If the economy is still recovering, it’s not a good time to talk about gifts of stock or mutual fund shares, right? That may have been true in 2009, but it is definitely not true in 2014.
As the third quarter closed this week, the S&P 500 posted its seventh consecutive quarter of gains. In fact, the index is currently up over 5% for the year. Its 1 year annualized return is just under 15%, and its 3 year annualized return is just under 20%.
Donors with appreciated portfolios can take advantage of gifting stock to their favorite charity in lieu of writing a check. Whether their rationale is:
- to save capital gains tax in addition to income tax,
- to re-balance their portfolio’s asset allocation, or
- simply to make a meaningful gift without impacting their cash flow, a gift of stock could be the perfect gift.
There is plenty of time left in the year to make a stock gift, but waiting until after Christmas is a bad idea. Talk with your donors now about their year-end gift, and ask them if it would be helpful to learn more about the benefits of gifting stock.
I’m happy to be a sounding board for you as you help your donors make smart decisions during this last quarter of the year.
