Cincinnati Legacy Planning: What Steps Can I Take to Preserve My Legacy?
By Barry Zimmer on April 22nd, 2014 in Estate Planning, Estate Planninng, Inheritance Planning
Your legacy will live on after you pass away if you take the right steps to preserve it. There are many different things that you can do to have an influence even after you are gone. In this post, we will take a look at three steps you can take to preserve your legacy in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Legacy Planning
Philanthropic Efforts
Your legacy plan could involve philanthropy. Doing good works for others is rewarding in and of itself. When your name is attached to charitable giving after you have passed away, you are always going to be remembered in a positive light.
In addition to the personal rewards, giving to charitable causes may allow you to realize tax benefits as well.
When you are planning your legacy there are different ways that you can set aside money for charitable causes. Some people use donor advised funds, which can be a good choice for those who are looking for an efficient vehicle of charitable giving.
Another option would be the creation of a charitable family foundation. You may equate family foundations with extraordinarily wealthy families like the Gates family and the Rockefeller family. However, despite the wealth of these famous families, the majority of the foundations in the United States are actually funded with less than $1 million.
Family Heirlooms
When planning your estate, you are going to be arranging for the transfer of monetary assets. In addition to this, you may have family heirlooms that you can pass along to your loved ones.
There are stories behind all of these different objects. Whether they have a great deal of monetary value or not, an heirloom that has been in the family for generations is a slice of history, and it is almost magical.
Your legacy plan can include the passing along of family heirlooms.
Memoirs
You may also want to write your memoirs when you are crafting your legacy. Have you ever wondered what it was like for your grandparents when they were children? What about your great-grandparents, and their parents?
If you take the time to write your memoirs, you will be leaving behind a valuable recollection of your life and times. There is genuine historical value there that actually transcends your own family.
On a more personal level, you are sharing formative experiences with your family members. There may be stories that you have never told that have instructive value.
Many people become interested in their roots as they get older. When you leave behind your memoirs, you will be providing future researchers with a valuable resource.
In addition to the value that the memoirs will have to others, you as the author may experience a sense of catharsis as you externalize your memories.