Estate Planning for Indiana Families
Will your wealth bless the next generation - or burden it?
Most families think the documents are enough. They aren't. We coordinate the ongoing planning, review, and strategy that makes an estate plan work when it needs to.
"A good person leaves and inheritance for their children's children..."
Proverbs 13:22
THE STEWARDSHIP FRAME ──
Generous giving and efficient giving are the same conversation.
Most faithful Christians give by check or cash every year, and that's fine. But for households with appreciated investments, retirement accounts, or significant annual giving, cash is almost always the most tax-inefficient approach.
The result: you give the same amount, your church receives the same amount, and the IRS takes a much larger share than it needs to.
Lower the tax friction on your giving, and you free up more dollars for the work itself. Tax-efficient giving is not in tension with generous giving. It's the same conversation.
STRATEGIES WE USE ──
Giving tools tailored to your assets, age, and goals
There's no single right way to give. The right combination depends on what you own, how old you are, your income, and the causes you support.
Appreciated Securities
Give stock, mutual funds, or ETFs in a taxable account directly to your church or charity. Avoid the capital gains tax you'd pay on a sale, and still deduct the full fair market value. The charity sells tax free - everyone wins except the IRS.
Best For: Investors With Unrealized Gains
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDS)
Age 70½ or older? Give directly from your IRA to a qualified charity - up to an annually indexed limit. The QCD satisfies your required minimum distribution and never enters your adjusted gross income, reducing Medicare premiums and Social Security taxation.
Best For: Retirees With Traditionals IRAs
Estate Giving
Pre-tax retirement dollars are the worst to leave heirs - fully taxable to them - and the best dollars to leave to charity, which pays no tax at all. Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts are the most efficient estate giving tool available, and proper planning can reduce estate taxes while increasing your giving.
Best For: Estate Planning and Legacy Goals
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
Fund now, take the full deduction in the year of the gift, distribute to your church and ministries over time. Powerful for bunching two or three years of giving into a single year to clear the standard deduction - then give on your normal cadence. Dollars inside grow tax-free until granted out.
Best For: High-Income Years, Bunching Strategies
Charitable Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) and charitable lead trusts (CLTs) combine giving with income strategies for larger gifts. More complex and not right for everyone - but in the right situation, they can be powerful tools for both generosity and tax planning.
Best For: Larger Estates and Complex Situations
THE ANNUAL GIVING FRAMEWORK ──
The right sequence matters more than most Christians realize.
The mistake most generous Christians make isn't a lack of giving - it's a lack of sequencing. This framework, tailored to your situation year after year, can have a significant cumulative effect.
List of Services
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01 - Give appreciated securities before cashList Item 1
If you have unrealized gains in a taxable account, those are the dollars to use first. You avoid capital gains, deduct the full fair market value, and the charity sells tax-free. Cash should come last - not first.
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02 - Use QCDs from your IRA once RMDs beginList Item 2
Once you reach 70½, giving from your IRA via QCD before taking any other distribution can often make sense. It's one of the most tax-efficient giving tools that exists for retirees - satisfying your RMD before it ever enters your AGI.
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03 - Use cash last - or bunch it into a donor-advised fundList Item 3
Cash giving makes sense when you're bunching multiple years of giving into one year through a DAF to exceed the standard deduction. Otherwise, cash is typically the least efficient vehicle for the charitable dollars you're deploying.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE ──
When charitable planning is working, you'll know it.
Generosity gets easier - not harder - as you age, because the framework is in place and the friction is gone.
1 You give more and pay less in taxes - at the same time.
2 Your church and the ministries you support receive more
3 Your family understands what you're doing and why
4 Giving is integrated with your retirement and estate plan, not a separate stream
5 You stop wondering whether you're "doing it right"
6 Generosity becomes easier, not harder, as retirement progressess
COMMON QUESTIONS ──
Frequently asked questions about charitable giving strategies
What is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) and who qualifies?
A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) allows IRA owners age 70½ or older to transfer funds directly to a qualified charity, up to an annually indexed limit. The distribution counts toward your required minimum distribution and is excluded from your adjusted gross income, which can reduce Medicare IRMAA premiums, lower taxation of Social Security benefits, and keep you below thresholds for the net investment income tax.
Is it better to give appreciated stock or cash to my church?
For most households with long-term appreciated securities in a taxable account, giving shares directly is more tax-efficient than writing a check. You avoid the capital gains tax you'd pay on a sale, still deduct the full fair market value, and the church sells the shares tax-free. For households with both appreciated securities and IRA assets, the sequencing between those two strategies depends on your specific situation.
What is a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) and how does bunching work?
A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a charitable giving account where you contribute assets, receive an immediate tax deduction in the year of the gift, and then recommend grants to your church or other charities over time. Bunching means concentrating two or more years of planned giving into a single tax year to exceed the standard deduction threshold - then distributing to your ministries at your normal cadence in subsequent years. DAFs can also hold appreciated securities, supercharging the tax benefit.
What is a Certified Kingdom Advisor® and why does it matter?
The CKA® designation is held by financial advisors who have demonstrated technical competence in financial planning, completed coursework on biblical financial principles, signed a statement of faith, and committed to a code of ethics grounded in Christian stewardship. For clients, it means the giving conversation is grounded in a coherent biblical framework - not a sales pitch wrapped in spiritual language. It's the distinction between a planner who respects your faith and one who shares it.
Do you work with families outside of Indiana?
Yes. The Other 90 Financial serves clients in Indiana, Illinois, and across the country. We operate as a fully virtual firm, and most charitable planning strategies - appreciated securities giving, QCDs, donor-advised funds, estate giving - apply regardless of your state of residence.
