Setting aside the far more important spiritual issues about eternity, there are either two or three questions on the minds of persons as they think responsibly about their own retirement and then about what will happen at the end of their lives here on earth. They are:
1) How much will my spouse and I need for our living expenses?
2) What can or should we pass on to our children, family and friends – and when?
Finally, the third question is not reached in all cases, but it is the question that determines whether there is planned giving or estate planning happening. It is:
3) Would we rather leave a part of our estate to our favorite charities (and God should certainly be at the top of that list), or to the government?
But even estate planning is a lot more than just a will. Read the articles listed below and learn more about details you have to seriously consider to have a responsible and complete estate plan, whether you include planned giving or not. The additional resources you need to read are:
Hey, I Don’t Have Much, So I Don’t Need a Will … Do I?
Your Will Was Last Redone How Long Ago?
What is a Durable Power of Attorney?
What is a Health Care Surrogate Designation?
What Other Advance Directives Are There?
Leaving to Idlewild Baptist Church Is a Blessing
What Will Your Legacy Be? – Part 1
What Will Your Legacy Be? – Part 2
Being Cash Poor Does Not Mean You Can’t Give
The Idlewild Foundation Permanent Fund
To Give and Receive at the Same Time – The Charitable Gift Annuity