Incorporating Giving Into Your Retirement Plan with Arlene Cogen

So much of our focus during retirement planning is saving money to protect ourselves and provide for our family, but there’s such a great opportunity to improve our lives even more by giving to others. Not only does it improve the lives of others but it also creates financial benefits for your portfolio. Arlene Cogen, a philanthropic leadership consultant and author, joins us to discuss this important topic.
On this episode:
0:26 – Today we have a special guest on the show, Arlene Cogen.
1:21 – Arlene shares her background on how she got into Philanthropic Leadership
3:55 – She wrote the book ‘Give to Live’
5:19 – When people think about giving, many feel they can’t incorporate that into their retirement.
5:53 – The idea of giving while you’re living.
6:49 – There are studies that show philanthropy provides real joy to our lives.
10:16 – What are the strategies to consider if you want to give while you’re living?
12:18 – Advantages to having a charity listed as a beneficiary.  
13:54 – Some states have inheritance taxes.
14:40 – How to endow an annual gift.                                   
17:18 – Understanding charitable trusts.
21:00 – Multi-generational gifting.
26:37 – Personal reflection is a part of her book and it’s something we should be doing.
29:16 – The purpose of our money.
30:02 – Wrapping up the conversation.
Show notes and additional links: http://smartmoneyquestions.com/podcastposts/episode-109-incorporating-giving-into-your-retirement-plan-with-arlene-cogen/

Financial Questions You Need to Ask Before Getting Remarried Later in Life

With 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, there’s a good chance you or someone you know is going to face the choice later in life to remarry or stay single. Many things will factor into that decision but understanding how your finances will be impacted is a significant part of that discussion. These are the questions you need to be asking.  
Today's rundown:
1:03 – The backstory behind today’s main topic.
4:31 – Here’s the question I was asked last week.
5:40 – These are the initial questions that I asked her to get a grasp on all the assets and expenses.
8:00 – For those that don’t know, I’ve been through this same situation.
9:17 – Here are some of the reasons you would not get remarried.
12:06 – A very important thing you have to figure out is what debt situation am I walking into and will I be assuming responsibility for this debt.
12:39 – Let’s talk about the idea of estate planning. Each option results in distinct differences.
15:31 – Let’s talk specifically about where your assets are – IRAs, 401(k)s, etc. How do taxes impact these?
17:02 – What if we want to give all our assets away and we are single versus married?
19:42 – Recapping everything we need to be asking.          
21:55 – Once you go through this process, don’t stop. Create the plan and follow through with it.
Get the full show notes and additional resources by visiting our website here: http://smartmoneyquestions.com/podcastposts/episode-108-financial-questions-you-need-to-ask-before-getting-remarried-later-in-life/