Social Capital

Social Capital

Social Capital is a term that may have different meanings for different people. A common definition is that it is a set of shared values that allows individuals to work together to effectively achieve a common purpose. In the context of financial planning, it has...
Giving in 2020

Giving in 2020

According to the Wall Street Journal, 2020 was a banner year for charitable giving. Much of this increase was Covid relief related as individuals found new and innovative ways to help. My experience with clients was similar as many saw a greater need and responded. I...
Year End Giving

Year End Giving

It is the time of year that our mailboxes and email accounts receive a large number of requests from charities. Part of the motivation, no doubt, is that the clock is ticking with respect to current year tax deductions. Also, many charities receive the bulk of their...
It’s Not That Complicated

It’s Not That Complicated

Russell James, the well-known Texas Tech professor, is fond of saying that gift planning can do two things, lower taxes and trade a gift for income. Of course, there are many ways to accomplish this goal, but basically, gift planning should appeal to those individuals...
May You Live In Interesting Times

May You Live In Interesting Times

Known somewhat erroneously as the Chamberlain Curse, this expression seems to be part of our collective current experience. These are interesting times indeed. I sense that current events have resulted a feeling of a loss of control on many fronts. The current...
Wealth In Families

Wealth In Families

A few decades ago, I met Charles W. Collier. He was the Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Harvard University and somewhat of legend in his own time. He had written a book entitled, Wealth in Families, which is an effective manual on the subject of helping families deal...