Planned Giving Seminars Pack in Information for Community Members
Senior citizens learn about protecting their families and increasing income through planned giving.
August 2 and 3 at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, The Salvation Army held two planned giving seminars focused on providing senior citizens information about how they can increase their monthly income with planned giving and protect their family from will litigation. Over one hundred seniors RSVP’d to attend The Salvation Army hosted luncheon seminars led by Foley, Foley & Pearson, P.C. Attorney Chelsea Ray Riekkola and The Salvation Army Director of Gift Planning Natalie Decker, J.D.
In the seminars, The Salvation Army’s Divisional Commander, Major John Brackenbury introduced The Salvation Army and spoke about the various programs and services The Salvation Army provides to community members in need.
“The Planned Giving Seminars provides individuals and couples the opportunity to learn more about the options they have to give back to the community and how to protect their loved ones from will litigation,” said Major Brackenbury. “Many people don’t think about the things they need to get in order before it’s too late. We want to make sure that seniors know how they can be proactive by making decisions now.”
The seminars provided answers to many questions that should be considered in estate planning. Examples being: how incapacity may affect you and your family, what you can do for a child that can’t handle money, what the benefits of a living trust is, the dangers of Joint Tenancy and how to avoid accidentally disinheriting heirs.
Ray Reikkola, an attorney born and raised in Anchorage, specializes in estate planning and probate law. During the seminars, she focused on what participants can do now to protect their families after they pass on. This included making sure retirement plans, wills and other assets have the same beneficiaries listed and looking at different options for estate planning, such as a various type of Trusts.
Decker, a Salvation Army planned giving expert, provided information for attendees about Planned Giving to charitable organizations. This included information about Charitable Trusts, Retained Life Estate, the importance of Beneficiary Designation as well as how individuals can increase their current income with a charitable giving plan.
To learn more about Planned Giving with The Salvation Army, please contact The Salvation Army Alaska Division Donor Relations Director, Jeff Johnson at (907) 339-3421 or jeff.johnson@usw.alvationarmy.org.