In the past decade, estate tax conversations have been steadily decreasing. As the lifetime credit has climbed to unprecedented highs, many wealthy Americans have come to believe that they are safely out of Uncle Sam’s reach. However, recent history is just that, it’s recent. Historically, estate taxes have been a major factor for both middle class and high-net-worth Americans. Furthermore, estate taxes are often easy targets for adjustments when fiscal gaps need closing. This article explores why estate taxes should continue to be a priority in your wealth planning, and how you can be prepared for whatever the future may hold.

Don’t Assume Estate Taxes Won’t Be a Problem

The current estate tax lifetime exemption is $13.61MM per individual, or $27.22MM per couple. These numbers have become so high in recent years, that many high-net-worth Americans have come to believe that they no longer need to worry about estate taxes. My advice is to be careful, because congress can change the rules at any time. As recently as 2008, the exemption was only $2MM per individual, and it was even lower than that in the 1990s and early 2000s. Even under current law if nothing else changes, the $13.61MM exclusion will be cut in half on January 1^st of 2026. When tax shortfalls arise, estate taxes are often viewed as low hanging fruit for Washington. The current exclusion level is an aberration, not the historical norm.

Don’t Let Your Estate Documents Become Stale

The rule of thumb for most families is to have their estate plan documents reviewed every 5 years. However, if you are a high-net-worth individual with an estate tax issue, these reviews should be much more frequent. In fact, estate tax considerations should be a part of your financial plan to be reviewed and discussed at least annually and perhaps more if there is a significant change in the law. Vehicles such as irrevocable trusts and joint insurance policies can help mitigate the risk of owing estate taxes, and these vehicles and strategies should be a part of the normal cadence of planning.

Don’t Forget to Incorporate Charitable Giving into Your Estate Plan

Charitable giving is one of the many strategic ways to avoid estate taxes, especially if you’ve already set aside the amounts that you plan to leave to your children. Wealth that is left to charitable organizations is not subject to the 40% estate tax. This means that instead of giving $600K to your children and $400k to the government, you give $1MM to an organization you care about, or to a foundation or Donor Advised Fund that is run by your children. Most people would prefer that their heirs decide which causes receive those funds rather than a large chunk being sent to Washington.

Make Sure You Have the Right Team:

Your team of professionals should include not only an excellent wealth manager who can help you plan around these issues, but also an attorney and a CPA who are experts in their fields when it comes to estate taxes. These issues are complex, and they can change quickly. Make sure that you are working with professionals who have the knowledge and the bandwidth to give these issues the attention they deserve.

In Summary

Estate planning is a dynamic field that requires regular attention, especially for those with significant wealth. High-net-worth individuals should not only reassess their estate plans frequently but should also consider incorporating charitable giving as part of their strategy. Be sure your planning team includes knowledgeable wealth managers, attorneys, and CPAs as this is crucial as you navigate the ever-changing landscape of estate taxes. Complacency can be costly – proactive estate planning should remain a critical element of your financial health.

If we can be of help to you and your family, please give us a call!

About the Author

The opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives is why Randy chose a career in wealth management. He is passionate about helping his clients achieve their goals and cut through the…

Grove City, Pittsburgh

randall.holcombe@confluencefp.com

Email Randy

Confluence Financial Partners and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Month in Review

• Rally continued for stocks in February, with the key development of broader participation- for example, US small cap stocks had a strong month.
• String of inflation data and commentary from the Federal Reserve pushed bond yields higher during February.
• The inflation report released during the month (January CPI) showed prices rising more than expected, driven by higher housing related costs.

Attention to Interest Rates

Investors are curious as to when the Federal Reserve will start lowering interest rates. During February, investors recalibrated expectations once again for the start of rate cuts, believing that the first reduction will be pushed back to June 2024. This change makes sense for various reasons: inflation continues to remain somewhat firm, and the labor market remains very strong.

Historically, forecasting the path of interest rates has been notoriously difficult to do and ultimately, introduces unwarranted noise into investors’ outlooks. The chart below shows how even the Federal Reserve struggles to predict its own interest rate decisions.

Our 401(k) Standard of Care service structure centers on four key pillars: 

1. Personalized Employer Review Meetings:  “One size fits all” does not work when it comes to 401(k) plans. Through regularly scheduled meetings, we collaborate with employers to monitor the employer plan to make sure it continues to fit the company’s needs and goals.  

During these meetings we will discuss the following topics: 

• Plan investment analysis: considering the quantitative and qualitative results to ensure we have skillful managers in place. 

• Courageous plan design: striving to increase an employer’s benefits return on investment while striving to enhance participant retirement outcomes.  

• Fee benchmarking: every 3 years we lead an RFP driven process to ensure apple-to-apple comparisons and to help maximize a plan’s negotiating leverage. 

• Fiduciary guidance: to support the employer and mitigate potential liabilities. 

2. Employee engagement:  Our education team uses highly customized plan participant content structured to help optimize outcomes and increase financial wellness. We deliver multiple types of meetings throughout the year. These meetings run the spectrum from group education to 1on1 individual consultations, and life stage education designed to meet the employee at their individual career stage.  

3. Regular investment monitoring & investment analysis:  As a member of the Retirement Plan Advisor Group (RPAG), we have access to their proprietary fund ranking system that aims to enhance outcomes, manage risks, and reduce fiduciary exposure. Employers receive quarterly plan “report cards” detailing investments scores.  In addition to the fund scores, Confluence has an internal Investment Advisor Committee that provides guidance on selected investment managers and incorporates a qualitative layer of oversight to the fund analysis programs used.  

4. Ongoing communication & support: In addition to the processes outlined above, we deliver a variety of additional touchpoints designed to keep employers and participants informed and engaged. This includes informative webinars, quarterly newsletters, and campaigns to address specific plan demographics or concerns.

By utilizing these services, employers can have the confidence in knowing their 401(k) is managed effectively while employees have the opportunity to understand their benefits options.  

Our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Should you have any questions or require further information on how our service delivery model can benefit your organization, please do not hesitate to contact us or listen to our podcasts today! 

Month in Review

• Stock and bond markets rallied during March, with broadening of results- large cap value stocks (+5.0%, Russell 1000 Value TR Index), small cap stocks (+3.6%, Russell 2000 TR Index), and international stocks (+3.3%, MSCI ACWI Ex-USA NR Index) finished the month ahead of large cap growth stocks (+1.8%, Russell 1000 Growth TR Index).
• Economic data continues to look strong in the United States. The Federal Reserve also confirmed their forecast of three 0.25% interest rate cuts in 2024.

Time to Look Beyond Cash?

Last month we discussed the difficulty in forecasting changes in interest rates. During March, investors spent the month aligning their outlook with the Federal Reserve’s guidance, which remains some level of interest rate cuts sometime later this year. While the exact timing cannot be known, we do know that historically there have been opportunities to shift out of cash investments near peak interest rates.

Going back to the six previous cycles since 1984, investors have been better off investing in bonds, US stocks or a balanced portfolio compared to staying in cash during the 12-months following the peak level of interest rates. Forecasting the exact time of peak interest rates/rate cuts is fruitless, but for long-term investors there is an opportunity to look beyond cash.

Source: Bloomberg, FactSet, Federal Reserve, Robert Shiller, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The 60/40 portfolio is 60% invested in S&P 500 Total Return Index and 40% invested in Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Total Return Index. The S&P 500 total return figure from the 1984 period was calculated using data from Robert Shiller. The analysis references the month in which the month-end 6-month CD rate peaked during previous rate hiking cycles. CD rate data prior to 2013 are sourced from the Federal Reserve, whereas data from 2013 to 2023 are sourced from Bloomberg. CD subsequent 12-month return calculation assumes reinvestment at the prevailing 6-month rate when the initial CD matures.

Are you focused on the past, present, or future?

What is your time ratio? Here are a few thoughts to consider:

10% – Past
We benefit greatly from history, experiences, and lessons from our past. Unfortunately/fortunately, the past is over. We can no longer control or change it. Hold on to the positive experiences and valuable lessons, and leave the regrets behind.

60% – Present
It’s really all we have! Living in the moment is a gift. Waking up to the now and having a “be where your feet are” attitude is an important perspective to keep as you focus on the present. Let’s be careful not to allow fear, or distractions like cell phones, to steal our moments.

30% – Future
Happiness comes from believing your best days are ahead. Planning reduces stress, creates energy and increases the likelihood of a bright future. Don’t wonder if your best days are ahead of you, take concrete steps so that you can be sure!

Let’s encourage each other to learn from the past, live in the present and believe in the future.

We are grateful to be a part of your journey!

Label reading, ingredient decoding, deciphering marketing terminology – all of these aspects individually or combined can create an environment of confusion for shoppers at the grocery store. Amongst product labels, “USDA Organic” is found on many foods and beverages, but what does it really mean? Let’s focus in and unpack this particular label.

What is meant by the label “USDA Organic”?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a division within the US government that focuses largely on the country’s safety and efficiency of farming, food and sustainability practices. The USDA Organic label is federally regulated, meaning the product its placed upon has met the standard requirements to earn the status of this particular label (more on this, below). Because this is a regulated label with strict criteria, the consumer can have confidence when they see this symbol on a product that the process in which the ingredients have gone from farm to table has been verified through a system of checks and balances.

• The standards the USDA has set for being labeled organic are the following¹:
  • No synthetic chemicals used on the product (such as pesticides and fertilizers otherwise used in conventional foods to keep bugs and termites away)
  • No genetically modified organisms (GMO’s)
  • No antibiotics or growth hormones given to animals (when the product itself comes from an animal) but rather a focus on their welfare, such as raising animals in natural conditions
  • Sustainable farming practices used to protect the environment currently and long term

These standards are in place to ensure both the consumers and environment are set up for better health outcomes, given how products are grown and processed. More information surrounding these categories can be found on the USDA website.

If a food product does not have this label, the default is known as a conventional food.  A conventionally grown product such as a head of broccoli, for example, could miss the mark for organic in a minimum of one category or at most, all categories. Conventional foods are found in most products in store and have their own system of checks and balances for consumer health, as well.

Whereas conventional foods are still federally monitored for safe limits of pesticides using scientific data and risk assessment on a regular basis, these types of products do not have to meet as rigorous requirements surrounding chemical usage on crops and soil health, for example. Additionally, they may utilize GMO’s, and/or differ in the treatment of animals and farming practices.

In summary, organic verified products have tighter regulations when it comes to how a food is grown and processed, and also how animals are fed and raised. Common concerns from consumers regarding conventional foods vs. organic surround long term pesticide intake risk on human health, animal welfare, and the question of varying levels of nutrient composition. Given the increased cost of production to farm organically, organic products most often have a higher price tag than their conventional counterparts. Many believe there are benefits to choosing organic, but it may not be necessary or realistic to consume all or even most food intake organic, depending on food budget and/or availability of items where someone lives and shops on a regular basis.

When it comes to a measurable benefit to human health, choosing organic foods vs. conventional, the scientific evidence is not definitive, although observational studies point to better health outcomes over time for organic consumption vs. conventional². Like any decision in the adult world, the type of food you purchase requires taking inventory of what you value, prefer, and can afford.

As the end of the year approaches, it’s an opportune time for clients to utilize strategies that align charitable goals with their financial objectives. In this article, we will explore various charitable planning opportunities and strategies to leverage to help our clients optimize their giving while improving their overall financial situation.

Tax Efficient Charitable Giving Opportunities

One of the primary incentives for charitable giving is the potential to reduce taxable income. However, timing and method play a crucial role in maximizing these benefits. Below are several techniques to consider as part of year-end planning:

Donating Appreciated Securities: Instead of giving cash, clients can donate appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual funds directly to a charity. This strategy offers two key benefits:

• Avoiding Capital Gains Tax: Donors avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation of the asset.
• Maximized Tax Deduction: They receive a charitable deduction for the fair market value of the donated securities, provided they’ve held the asset for more than one year.
• Watch Your Limits: The IRS places limits on the amount clients can deduct for charitable contributions. For cash donations, the limit is typically 60% of AGI, while donations of appreciated assets are limited to 30% of AGI. If the total contributions exceed these limits, the excess can be carried forward for up to five years.
• Helps Portfolios: This strategy is particularly useful in bull markets, where many clients may have appreciated assets they would otherwise sell to rebalance their portfolios.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): Clients aged 70½ or older can make a QCD of up to $105,000 annually (indexed annually to inflation) directly from their IRA to a qualified charity. QCDs offer several advantages:

• Satisfies Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): For clients who have reached their required beginning date, QCDs can reduce taxable income by offsetting RMDs.  However you need to be careful to make QCDs first, before taking any other income yourself.  The first dollars out of a qualified account are the RMD dollars; if you take your RMD first and then try to make a QCD later, it won’t count.

• Tax-Free Distribution: Unlike regular withdrawals, the QCD is excluded from the client’s taxable income, offering a substantial benefit for those who don’t itemize deductions, which can help clients stay within lower tax brackets or avoid Medicare premium increases.
• This strategy is particularly advantageous for clients who may no longer need the full amount of their RMD for living expenses but are still required to take it.

Consider a Multi-generational Advisory Relationship

Over 50% of our clients are multigenerational, meaning we have family members in more than one generation who we are serving. Often children are clients with their parents from a young age, but as they become adults, they become more independent and establish their own relationship with us as their advisor. Another common situation is when clients refer their parents to us, forming a multigenerational relationship from the other direction. Still another way this happens is when adult children establish a relationship with us as their parents (who are clients already) age and it becomes even more important to all be on the same page.

Even if you are not a Confluence client, we would encourage you to find an advisor and a firm that is making multi-generational wealth considerations a priority. Your advisor should help you bridge the gap between the wealth that you’ve built and the next generation for whom you hope that wealth will be a blessing. We have shepherded many families through this difficult period already, and the whole process is undoubtedly much easier if the parents and the children share the same advisor.

Take Another Look at Your Estate Plan

When was the last time you had your estate plan reviewed? If you are like most Americans, it’s probably been a few years. The typical estate plan is adequate for only a certain season of life, and it will need to be redone as children get older and circumstances change. Like a financial plan or an investment portfolio, an estate plan should be periodically updated as goals change. An estate plan update is almost always needed after a major life event such as a birth, a death, or a change in marital status.

Sometimes an estate plan can be as simple as a pair of wills and power of attorney documents. More often, however, trusts should be involved and more careful consideration should be taken to help ensure that wishes are carried out. For example, what would happen in the event of a death or divorce of a child? If protections aren’t built into the estate plan, it’s possible that a parent’s wealth ends up with a child’s ex-spouse instead of the grandchildren. That is an avoidable scenario, but it’s important to ask the right questions and think critically about the key factors that will cause the plan to either be successful or not.

We don’t have attorneys at Confluence, but we do have a robust process for reviewing your existing estate plan so that you understand your current situation. Once we learn where you are today, we can help educate you so that you are prepared when you speak to your attorney about updates. We work closely with our clients throughout the whole process and are there to help in every way we can.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

The primary reason that the wealth transfer could go poorly for the majority of families is a lack of communication. An inheritance can be a difficult subject to broach, especially for the first time. As a result, many families put these conversations off until it is too late. Don’t let that be your family.

We find that most families assume that their children will handle the inheritance with ease, but that isn’t always the case. We’ve seen many situations in which the heirs were paralyzed by their newfound wealth and the responsibility that comes along with it. They don’t feel prepared to handle the wealth, and so it wears on them. Rather than enjoying the legacy that their parents worked so hard to build, they instead live in fear of losing it all. Fortunately, this can be remedied by simple and consistent communication. Imagine if those same heirs had been let in on the family wealth along the way. Imagine if they knew how the accounts and estate plan were structured. Most importantly, imagine if they understood their parent’s dreams and wishes around the wealth. Imagine they understood the values and expectations that go along with the wealth being transferred.

One question we often ask our clients is this: Will your children still speak to each other after you are gone? Many clients take this for granted, but an estate plan that has not been communicated will inevitably lead to disagreements and fraught relationships. This is especially true in unique situations where the split is not even amongst the heirs, but money can cause even the most reasonable people to turn their backs on each other. Thankfully, again the odds of this happening can be greatly reduced with solid and consistent communication on the part of the wealth creators. Don’t leave ambiguities that can be interpreted. Make your wishes known and take the (sometimes) uncomfortable step of starting a pattern of communication.

Have a Family Meeting

One concrete way to start or solidify communication around the great wealth transfer is to have a family meeting. Ideally, this would lead to a regular cadence of meetings, but the first one is usually the hardest. These meetings can take many different forms, but they are typically initiated by the wealth creators of the family and include the adult children in the upcoming generation. Many families want to communicate better about important topics like their estate plan, financial expectations, and charitable goals, but they don’t know where to start. That’s where a family meeting can be a great opportunity to open important lines of communication.

At Confluence, facilitating these family meetings is one of the most important things that we do. We regularly sit down with our client families at our office or their homes to help get everyone on the same page. We don’t believe this type of meeting should be only done in an emergency after a terminal diagnosis, although that may sometimes be necessary. Rather, we think it is essential to start thinking about this now, before there is a crisis of any kind. Communication around wealth transfer that is done while the whole family is focused and not in crisis is ideal because it prepares the family to be ready if or when the crisis does arrive.

Conclusion

The largest wealth transfer that the world has ever seen is coming. For many, it has already started. That transfer is going to go well for some families, but very poorly for many. At Confluence, we’ve made the next generation a priority, right down to the way we have structured our firm. Many advisors work as lone wolves, with no real succession plan or assurance of what will happen to the families they serve once the advisor retires. At Confluence, we are building a firm so that we can help not only our current clients, but their children and grandchildren as well. We work in teams, and we have advisors who are in their 70s all the way down to their 20s. We’ve made significant investments in growing the next generation of advisors so that our clients’ children and grandchildren can be confident in the Confluence of the future.

As you read this today, we implore you to start thinking about what your next step may be towards making sure that your financial legacy is secure. Perhaps you need to have your estate plan reviewed, or you should make that call to your attorney that you’ve been putting off. Maybe you’ve been meaning to ask your advisor about a family meeting or considering introducing your parents or children to your financial team. Whatever the next step is for you on this journey, we ask you to take it. Your family will be grateful that you did.