In honor of National Estate Planning Awareness Week, we want to share how planning ahead can help secure the future. No matter your age or income, everyone should have an estate plan in place.
- Create a will or trust and choose beneficiaries for all accounts.
- Make a guardianship plan and prayerfully consider who will care for your children and/or pets.
- Decide who you want to manage your finances as your financial power of attorney.
- Create your own Catholic legacy by including your parish, school or the ministries that are close to your heart, in your estate plans.
The Catechism reminds us that we should care for both our families and the common good. Begin by asking yourself:
· Are my gifts of charity proportional to what I have?
· Is my charitable giving prayerful? Have you asked God through prayer where He is calling you to make a difference?
· How much is enough for my own family, and for the greater good of all God’s people?
· How can I create a legacy that will bless the generations to come while supporting my parish, school or the ministries I love within my own Catholic community?
After prayer and thoughtful consideration, you can start to align your philanthropy with your Catholic values. At The Catholic Foundation, we have resources available to walk your through each step.
We are blessed to have vetted Catholic estate attorneys on our Planned Giving Advisory Council. Several of our Planned Giving Advisory Council members have offered a complimentary one-hour consultation.
The Catholic Foundation is also pleased to offer you a one-stop, no cost online estate planning tool from FreeWill, so you can check off all these important items and get peace of mind for the future. While the documents created via FreeWill can be printed and notarized as legal documents, many people use this tool to organize their plans and then print off the documents to take to a vetted estate attorney.
At The Catholic Foundation, our Chartered Advisors in Philanthropy® team members are always here to help you align philanthropy with your Catholic Values, create a Catholic legacy, and provide you with the resources needed to get you started. Simply give us a call anytime at (407) 246-4889.