Advisors Newsletter
The Community Foundations is your trusted partner in philanthropy. We produce a newsletter for professional advisors offering insightful articles and updates related to charitable giving. Explore perspectives designed to empower you with the knowledge and resources to better serve your clients, enhance your practice and contribute to impactful charitable solutions.
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Check out some of our timely topics:
Tax Time Never Ends —
The Advantages of the Community Foundations
Among the many benefits of discussing charitable giving with your clients is that your clients will view you not only as a transactional advisor, but also as a trusted professional who is knowledgeable about local community needs and nonprofits. This is especially the case when you have a close working relationship with the Community Foundations. What’s more, for years, longstanding research has shown that a proactive advisor who offers options for incorporating philanthropy into financial and estate plans will inspire client loyalty, even across client generations.
An eye-opening range of flexibility and options Advisors frequently comment that they’re surprised to discover the many ways community foundations can help their clients, especially compared with national donor advised fund programs affiliated with brokerage houses or financial services firms.
Beneficiary Designations: Not Just Another Piece of Paper
In the digital age, it’s easy for clients simply to ignore forms and paperwork. Don’t let your clients fall into the trap of omitting critical assets from their financial plans. Beneficiary designations on life insurance policies and retirement plans are among the legal documents that a client might forget to tell you about.
This may be what happened to a Procter & Gamble employee who passed away in 2015, leaving behind a sizable retirement plan. In 1987, the employee had designated their then-partner as the beneficiary. Although the relationship ended, the beneficiary designation was never updated. By the time of the employee’s death, their nearly $1 million in retirement investments went to their former partner.