Estate Planning

DO YOU HAVE AN UP-TO-DATE

ESTATE PLAN?

The first thing to understand is that writing a will and having an estate plan are actually two different processes, even though an estate plan will include a will.

WILLS

Creating a will can be a fairly simple process. It will address who will take care of your children, who will take over your business, and who receives your assets and other personal property. A will requires the naming of an executor responsible for fulfilling the deceased’s wishes. Having one’s wishes defined in a will ensures privacy, helps avoid family disputes and saves money by avoiding probate and the expense of attorneys and public trustees to determine the distribution of assets which then becomes public information.

ESTATE PLANNING

Estate planning is the process of designating who will manage and distribute assets after death or incapacitation. It is a more intensive process and includes a variety of documents including the last will and testament. While it may be overwhelming to contemplate, a well-designed estate plan will ensure that assets are distributed according to one’s wishes. In addition to the last

will and testament, an estate plan might include a living will, a financial power of attorney, a living trust, and beneficiary designations. An estate plan can be particularly helpful in the case of multiple marriages, business ownership, specific charitable donations, or specific requests for health or property. It can also ensure wishes are carried out and that assets are distributed as designated.

LIVING WILL

A living will is a document that describes the type of care one would want if incapacitated and cannot speak for themself. This can assist the family with difficult decisions and avoid confusion. A financial power of attorney allows for a designated appointee to handle financial affairs in the event of incapacitation. They can make financial decisions in accordance with the instructions defined in the estate plan.

LIVING TRUST

A living trust is a document created during one’s life where a designated person, the trustee, is given responsibility for managing that individual’s assets for the benefit of the eventual beneficiary. It is designed to allow for the easy transfer of assets, thereby avoiding probate. A living revocable trust allows someone to be their own trustee and allows for changes in beneficiary at any time. An irrevocable living trust is restrictive, and beneficiaries may not be changed but there are certain beneficial tax consequences.

Beneficiary designations explain who receives which assets such as an IRA, insurance policy, savings account, or other financial instruments.

A well-executed estate plan can minimize gift, estate and generation skipping transfer taxes to ensure that the family receives as much of the deceased’s estate as possible. Everyone’s plan is different and requires the right team of professionals to implement. It is also important to update the plan regularly as personal circumstances, legislation, and tax laws change frequently.

This article is for informational purposes only. Please consult a professional.

PHILANTHROPY

OR CHARITY

According to the Dictionary, charity and philanthropy are two different things.

CHARITY Charity is the voluntary giving of help, typically money, to those that are suffering or in need. It tends to address an immediate problem and is a compassionate response to a natural disaster, or a token of support for the victim of crime or violence, for example. Charity can also address immediate needs for food, shelter or medical care. It is a short term response, although one may give frequently to a particular cause. PHILANTHROPY Philanthropy is more strategic in that it seeks to root out causes of the problem and to develop long term solutions. Striving for long term solutions to problems such as addiction, housing shortages, or hunger takes time, study, and planning. This is where charity comes in, providing direct relief for people in immediate need.

Both charity and philanthropy possess the same goals of addressing needs and making the world a better place but with different approaches. One deals with direct relief and the other with root causes and finding solutions.

Is one better than the other? Of course not! They are just two different ways of solving problems and both are essential to the functioning of a decent society.

Recently, there have been changes to the tax code regarding charitable giving.

Three Acts have been passed recently - The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE) and the Corona Virus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). All have some impact on deductibility of charitable contributions. They also may offer some additional advantages. For example, a qualified charity may receive your IRA with no tax consequences since charities do not pay taxes. Appreciated assets are also beneficial as a gift to a charity, as capital gains tax can be avoided.

Another way to contribute is through a community foundation, which is a grant making public charity that is dedicated to improving lives in a particular community. Individuals, families, businesses and non-profit groups establish funds within the foundation in which they can contribute assets for charitable purposes. The foundation manages the assets and takes suggestions from those that set up the fund on how and where to distribute the resources. There are over 700 community foundations in the United States.

Whether one chooses charity or philanthropy, the ultimate goal is to help the community by using personal skills and resources to make a difference.

Looking for an elegant and classic wedding venue to celebrate your big day? Country clubs are ideal for a variety of reasons.

Here are some reasons why country club wedding venues are among our favorites.

It’s a classic venue. A country club wedding has long been a time-honored tradition for couples with family ties to a members-only venue. Childhood memories of playing tennis or learning to expertly hit 18 holes can add sentimental meaning to a country club wedding. A country club also provides a familiar, picturesque venue. Expansive green spaces pair up with a stately ballroom to offer a magazine-worthy setting for a large indoor-outdoor wedding. Not a member of a nearby club? Some clubs are open to the public for events, while some private clubs will allow non-member weddings if the couple is “sponsored” by a member—meaning you just have to know someone who can connect you with the club’s in-house wedding planner.

It offers a one-stop-shop. Like a hotel, a country club often has many wedding services on-site. Catering, flowers, linen rentals and even the wedding planner may all be available for one package price that can reduce planning time and stress. All you have to do is worry about finding the perfect country club-appropriate wedding attire for you and your wedding party.

It’s a great place to have a rain backup plan. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of getting married in an outdoor ceremony—but then the skies open up right before you walk down the outdoor aisle. A country club offers the peace of mind of a rain plan with multiple ballrooms, dining rooms and other suitable indoor venues that can work as a stand-by on your big day.

It can accommodate many sizes of weddings. Those aforementioned outdoor spaces, ballrooms and dining rooms also mean a country club can accommodate a variety of wedding sizes. Want an intimate wedding for 20? That gazebo in the formal gardens might make a great place for your I Do’s. Is a wedding for 250 of your friends and family more your style? Many country clubs can host very large weddings in their wow-worthy ballrooms, too.

Two words: lawn games Those green spaces can do a lot more than hold chairs for your wedding ceremony. The large swaths of grass at a country club are a great space to entertain your guests with classic games like croquet, bocce ball and corn hole. And don’t let the golf course go to waste! A round of golf for your guests should definitely be in order at some point during the wedding weekend.

Bianco, Katie (2017, March 8). 5 Reasons to Get Married ... at a Country Club [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/5-reasons-to-get-married-at-a-country-club