My husband and I have each had “get a proper will” on our personal to-do lists for an embarrassingly long time. We initially each started with a very simple will that we did online. We knew we both wanted to create a more detailed estate plan eventually, but figured having simple wills set up to take care of our son and name the wills’ executors was much better than having no wills at all.*
Fast-forward to today, and we are now finally working on what I like to call “Will 2.0...
I recently finished my first will, as did my husband (in Wisconsin, where we live, individual wills are required). I included provisions for giving to some specific organizations after paying for the care of our son, should I die while he is still a minor. The completion of the will, along with the planned giving portion, was a huge weight off my shoulders—especially since it’s been on my to-do list since he was born nearly two years ago...
“Christians shouldn’t talk about money.”
How often have we heard that statement thrown about? Whenever a Christian organization brings up finances, this seems to be the refrain uttered throughout the narthex and the chapel. However, I beg to differ: because we are Christians, we must talk about money. Why?
Because it’s not ours. We’re managing God’s money here on earth, teaching our kids how to manage God’s money here on earth, and being examples of Christ through our everyday living (which, at least in my city, requires money).
Recently, my husband and I began exploring another element of managing God’s money: planned giving. These are four ways we’ve started to plan for giving our money in our future (whether we’re alive or after we’ve passed), and I think these planned giving techniques could be applied to any millennial life...
The first time someone told me I should consider planning my legacy giving in a will, I laughed it off.
“We’re not old enough for that!” I thought, “Planned giving is for retirees! Wills are for people with real money! My husband and I are barely adulting over here.”
However, the thought wouldn’t leave my mind, so I did some research to learn the basics of planned giving. Turns out, wills and estate planning are for anyone who wants certain things to be carried out after their death (yes, that seems obvious now that you say it, but hey—I was in denial about turning 30, much less planning for a financial future I could only just see). More importantly, a will also ensures that the money God has given us to manage continues to support people and organizations we’ve prayed about and that are within our sphere of influence. That influence can continue after we’ve gone through planned giving...
