Is inherited wealth making a comeback? Is leaving an inheritance a good or bad idea? Well, it all depends on who you ask. For example, a recently published book by French economist Thomas Piketty, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” argues that estates are getting larger and eventually most of the…
The tax law makes clear that the taxpayer has the burden of substantiating the value of the property. To this end, a taxpayer must not only comply with the procedural requirements for valuation, but must also persuade the trier of fact that his claimed valuation is correct. How do you…
Today, with smaller families and more women choosing not to have children, “the dynamic has changed pretty significantly for the generation of baby boomers. The option of doing something charitably significant with their estates is a change,” he said. The New York Times recently touched on the subject of estate…
Picking the right charity can be so complicated that it makes picking stocks look easy. When you give to charity, do you ever wonder if your donation is really going where it's intended? Or if your gift is doing the work you intended? If you are wrestling with these and…
[Donor-advised funds] promise a number of advantages over foundations, such as lower annual costs, more privacy and no required minimum payout each year. A big difference between the two is control. Running a charitable foundation can be richly rewarding, yet exhausting. Now there is a popular alternative to a full…
About 50 years ago, only 5% of the total assets of America's largest 50 foundations were held by spend-downs. In 2010, that number had risen to 24%, according to Bridgespan Group in Boston. Today's charitable foundations seem to be shifting from maintenance for longevity to spending down and winding up.…
There are several ways to donate a life insurance policy to charity, according to the Planned Giving Design Center, Monroe, NC. There are many advantages to life insurance as it can be a cushion against high-cost issues or a source of much-needed cash flow for your family. However, you might…
… Large-scale strategic philanthropists are forcing family foundations of all sizes "to re-examine whether they're approaching their giving in a way that's likely to have the biggest impact." And, sometimes, as Pierce has found, a bigger impact can come from foundations of smaller sizes. Small family charities and foundations can…
You were so helpful to me in September, clarifying the IRA charitable contribution. Do you know if the government is instituting that same contribution this year? We are well into tax season and planning for the upcoming year. Are you keeping up with the tax laws? As many retirees and…
Giving back is about linking passion with action, and it does not have to be complex—but it does have to be well thought out to be effective. As many well-to-do but generous Americans can attest, your philanthropy can do more than just help the cause or causes important to you.…