Bequest in a Will or Living Trust

The simplest way to include Producers Associates, Inc. in your estate plan is a bequest in your will or living trust. You retain full control of your assets during your lifetime and leave a pre-planned amount (either a dollar amount or a percentage of the estate) to Producers Associates, Inc. upon your passing. You can amend the will or trust at any time in the future if your circumstances change. A bequest in a will or living trust qualifies for the estate tax “charitable deduction,” potentially reducing estate taxes.

Gifts of IRAs

Leaving an IRA to Producers Associates, Inc. is a great way to benefit the organization because of its tax-exempt status. Unlike leaving the IRA to a family member, taxes are not paid on withdrawals from the account if it is left to Producers Associates, Inc. because Producers Associates, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. A gift of an IRA to Producers Associates, Inc. can be coordinated with your will or trust to accomplish your overall estate planning goals.

A “Qualified Charitable Distribution” (QCD) made during your lifetime from an IRA is another option. Under certain circumstances, you can use the charitable distribution to satisfy your “required minimum distribution” (RMD) for the year in which the QCD is made. In addition, because they reduce the size of the account, they can reduce the amount of future RMDs. A QCD also is not subject to the normal limitations on charitable deductions based on your adjusted gross income. And you can make multiple QCDs each year during your lifetime. There is an annual maximum for the QCD, and other rules and restrictions apply. Please consult with your tax advisor on the specifics.

Charitable Remainder Trust

For people with larger estates, a Charitable Remainder Trust is a possible option that can be used to benefit Producers Associates, Inc. You make a gift of assets (i.e., stocks, real estate, etc.) to the trust. You (and other family members if you so choose) receive an income stream from the trust for life or a term of years. Upon your passing (or on termination of the term of years), the assets in the trust (the so-called “remainder”) goes to Producers Associates, Inc. to carry on its mission. The initial gift to the trust potentially provides an income tax deduction in the year of the gift, and the trust is tax-exempt, so no capital gains taxes are paid on sales of appreciated assets by the trust. This strategy also offers potential estate tax advantages.

Charitable Lead Trust

This is essentially the inverse of a Charitable Remainder Trust. Here, the income generated by the assets in the trust goes to Producers Associates, Inc. for a specified time period. On the expiration of the term, the trust assets pass to either the person who created the trust or others (children, etc.) pre-chosen by the trust creator. Setting up a Charitable Lead Trust provides potential income and estate tax benefits.

Gifts of Securities

When you donate stocks to Producers Associates, you will get the tax benefit from making a charitable donation while avoiding capital gains taxes on the appreciation of your stock's value.  We can make it easy for you to transfer stocks directly to us. 

For more information on any of the above planned giving options, please call 510-339-0241 or email Harriet Schlader.

Producers Associates, Inc.'s nonprofit Tax ID number is 94-1688232.

The website should not be interpreted as legal advice. This is for general informational purposes only. Any contemplated changes to your estate plan should only be done in consultation with your estate planning attorney and tax advisor.