Planned Giving

Many people believe that estate planning is needed only by the wealthy. Others think that they are too young to worry about estate planning. In fact, almost everyone can benefit from a good estate plan-a set of personalized legal arrangements that will enhance control of your property now and fulfill your wishes about what will be done with that property when you are no longer able to oversee it yourself.

A properly drafted estate plan can ease the bureaucratic and legal burdens of settling your estate at a time that will be extremely difficult for your family. In addition, a good plan can speed the settlement of your estate and reduce the related taxes and administrative expenses-ensuring that relatives or chosen beneficiaries quickly receive the assets that you want them to have. Unfortunately, too many people underestimate the negative effect that estate and inheritance taxes will have-in part because they don't realize how large an estate they have. Those taxes are levied on all your assets: investments, retirement savings, real estate, artwork, collectibles, even life insurance proceeds. If it's property, it can be taxed.

While the consequences of not having an estate plan can be devastating, creating one need not be difficult. The first step is to learn some of the basics of estate planning. The law varies from state to state and can be quite complex, so it's quite important to talk to the right people. The Loyola Sacred Heart Foundation has a planned giving board member who can help lead you in the right direction. If you would like to talk to someone please contact the Loyola Sacred Heart Foundation Office at 406.728.2367 and we can get the ball rolling.