Spotting opportunity: Moving from a commercial fund to the FM Area Foundation
Although a donor-advised fund, which is becoming a more and more popular charitable planning tool, can be established through a national financial institution, the community foundation offers its donor-advised fund holders much broader services, more personal attention, and deeper connections to the nonprofits whose work is essential to effect positive community change. Unfortunately, many attorneys, […]
Clients want to know: What’s deductible and what’s not?
Whether you are an estate planning attorney, financial advisor, or accountant, you’ve probably seen an uptick in client questions about tax deductions–and tax rules in general–over the last few years. Tax law changes at the end of 2017 have caused much ongoing taxpayer confusion. To be sure, your clients will be asking about charitable tax deductions […]
Relief from catch-up requirements: More money for charitable giving?
Legislation known as SECURE 2.0 contained a dizzying array of changes to the laws governing retirement plans. Passed at the end of 2022, SECURE 2.0 is 130 pages long; overall, its purpose is to encourage more retirement savings through vehicles like employer-sponsored 401(k) plans. Lately, the buzz around SECURE 2.0 has been focused on a […]
Rethinking inherited IRAs
As you build your estate plan and consider how to provide for your adult children, keep in mind that naming children as the beneficiary of an IRA or other qualified plan probably is not something that should be automatic. For starters, if you are charitably minded and have other assets, such as highly appreciated stock, […]
Legacy giving: A conversation that’s full of opportunity
August is National Make-A-Will Month. This means your clients may be reading articles and hearing about estate planning more this month than usual, which makes the next few weeks a perfect time to prompt your clients to review their estate plans–or get their wills and trusts in order if they haven’t done so yet. Charitable […]
Proposed legislation: Is better deductibility back on the table?
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 […]
Private foundations and donor-advised funds: Debunking three myths
If you’ve been involved with charitable giving for a few years, you’ve no doubt become familiar with both private foundations and donor-advised funds and their popularity as charitable giving tools. As is often the case with tax and estate planning-related topics, the differences between private foundations and donor-advised funds are sometimes the subject of confusion […]
It’s not luck… It’s because of you and this community!
With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner and the old sentiment “Luck ‘O The Irish,” I came across an article talking about where success originates. Is it luck…serendipity…or hard work? Quite the question to ponder when one looks back on where you’ve been. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the FM […]
Stay the course: Intentional philanthropy is critical in a downturn
Your family may be among those taking their charitable giving budgets more seriously this year, given the stock market’s challenges, rising interest rates, economic concerns, and anticipated cash crunches. At the same time, not surprisingly, community needs tend to rise during uncertain economic times. As 2023 gets into full swing, inflation, housing challenges, and economic […]
How to grow your charitable giving by bundling tax savings
Many donors elect to use a donor- advised fund at the community foundation as an organizing tool, frequently recommending grants to their favorite charities in ways that mirror the ways they would make donations outright. Often, contributions to a donor- advised fund are in the form of highly- appreciated stock or other hard-to-value assets that […]