The Heart of Giving

Many people feel that estate planning is for the elderly or the rich or is not something they want to discuss because it focuses on death. Dealing with the financial aspect of your estate is important, but also focus on the matters of your heart as you map out your estate plan.

Financial experts suggest that you think of planning your estate as a means of transferring your values to the next generation. How you eventually distribute your material wealth will communicate a clear picture of your values to the generations that follow you. Your estate plan should focus on three objectives:

1. To ensure that your assets will provide you with the necessary income upon which to live
2. To ensure that upon your death, your assets go to the people and organizations that meant the most to you during your life
3. To minimize the expenses associated with death (estate and inheritance taxes, court costs, etc.).

Often solutions for reducing taxes provide opportunities for you to direct dollars to worthwhile charitable causes and organizations that you genuinely care about.

Once you’ve made provisions for your loved ones, ask yourself:

• What specific charities have you supported during your lifetime?
• Do you want to include a gift to any of these organizations or other charitable organizations as a part of your estate plan?
• If there were a way to shift dollars from taxes to charity, would you be interested in exploring that option?

We are grateful to the many individuals who support their values with regular contributions to the HCMH Foundation. In light of these contributions, we encourage you to review your estate planning to see if it lines up with your values.