We’re taking a brief break from the details about the logistics of donation substantiation and the benefits of giving stocks to talk about one of my favorite subjects: books!
The people of Iceland have a lovely tradition called jólabókaflóð where books are exchanged with loved ones on Christmas Eve and then a cozy night is spent reading together. If you choose to start your own “Yule book flood” holiday custom, consider passing along one of the GoFisch Book Club selections we’ve chosen over the year. Which brings us to this month’s title: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.
The author, Anand Giridharadas, explores how rich and powerful donors utilize donations not just in attempt to change the world, but to shape policy. He presents an argument that the wealthiest of donors perpetually intend to do good, but never intend less harm. The author explores tough questions, which at times, are hard to reconcile with the current state of major giving in the world today. Giridharadas also offers ideas, with a call to action for everyday citizens, on how robust social change can, and should, be more egalitarian.
Not all of the ideas in Winners Take All will be popular with all (especially not the upper crust of the richest donors), but that’s what makes this book so intriguing. It’s not afraid to push the envelope on the conversation around how the public sector operates and delve into the realities of philanthrocapitalism.
What are your thoughts on Winners Take All? I’d love to hear how this inspires your charitable giving or influences your giving strategy. Want to discuss how you can make the most impact with your year-end donation? Don’t hesitate to drop me a line!
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-23-at-11.08.08-PM.png622946Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2018-12-23 23:08:392020-05-18 11:28:49GoFisch Book Club December Pick
Who needs to be most concerned with estate planning? What age group? Ask Iowans this question, and I’ll bet most would conjure up the image of a retiree who just spent 50+ years working hard to acquire significant assets. Of course, it’s important for this demographic to have a quality estate plan, that’s fairly obvious.
But, imagine a young, married couple. They both have good jobs, live in a fine starter home, and have a baby.
This young couple tries to put away a little bit of money for savings, in a 529 college fund, and for retirement. Why should they worry about estate planning?
The truth is, this young couple should be just as concerned–arguably, even more concerned–with estate planning as the retiree.
Here are four reasons why:
Choosing guardians for minor children. In an estate plan, you can choose the guardians of minor children (e.g., children under age 18). If you should become incapacitated, or even die without any estate plan, an Iowa court would have no choice but to appoint a guardian for your children – but it may not be who you wanted or would have chosen. Better to have plenty of time to consider and make a careful, well-reasoned choice.
Save on fees, court costs, and taxes. A good estate plan can save you and your estate money on fees, court costs, and taxes. These savings can be even more critically important for a smaller estate (more likely when you’re younger), than for larger estate (more likely as you grow older). Often, young folks actually have the greatest need to save money to pass along the greatest amount they possibly can to family and loved ones.
Help favorite charities. Having an estate plan means that you can put into place immensely helpful donations for your favorite charities. Without an estate plan there’s no opportunity for you to help your favorite charities
Life is uncertain. It may be awkward to talk about, but life isn’t guaranteed for any of us, young or old. There’s an old saying in estate planning circles that goes, “People don’t always die when they are supposed to.” Wives usually outlive their husbands, parents usually outlive their children, and so on, but not always. It is best to be prepared for anything and everything.
Who should be most concerned with estate planning? I actually think young people should be!
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sweet-ice-cream-photography-250621.jpg37975696Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2018-11-28 11:44:422020-05-18 11:28:49Young People Should Be the Most Concerned with Estate Planning
Not exactly material for scintillating conversation. In fact, I’d bet most of us like to avoid this topic because it can be confusing, and requires lots of decision-making. And, well, yes, it forces one to think about one’s own mortality. Estate planning, after all, is a roadmap about what you want to happen after you move on from this life. While it may not be a fun topic, it is indeed a necessary one.
Estate plan: you almost surely need one
Almost everyone needs some kind of estate plan. If you’re young, healthy, unmarried, have no children, and have no significant or unusual assets…perhaps you could talk me into the idea that you don’t entirely need an estate plan. Even in such (rare) cases, I strongly recommend making sure your beneficiary designations are completed and up to date (for example, on your bank/credit union savings accounts and retirement benefit plan). But, if you are married, and/or have kids, and/or have significant or unusual assets, and/or own part or all of a business, you most definitely need an estate plan!
What IS an estate plan, anyway?
What do we talk about when we talk about estate planning? There are six documents that should be part of most everyone’s estate plan. Plus, you should keep them updated and current. Also, don’t forget about assets with your beneficiary designations. For most Iowans, that’s good – six documents, keeping them current, and also remembering about those assets with beneficiary designations.
Sure, estate planning is complicated, but not that complicated. I’ll show you.
Six “must have” documents of your estate plan
There are six documents that should be part of most everyone’s estate plan:
We’ll go through each document briefly, so you have a sense of what each entails.
Estate Plan Questionnaire
Estate planning involves facing heavy questions, and depending on the amount of assets and beneficiaries you have, may take quite a bit of time and thought. I recommend clients (and even those who aren’t my clients) complete an estate plan questionnaire.
An estate plan questionnaire is an easy way to get all of your information in one place, and it should help you understand and prioritize estate planning goals. (I must also admit a questionnaire makes it easier for your attorney to build your estate plan!)
As with any project, it helps “to begin with the end in mind.” A questionnaire can help get you there.
Last Will and Testament
Now let’s get to the will. The will is the bedrock document of every estate plan, and it’s a little more complicated than other documents.
With your will, you’ll be answering three major questions:
Who do you want to have your stuff? A will provides orderly distribution of your property at death according to your wishes. Your property includes both tangible and intangible things. (An example of tangible items would be your coin collection. An example of an intangible asset would be stocks.)
Who do you want to be in charge of carrying out your wishes as expressed in the will? The “executor” is the person who will be responsible for making sure the will is carried out as written.
Who do you want to take care of your kids? If you have minor children (i.e., kids under age 18), you’ll want to designate a legal guardian(s) who will take care of your children until they are adults.
Power of Attorney for Health Care
A power of attorney for health care designates someone to handle your health care decisions for you if you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. This essentially gives another person the power to make decisions on your behalf. For example, if you don’t want to be kept alive with machines, you can clearly outline that in your power of attorney for health care. But keep in mind that power of attorney for health care isn’t just about end-of-life decisions – it can cover any medical situation.
Power of Attorney for Finances
The power of attorney for financial matters is similar, only your designated agent has the power to make decisions and act on your behalf when it comes to your finances. This gives them the authority to pay bills, settle debts, sell property, or anything else that needs to be done if you become incapacitated and unable to do this yourself.
It might be obvious by now, but I’ll say it just in case: choosing an agent for a power of attorney requires that you think long and hard about who would be best suited for the job and who you trust.
Disposition of Personal Property
Now, let’s get to the disposition of the personal property. This is where you get specific about items you want particular people to have. If you’re leaving everything to one or two people, then you may not need to fill this out. But, if you know you want your niece Suzie to have a specific piece of jewelry, and your nephew Karl to have that bookshelf he loved, then you’d say so in this document.
Disposition of Final Remains
We come to the disposition of final remains. This document is where you get to tell your loved ones exactly how you want your body to be treated after you pass away. If you want a marching band and fireworks shooting your ashes into the sky (that’s a thing, by the way), then this is where you make it known. It can be as general as simply saying “I want to be cremated,” or it can be specific and include details of plots you’ve already purchased or arrangements you’ve already made.
If you undergo a major life event, you may well want to revisit with your estate planning lawyer, to see if this life event requires changing your estate planning documents.
What do I mean by a major life event? Some common such events would include:
The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
Marriage or divorce
Illness or disability of your spouse
Purchasing a home or other large asset
Moving to another state
Large increases or decreases in the value of assets, such as investments
If you or your spouse receives a large inheritance or gift
If any family member, or other heir dies, becomes ill, or becomes disabled
This is just a short list of life events that should cause you to re consider your estate plan. There are many others.
There are six “must have” estate planning documents, plus you need to keep them current. Also, don’t forget about your beneficiary designations. For example, savings and checking accounts, life insurance, annuities, 401(k)s, pensions, and IRAs are all transferred via beneficiary designations. These beneficiary designations actually trump your will.
Regarding assets with beneficiary designations, you must make sure that designations are correctly filled out and supplied to appropriate institution
What other documents might you need resides these six “must have” estate planning documents?
For most Iowans, probably the vast majority, what I’ve outlined above is enough. There may be folks who have more that $5 million in assets, or who have complex assets (for example, more than one piece of real estate), or own part or all of a robust business, or otherwise have unusual situations. In such cases, a trust may be helpful. But that will be more “advanced” estate planning. What I’ve described above is an excellent start.
See? That wasn’t so bad!
There it is in a nutshell. This is what goes into an estate plan.
Whether it’s complicated or simple, it does require some thought and time. But, it’s worth the investment – a proper estate plan can save you and your estate costs and fees; help your family and friends; and provide you peace of mind.
Perhaps most importantly, through proper estate planning, you can help your favorite charities in ways large and small. Really, without estate planning, it’s not possible, at your death, to help nonprofits you care about.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gflf-estate-plan.png494803Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2018-11-27 12:00:452020-05-18 11:28:50What We Talk About When We Talk About Estate Planning
GoFisch Book Club December Pick
Book Club, Charitable GivingWe’re taking a brief break from the details about the logistics of donation substantiation and the benefits of giving stocks to talk about one of my favorite subjects: books!
The people of Iceland have a lovely tradition called jólabókaflóð where books are exchanged with loved ones on Christmas Eve and then a cozy night is spent reading together. If you choose to start your own “Yule book flood” holiday custom, consider passing along one of the GoFisch Book Club selections we’ve chosen over the year. Which brings us to this month’s title: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.
The author, Anand Giridharadas, explores how rich and powerful donors utilize donations not just in attempt to change the world, but to shape policy. He presents an argument that the wealthiest of donors perpetually intend to do good, but never intend less harm. The author explores tough questions, which at times, are hard to reconcile with the current state of major giving in the world today. Giridharadas also offers ideas, with a call to action for everyday citizens, on how robust social change can, and should, be more egalitarian.
Not all of the ideas in Winners Take All will be popular with all (especially not the upper crust of the richest donors), but that’s what makes this book so intriguing. It’s not afraid to push the envelope on the conversation around how the public sector operates and delve into the realities of philanthrocapitalism.
What are your thoughts on Winners Take All? I’d love to hear how this inspires your charitable giving or influences your giving strategy. Want to discuss how you can make the most impact with your year-end donation? Don’t hesitate to drop me a line!
Young People Should Be the Most Concerned with Estate Planning
Estates & Estate Planning, Powers of Attorney, Taxes & Finance, Trusts, Wills, Wills, Trusts & EstatesSo, WHO needs an estate plan, anyway?
Who needs to be most concerned with estate planning? What age group? Ask Iowans this question, and I’ll bet most would conjure up the image of a retiree who just spent 50+ years working hard to acquire significant assets. Of course, it’s important for this demographic to have a quality estate plan, that’s fairly obvious.
But, imagine a young, married couple. They both have good jobs, live in a fine starter home, and have a baby.
This young couple tries to put away a little bit of money for savings, in a 529 college fund, and for retirement. Why should they worry about estate planning?
The truth is, this young couple should be just as concerned–arguably, even more concerned–with estate planning as the retiree.
Here are four reasons why:
Who should be most concerned with estate planning? I actually think young people should be!
Whatever your age, if you are interested in estate planning (as everyone should want to check it off their list), a good place to start is my free Estate Planning Questionnaire. Questions? Want to discuss you personal situation? Contact me for a free consult!
What We Talk About When We Talk About Estate Planning
Estates & Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts & EstatesEstate planning.
Not exactly material for scintillating conversation. In fact, I’d bet most of us like to avoid this topic because it can be confusing, and requires lots of decision-making. And, well, yes, it forces one to think about one’s own mortality. Estate planning, after all, is a roadmap about what you want to happen after you move on from this life. While it may not be a fun topic, it is indeed a necessary one.
Estate plan: you almost surely need one
Almost everyone needs some kind of estate plan. If you’re young, healthy, unmarried, have no children, and have no significant or unusual assets…perhaps you could talk me into the idea that you don’t entirely need an estate plan. Even in such (rare) cases, I strongly recommend making sure your beneficiary designations are completed and up to date (for example, on your bank/credit union savings accounts and retirement benefit plan). But, if you are married, and/or have kids, and/or have significant or unusual assets, and/or own part or all of a business, you most definitely need an estate plan!
What IS an estate plan, anyway?
What do we talk about when we talk about estate planning? There are six documents that should be part of most everyone’s estate plan. Plus, you should keep them updated and current. Also, don’t forget about assets with your beneficiary designations. For most Iowans, that’s good – six documents, keeping them current, and also remembering about those assets with beneficiary designations.
Sure, estate planning is complicated, but not that complicated. I’ll show you.
Six “must have” documents of your estate plan
There are six documents that should be part of most everyone’s estate plan:
We’ll go through each document briefly, so you have a sense of what each entails.
Estate Plan Questionnaire
Estate planning involves facing heavy questions, and depending on the amount of assets and beneficiaries you have, may take quite a bit of time and thought. I recommend clients (and even those who aren’t my clients) complete an estate plan questionnaire.
An estate plan questionnaire is an easy way to get all of your information in one place, and it should help you understand and prioritize estate planning goals. (I must also admit a questionnaire makes it easier for your attorney to build your estate plan!)
As with any project, it helps “to begin with the end in mind.” A questionnaire can help get you there.
Last Will and Testament
Now let’s get to the will. The will is the bedrock document of every estate plan, and it’s a little more complicated than other documents.
With your will, you’ll be answering three major questions:
Power of Attorney for Health Care
A power of attorney for health care designates someone to handle your health care decisions for you if you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. This essentially gives another person the power to make decisions on your behalf. For example, if you don’t want to be kept alive with machines, you can clearly outline that in your power of attorney for health care. But keep in mind that power of attorney for health care isn’t just about end-of-life decisions – it can cover any medical situation.
Power of Attorney for Finances
The power of attorney for financial matters is similar, only your designated agent has the power to make decisions and act on your behalf when it comes to your finances. This gives them the authority to pay bills, settle debts, sell property, or anything else that needs to be done if you become incapacitated and unable to do this yourself.
It might be obvious by now, but I’ll say it just in case: choosing an agent for a power of attorney requires that you think long and hard about who would be best suited for the job and who you trust.
Disposition of Personal Property
Now, let’s get to the disposition of the personal property. This is where you get specific about items you want particular people to have. If you’re leaving everything to one or two people, then you may not need to fill this out. But, if you know you want your niece Suzie to have a specific piece of jewelry, and your nephew Karl to have that bookshelf he loved, then you’d say so in this document.
Disposition of Final Remains
We come to the disposition of final remains. This document is where you get to tell your loved ones exactly how you want your body to be treated after you pass away. If you want a marching band and fireworks shooting your ashes into the sky (that’s a thing, by the way), then this is where you make it known. It can be as general as simply saying “I want to be cremated,” or it can be specific and include details of plots you’ve already purchased or arrangements you’ve already made.
Keep updated and current
OK, so you’ve gone to an estate planning lawyer, and these six “must have” estate planning documents have been drafted and signed. What else? You need to keep these documents updated and current.
If you undergo a major life event, you may well want to revisit with your estate planning lawyer, to see if this life event requires changing your estate planning documents.
What do I mean by a major life event? Some common such events would include:
This is just a short list of life events that should cause you to re consider your estate plan. There are many others.
Don’t forget about your beneficiary designations
There are six “must have” estate planning documents, plus you need to keep them current. Also, don’t forget about your beneficiary designations. For example, savings and checking accounts, life insurance, annuities, 401(k)s, pensions, and IRAs are all transferred via beneficiary designations. These beneficiary designations actually trump your will.
Regarding assets with beneficiary designations, you must make sure that designations are correctly filled out and supplied to appropriate institution
What other documents might you need resides these six “must have” estate planning documents?
For most Iowans, probably the vast majority, what I’ve outlined above is enough. There may be folks who have more that $5 million in assets, or who have complex assets (for example, more than one piece of real estate), or own part or all of a robust business, or otherwise have unusual situations. In such cases, a trust may be helpful. But that will be more “advanced” estate planning. What I’ve described above is an excellent start.
See? That wasn’t so bad!
There it is in a nutshell. This is what goes into an estate plan.
Whether it’s complicated or simple, it does require some thought and time. But, it’s worth the investment – a proper estate plan can save you and your estate costs and fees; help your family and friends; and provide you peace of mind.
Perhaps most importantly, through proper estate planning, you can help your favorite charities in ways large and small. Really, without estate planning, it’s not possible, at your death, to help nonprofits you care about.
Begin today
Why not start right now on your own plan for the future with my free estate plan questionnaire? It’s provided to you free, without any obligation. I would love to discuss your estate plan with you; reach out at any time by email, gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com, or cell phone, 515-371-6077.