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NEWSLETTER BLURB SUGGESTIONS All of the articles below are included in a Word Document. A longer piece is also available at Planned Giving -- Who Me? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LIFE IS A GIFT
Life is a gift -- a gift from God. During the days and years that we are given, we work and save and accumulate -- and give and care. We are stewards of the gifts of God. No less important for us as Christian Stewards is caring and planning for the distribution of the resources God has given us when we no longer need them; when our days on this earth are over. For assistance in how you can leave a legacy for ministry, contact the Metro DC Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium at 301-963-6570 or alice.benson@elca.org for a confidential and no-obligation consultation. ------------------------------------------------------- PLANNED GIVING IS GOOD STEWARDSHIP There are a variety of ways to make planned gifts and leave a legacy for ministry. Among them: A WILL – You can designate a specific sum of money, the residual (or what is not specified for other use), or a percentage of your total estate for the ministry of your choice. Real property (such as land or buildings.) may also be designated for ministry. AN ANNUITY -- In exchange for cash, securities or other property, you can receive a tax deduction when you make the gift, guaranteed income for you or a beneficiary for life (or for a designated number of years), and the remainder goes to the ministry you choose. The payment percentage is based upon your age. Annuity payments can start at the time you create it or can be deferred to start at a later time. LIFE INSURANCE – You can assign all or a portion of the benefits from an existing or new insurance policy for ministry. Planned Giving is good stewardship. For assistance, contact the Metro DC Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium at 301-963-6570, or email alice.benson@elca.org for a no-obligation and private consultation. ------------------------------------------------------- CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES Now is a good time to give a Charitable Gift Annuity. You can make a gift of cash or appreciated securities and receive a better than average rate of return on that gift for as long as you live. And gifts of appreciated securities can help you lesson your taxes. The following are illustrations of the benefits of a charitable gift annuity: Example One: A woman, age 81, receives 8.3% on a gift annuity of $20,000. She then receives an annual income of $1,660 from this gift, a portion being tax free. Example Two: A man, age 75, receives 7.1% on a gift annuityof $10,000. He then receives an annual income of $710 from this gift, a portion of which is tax free. Example Three: A person, age 90, receives 11.3% on a gift annuity of $30,000, made from appreciated stock, with a cost basis of $10,000. Besides helping to avoid taxes on the $20,000 gain, the gift then provides an annual income of $3,390, a portion of which is tax free. If you are in interested in discovering how you can receive income for life, save taxes, and make a meaningful gift to a ______ (a ministry or your church), contact Alice Benson of the Metro DC Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium -- 301-963-6570 or alice.benson@elca.org -- for a free gift annuity analysis. ---------------------------------------------------------- Remember the Church in Your Will As a Christian, you are a caretaker of the unique God-given gifts of life. The way you conclude your trusteeship is the way you say "thank you." Many Lutherans who wish to continue their Christian stewardship after death have provided for ministry in their wills, through simple bequests which benefit congregations, synods, social service agencies, seminaries, colleges, camps and other ELCA-related institutions. There are many ways you can use your will to advance ministries you care about.
For assistance in accomplishing your goals, contact Alice Benson of the Metro DC Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium -- 301-963-6570 or alice.benson@elca.org -- for a no-obligation and private consultation. ------------------------------------------------------- Doing Well, While Doing Good ! Did you know there may be ways to make a gift to ____________(name of ministry) and: Increase your Current Income Avoid Capital Gains Tax Increase Your Retirement Income Save Estate Taxes Save Income Taxes Pay for a Child or Grandchild's Tuition
Planned Giving can be as simple as naming _________(name of ministry) for a bequest through your will, or as a beneficiary or partial beneficiary in a life insurance policy. There are many gifts that can meet a variety of needs, and provide tax deductions or additional current income for you or a loved one. A charitable gift annuity, a charitable trust, or a gift of appreciated assets may make sense for your situation. Do these options seem complicated for you? You aren’t alone -- they are to many people. Alice Benson of the Metro DC Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium offers free materials and no-obligation consultations. You can make a difference for others and yourself as well. Contact Alice at (301) 973-6570 or alice.benson@elca.org today – to learn how you can leave a legacy for ministry. ------------------------------------------------------- YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER Your will is your power of choice. If you don't make a will, the state has one for you. The Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium of Metro DC offers confidential counseling services to those who would like to leave a legacy for ministry when writing or revising a will. Have you considered having a Christian Preamble to your will, so you can make a last testimony to your faith? We provide a way to link your resources to the ministries you believe in and now support. For further information contact Alice Benson at 301-963-6570 or alice.benson@elca.org for a no-obligation free consultation on how you can leave a legacy for ministry. ------------------------------------------------------- PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT BY GIVING John is 40 years old and has more income than he really needs right now. He would, however, like to put more into his retirment plan than the plan allows. Is there a way to increase his retirement income? Yes! If John gives to a Gift Annuity and defers the payments until he is 65, he will receive a 6.0% return (2005 rate) for every $1,000 he puts into the Gift Annuity today. In addition he receives a tax deduction this year for the remainder amount which he designates for a ministry of his church. For more information contact our Lutheran Planned Giving director for Metro DC, Alice Benson at 301-963-6570 or alice.benson@elca.org for a no-obligation private consultation. ------------------------------------------------------- LEGACY OF LOVE "All that we have is Thine alone...a trust, O Lord from Thee." We are grateful for the support of friends who have chosen to remember _________(name of ministry) through their planned gifts – for example, through their wills, life insurance, or charitable gift annuities. For information on ways you can leave a legacy of love for ministry, please contact Alice Benson at the Metro DC Lutheran Planned Giving Consortium for a free, no-oblication analysis -- alice.benson@elca.org or 301-963-6570.
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