Advisor

  • Estate tax planning: What’s your next move?

    As attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, you’re very aware of potentially significant upcoming changes to the tax laws that could impact your high net-worth clients. Whether or not a post-election Congress takes action to prevent the estate tax exemption sunset at the end of 2025 will potentially affect the way you design your clients’ wealth transfer strategies.

  • If this, then that: Your charitable planning cheat sheet

    At YouthBridge Community Foundation, we’ve recently been asked by attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors for “cheat sheet” resources to make it easy to determine which type of charitable planning tool is best for a particular client.

  • QCDs: $105,000, $108,000, and more things to smile about

    As you and other attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors put the finishing touches on implementing clients’ year-end charitable giving plans, you may have a moment when it hits you: “Wait, how exactly does a Qualified Charitable Distribution work?”

  • What now? Why the elections won’t immediately change tax laws

    Many eyes are on the election aftermath seeking clues about what might happen to the tax laws. Of particular interest is the much-analyzed sunset of the higher estate tax exemption, scheduled for the end of 2025 absent intervening legislation. “Absent intervening legislation” is the key, of course. … More →

  • Navigating multiple charitable strategies for ultra high net worth families

    Charitable giving is always an important strategy to discuss with your clients. Many high net worth individuals are philanthropic, of course, and charitable gifts reduce taxable income and avoid estate taxes. Charitable giving strategies are particularly relevant as you and your clients address the possibility of increases in … More →

  • Three insights worth a quick peek

    You’re busy as 2024 draws to a close! The YouthBridge team is committed to researching, curating, and keeping you up-to-date on the latest trends and developments that could impact your clients’ charitable giving strategies. If you only have 60 seconds, we recommend scanning these three … More →

  • Into the great unknown

    Humans crave certainty, and that is certainly not what we have right now during election season, especially where taxes are concerned. Your clients who support charitable causes may be wondering how the election outcomes might impact their philanthropic plans. You’re probably wondering that, too! Of course, no … More →

  • Event tickets: Beware of the split

    Many of your philanthropy-minded clients certainly enjoy attending fundraising events for their favorite charities. Especially as community events start ramping up this fall, you’ll want to be aware of a little wrinkle in the IRS rules that may surprise your clients so much that they … More →

  • At a loss for words? Tips for starting a charitable giving conversation

    Attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors certainly are not strangers to tough questions. Indeed, the mix of money, family, and mortality is a potent combination that almost always creates an emotionally-charged planning environment, whether the matter at hand is tax planning, updating wills and trusts, or structuring … More →

  • Charitable planning can help ease client procrastination

    Procrastination is a drain in ways that go far deeper than the incomplete task itself. We know this intellectually, but it can be so hard to break the procrastination habit. It seems that the more daunting the task, the harder it is to tackle.

  • Closely-held stock is having a moment

    Giving stock is an important strategy for any private business owner to explore. Not only can these gifts help implement a business succession plan that calls for transferring the business to the next generation if that is your client’s goal, but gifts of stock can also help your business owner client achieve charitable goals and avoid estate tax. 

  • Looking ahead: Charitable planning techniques on the horizon

    The team at YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis keeps a finger on the pulse of current events and legal developments that could impact the way you work with your charitable clients. Below are three notable items that you’ll likely want to keep in mind this fall.

  • Counting pennies: How to counsel frugal yet charitable clients

    Over the years, you’ve no doubt experienced a wide range of what clients perceive as “wealthy.” You’ve likely also observed that clients have different assumptions about what it takes to be a “philanthropist.” The interplay between a client’s perception of personal wealth and charitable giving capacity … More →

  • Less can be more: Charitable giving helps parents pass wealth to children

    How much is too much? That’s a question many parents ask as they structure lifetime gifts and bequests to children in their financial and estate plans. Wealthy clients are sometimes concerned that leaving millions of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands, to their children could backfire and hinder their … More →

  • Gifts of real estate: Watch every step

    We’re hearing from more and more attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors that your clients are expressing interest in giving real estate to charity. This is wonderful news! You’re certainly aware that gifts of real estate to a fund at YouthBridge, just like gifts of other long-term capital … More →

  • Gifts of appreciated stock: Picking favorites

    You’re well aware that donating highly-appreciated stock to a fund at YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis offers significant advantages for your clients over making cash gifts. Communicating this benefit, however, can be challenging when clients have emotional attachments to their shares. How can … More →

  • Mixing business and charity: Keep it ethical, legal, and transparent

    Your clients who are corporate executives have likely wondered at some point about the benefits of aligning their companies with philanthropy, whether specific causes or particular organizations. In general, a community engagement strategy can be good for business, if well-executed. For example, almost half of … More →

  • Planning for a sunset: Lock in a higher exemption, unlock a legacy

    Without legislation to prevent it, the sunsetting of current estate tax laws at the end of 2025 will dramatically reduce the federal estate tax exemption from $13.61 million per person in 2024 to approximately $7 million in 2026 (this includes adjustments for inflation). This change … More →

  • Young children play in boxes in classroom

    Advising the charitable millionaire next door

    At the end of 2024’s first quarter, an estimated 485,000 Americans could count themselves among the so-called “401(k) millionaires,” meaning the balance in their employer-sponsored retirement plans has reached the $1 million level. Thanks in part to stock market rallies during the first part of the year, … More →

  • Child fishes in scenic lake

    Left behind? Why companies need philanthropy advice, too

    It’s relatively straightforward to see how philanthropy figures into the financial and estate plans you build for individuals and families. After all, many of these clients are already supporting their favorite community causes, and it’s your job to make sure they know about all the … More →