Thursday, July 30, 2015

Life Insurance Legacy Gifts

By: Laurie Valentine- COO & Trust Counsel

Using life insurance to make a legacy gift to your church, the Cooperative Program or other charitable organization allows you to make a larger gift than you may have ever dreamed possible. That’s because the premiums you pay are generally significantly less than the life insurance death benefit that will pay out at your death.

There are two ways to make a legacy gift with life insurance. You can name the church or other charity the primary or contingent beneficiary of the policy or you can transfer ownership and all rights in the policy to the charity.

Naming one or more charities as the primary or contingent beneficiary of a life insurance policy is simple. Doing that provides no current tax benefits to you, but does set up a plan to fund a potentially significant gift to the named charitable beneficiaries of the policy at your death for which your estate would get an estate tax deduction.

Transferring ownership of a life insurance policy to a charity is a charitable contribution for income tax deduction purposes. If the policy is paid-up, the charity holds it until you die and collects the death benefit. If premiums are still due on the policy, cash gifts you make in future years to the charity to provide the funds for premium payments are additional charitable gifts. If you get to the point you can no longer provide funds for future premiums, or don’t want to do that from the outset, the charity can cash in the policy or adjust the death benefit to take it to “paid up” status.

Leverage your legacy giving through a life insurance gift.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me at our toll-free number (866) 489-3533.

The information in this article is provided as general information and is not intended as legal or tax advice. For advice and assistance in specific cases, you should seek the advice of an attorney or other professional adviser.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Do You Know?

By: Richard Carnes- President & CEO 

Do you know that the average person’s net worth consists of 9% in cash and 91% in non-cash assets (home equity, life insurance, retirement assets, investments and business interests)? Do you know that 60% of Americans die without a Will, and of those who do have one, 70% have not reviewed it within the past three to five years? Do you also know that Americans are currently in the midst of the largest ever generational transfer of wealth? Estimates project that $41 trillion will pass from one generation to the next during the period of 1998 through 2053.

In view of this data it is vital for each of us to be faithful in our “estate stewardship.” As Christian Stewards (Managers) we should hold certain convictions regarding the resources God has entrusted to us for our use and oversight:

1. God is the creator and owner of all things, and we are instructed to be God’s managers.

2. How we plan our estates likely will be the single most important act of financial stewardship we shall ever make.

3. Through thoughtful estate stewardship, each of us can care for our families and impact the world for Christ.

Whether we are considering our estate plan for the first time or reviewing plans already in place, we benefit from identifying our objectives, approaching them realistically, and avoiding hazards through seeking knowledgeable counsel. Appropriate counsel helps us know where to begin, what to look for, and what we might expect in the process. Ultimately, we can turn this stewardship task into effective, God honoring plans that support and provide for our families and support the building of God’s Kingdom.

The Kentucky Baptist Foundation staff stands ready to assist you by providing private estate stewardship consultation. You may contact the Foundation’s trust counsel, Laurie Valentine, or me at our toll-free number (866) 489-3533.

The information in this article is provided as general information and is not intended as legal or tax advice. For advice and assistance in specific cases, you should seek the advice of an attorney or other professional adviser.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Working Together

By: Richard Carnes- President & CEO 

In response to a question about success Henry Ford stated, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” When I contemplate this quote, I see many ways Southern Baptists have lived this statement through thousands of Baptist churches and millions of Baptist members, by choosing to voluntarily cooperate and combine their efforts for the building of God’s Kingdom. One of the most obvious examples of this collaboration is the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program enables Southern Baptists to accomplish more for Christ together than we ever could on our own. Cooperative Program funds provide the foundational support for statewide, national and global missions and ministry efforts.

May I invite you to join a special group of individuals who have designated future gifts to this vital ministry funding source? These gifts will help ensure future missions, evangelistic, educational and care giving ministries and help enrich and save lives for many years to come. Your legacy gifts directed for the benefit of the Cooperative Program are an investment with eternal implications that will be working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to connect people all over the world to Jesus Christ.

As Southern Baptists, we can rejoice that we’ve “come together,” “kept together,” and “worked together” through the Cooperative Program. When you consider how you may choose to support the Cooperative Program, I encourage you to talk with your legal and tax advisors who can assist you in determining which legacy gift strategies best achieve your giving goals in light of your overall estate and financial plan. Some examples of these legacy gift plans include a bequest within your will, a beneficiary designation within your life insurance plan, a charitable remainder trust or a charitable gift annuity, just to name a few.

The Kentucky Baptist Foundation’s trust counsel, Laurie Valentine, and I are available to provide you additional information on the Cooperative Program and other Baptist causes which may be of interest to you. Call us at our toll-free number (866) 489-3533.

The information in this article is provided as general information and is not intended as legal or tax advice. For advice and assistance in specific cases, you should seek the advice of an attorney or other professional adviser.