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Wayne Olson, JD Consulting Associate (Eastern Division) S. Renee Brida, JD Senior Associate and Lawyer (Western Division) Professional Partnerships: Hospice Philanthropy Group L.L.C.
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Quote
for the day: “You want to be the pebble
in the pond that creates the ripple for change.” Tim
Cook, CEO Apple
Quickie quiz:......... What percentage of people are hording cash amid the coronavirus crisis? 3%, 13%, 18%, 28%, 32%.....Answer below. Senior Spirit.....Click the Senior Spirit link (below left) for a copy of the latest articles from Certified Senior Advisors Past issues of the Newsletter are available in the Newsletter Archives To subscribe to this newsletter E-mail and put Subscribe in the subject line ______________________________________________________________________ |
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CARES
Act summaries.....The
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES Act”)
(S748) enacted on March 27, 2020 provides relief to investors and economic
security to millions of Americans. I have been reviewing several articles and papers on the CARES Act and you can review them by clicking the links for each below. Keep in mind the following point as you review each article: 1. For the first time there is an above the line charitable contribution deduction of $300 available to each taxpayer unit even when they do not itemize. It was unclear if this benefit was per taxpayer or per individual, but the IRS clarified the maximum per taxpayer is $300. 2. There is a one-year increase in the limit for cash charitable deductions to 100% of adjusted gross income (AGI) for gifts to public charities. Support organizations and donor advised funds are not eligible. Gifts support organizations and donor advised funds retain the 30% and 60% AGI limits. 3. Any taxpayer over the age of 70½ is STILL eligible to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to public charities. The SECURE Act approved in 2019 and effective in 2020 increased the date you must start the IRS Required Minimum Distribution to age 72. The confusion arose from the fact that the SECURE Act did not change the age for the QCD making more individuals eligible to withdraw funds from their IRAs and make a non-taxable charitable gift. Remember there is a new age cohort that becomes eligible for QCDs each year. 4. For more on the SECURE Act download at this LINK. The Act eliminates extended withdrawal benefits for non-spouse beneficiaries, i.e. children, brothers, sister, friends, and relatives from IRA accounts. They must exhaust the account within 10 years. 5. Planned giving marketing during the coronavirus: what history tells us...by John Jensen of the Sharpe Group may also help advance your program. 9. National Council of Nonprofits _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Asking for Bequests.....A lot has been written about the general, and somewhat worrisome, consensus that most Americans don’t have their estate-planning documents in place. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there appears to have been an awakening among the general public of various ages and backgrounds to get their estate planning in order. Charitable bequest from "final estates" account for 97% of the dollar value of all charitable bequests. Indeed, many attorneys I’ve spoken with have confirmed this, noting the uptick in clients who are urgently seeking to get a will in place, along with other documents, such as health care directives. And though estate planners and advisors are likely grateful for the new workload and opportunity to provide their expertise, the events leading up to this increase in business are unfortunate. Charities without a significant website presence showing and marketing bequest options are at a significant disadvantage when prospects consult their advisors. Virtual estate planning has come of age during the Covid-19 pandemic. See FreeWill article in my January 2019 newsletter. You may wish to review my talk to the NHCPO 2020 Leadership Conference on Creating an Omnipresent Legacy Bequest Program Review the notes in PowerPoint as they provide commentary on each slide. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ACGA rate update....The ACGA Conference as held virtually in April. The economy is frozen and interest rates have changed and many have thought the ACGA would respond with suggested lower rates. David Ely, Chairman of the ACGA Rates Committee, discussed the committee’s difficult objectives of balancing attractive payments for the annuity with the gift to charity. The committee regularly monitors certain interest rates and markets that underlie the investment return assumptions used to create the rate schedules. Ely stated that there would not be a rate adjustment at this time but to look for further communication on May 7. New ACGA rates were issued effective on January 1, 2020. See below for a laminated chart for gift annuities and also a comparisons for rates for ages 60-80. _____________________________________________________________________________________ I have long advocated for charities to promote CGAs in all thank-you letters as a low cost method of promotion. Using the Hillsdale College format I have created for your use the attached WORD document for promotion. It fits into a #10 envelope and you can include your application information on the reverse side. Additionally for quick internet responses create a web site link to the flyer, see link created by Haven Hospice. Hillsdale College flyer LINK WORD document LINK ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It points up the continuing use of stories showing what is possible in selecting options for charitable support. Most important is reinforces the importance of motivation in the gifting process. David Young the featured donor was a long term employee of the cancent center and stated he is not rich but found a way to make a legacy gift that fit his fiancial and personal situation. Read the newsletter from HERE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Create a Virtual Planned Giving Office for less than $10 per day.....Our basic Telephone Lite service provides an economical service with less risk and greater technical expertise from our team's decades of experience identifying, planning, solicitation and completing planned gift agreements.
Download Virtual Flyer here - Download "What a planned giving consultant can do for you" here _______________________________________________________________________________________ Retirement savings by age....Much has been written about all the assets locked up in IRA retirement account. Fidelity reports the average IRA and 401k balance of all their accounts is $215,400. When you look by age cohort you find interesting balances. The Silent Generation (born 1928-1945 ) averaged $403,500 in assets. Boomers (1946-1964) Swho are also retired had saved an average of $357,500. Millennials (born 1981-1996) have socked away $43,800, while Generation Z ( born 1997-2012)have retiement saving of $5,400. Remember under the new Secure Act those over age 701/2 are still eligible to make Qualified Charitable Distributions but do not have to take their Minimum Required Distribuitons until age 72. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Advisor's guide to donating illiquid assets from Schwab charitable.....As individuals evaluate their giving priorities they may turn to other assets vs their cash or stock portfolio. It is important to understand the nature of illiquid assets, the risk involved and the opportunities for charitable support. A full discussion of illiquid assets is included in a recent Schwab guide. Note: The guide was developed before the recent tax law changes. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Gift annuity rate update and laminated gift annuity rate charts.....If you would like a laminated rate chart for the most recent ACGA July 1,2018 rates simply request one using the following E-mail request and put Laminated Rate Chart in the subject line and be sure your signature line has your full address. Download a PDF chart of single life $10,000 cash gift and two-life $100,000 security gift for ages 60,65,70,75,80 HERE. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Rich clients (or your donors) fleeing high-tax states? Saying goodbye isn't so easy....Donors asking about the new tax law effecting their deductions for charitable gifts and state and local taxes (SALT) may be considering fleeing to tax-friendly states like Texas and Florida. By setting a $10,000 cap on SALT how much Americans can deduct in state and local taxes, Washington created a pricey problem for the privileged in some parts of the USA. The tax courts are taking a hard look and require significant proof that they pass the "Teddy Bear" test,"where you keep the items that are near and dear to you." Learn how a Kansas resident received a $42.5 million tax bill. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 fundraising strategies during Covid-19.....Michael Rosen and Russel James JD recent blog posted on LinkedIn an insightful and somewhat complex discussion of strategies any charity should consider as they move forward in the new Covig-19 fundraising environment. Wealthy donors are increasingly turning to arragements that provide flexibility in their giving. You will learn i #10 how a "Charitable Swap" in a down market. Special report LINK _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Quiz Answer....Investors business daily reported nearly 3 in 10 Americans (28%)have stockpiled cash because of the coronavirus crisis. The average amount they're holding is $2,224.10. People earning at least $100,000 are hoarding an average of $4,267. ____________________________________________________________________________________ News and Notes....SENIOR DEBT...Total debt for Americans over age 70 increased 543% from 1999 through 2019 — the largest percentage increase for any age group, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Seniors have been “disproportionately harmed” by a deterioration in the country’s “modest social safety net,” according to a study. Carrying debt in retirement isn’t necessarily bad if people have the cash flow to pay their bills and still live comfortably, according to financial advisors. The total debt burden for Americans over age 70 increased 543% from 1999 through 2019, to $1.1 trillion, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Similarly, those in their 60s saw debt, such as mortgages and auto loans, balloon by 471% to $2.14 trillion. TOP 1%...U.S. women in the top 1% of income live 10 years longer on average than women in the bottom 1%, and U.S. men in the top 1% of income live 15 years longer than men in the bottom 1%. NOT SMART - 54% of Americans surveyed in February 2020 say that if they inherited $1 million today, they would “spend it” as opposed to paying off debt or investing (source: Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey). PREPARE FOR IT - A 65-year old American couple has a 48% chance that at least one of them will live to age 90, i.e., at least a 25-year life expectancy (source: Social Security Administration). ________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Kudos Corner - Celebrating gifts of all types and sizes In this section I periodically highlight some recent gift expectancies and gift program elements I think will be helpful and informative, not all gifts are included.
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James
E. Connell and Associates is a national consulting service which has been
devoted to
increasing
resources for charities using the power of charitable estate and gift planning techniques for over 40 years. Pinehurst
office: PO Box 3335, Pinehurst, NC 28374 |
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Marketing
Idea #1....Hillsdale College CGA promotion.... attached
is a tearoff
promotional flyer for charitable gift annuities attached to the Hillsdale
College self-mailer newsletter.
Marketing
Idea #2......To honor my mother.....Is
the lead story in the Spring 2020 "The Legacy" newsletter
by MD Anderson Cancer Center.