related to personal finances among the most frequent. Of recently surveyed American retirees, 75% wished they’d started saving earlier, and 62% wished they’d saved more money for their golden years. On the […]

Bridging the gaps in multi-generational family philanthropy

Differing views within families are nothing new; differing views about nearly anything and everything is centuries old. For generations and generations, common topics of disagreement have included popular culture, politics, religion, and parenting, just to name a few. Frequently outranking all is money—how it’s made, spent, or saved—or not.  How benevolent families share money, whether […]

Summer topics worth watching

Lawn chairs on green grass.

Proposed legislation known as the Charitable Act appears to be gaining momentum. The bill calls for making available a “below the line” deduction to taxpayers who do not itemize on their tax returns. This proposed deduction is slated to reach up to one-third of the standard deduction (around $4,500 for an individual filer and around […]

Have your cake and eat it too: A dual approach to charitable giving

The change of seasons is often an opportunity to catch our breath and reassess. We’re done with taxes, really done with cold weather (hopefully), and we feel a sense of renewal as our attention turns to gardening and other growth-oriented, warm-weather pursuits. And many of us are wondering how in the world it can already […]

Hidden no more: Designated funds and Field-of-Interest funds

Most attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors are well-aware of donor-advised funds and the reasons behind their popularity. Especially when a donor-advised fund is established at the FM Area Foundation, this vehicle is an excellent way for your clients to organize their charitable giving and get even more connected to the causes they care about. Enter […]

Proposed legislation: Is better deductibility back on the table?

Table with wine glasses

Charitable deduction legislation ebbs and flows. Proposed reform efforts come and go, resulting in the occasional change to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code governing charitable giving. At the same time, popular charitable giving techniques evolve and grow over time, frequently creating new opportunities for your clients to support the causes they love. For […]