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 retirement portfolios.
Why are so many advisors reluctant to bring up charitable giving during client meetings when the topic itself is so uplifting? In some cases, you may feel like you don’t know enough about the technical tax planning aspects of charitable giving to be able to offer sound advice. In other cases, you may be concerned about taking the planning process off course into areas where the client doesn’t want you involved. Or maybe you don’t feel you have a good enough grasp of the client’s big picture to truly recognize opportunities for charitable planning that are a win-win for the client’s favorite causes and the client’s tax and financial plan. Guess what? There is no need to worry! The FM Area Foundation has you covered. Consider the following: Clients are expecting you to bring up charitable giving; studies reveal a disconnect between what clients and advisors assume and perceive. So if you think to yourself, “Oh, I asked about that,” think again because the client may disagree. Did you approach the question with sincere interest, or were you just checking a box? What’s important here is that the FM Area Foundation team is your technical back up! You absolutely do not need to know the ins and outs of the charitable deduction rules, the details of Qualified Charitable Distributions, or how a donor-advised fund or charitable remainder trust operates. If you’ve built an expertise around charitable giving in your practice, that’s terrific, but it is not necessary. Our team is just an email or a phone call away. Please reach out the moment a client expresses interest in charitable planning. We’re happy to support you and be part of the team to meet the client’s objectives. And this does not need to be hard. While plenty of resources offer excellent suggestions for how to bring up charitable giving in conversations, many advisors tell us that they have to keep it even more simple. We understand
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