7 Things to Think About Before Giving Gifts to Grandchildren

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Entrusted Legacy Law

For more information about the author, click to view their website: Sharek Law LLC

Posted on

Jun 26, 2023

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Pennsylvania - Greater Pittsburgh Area

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If you have grandchildren — or are getting ready to welcome one — you know the special joy they bring. After all, you can now leave all the heavy lifting to the parents and just enjoy connecting with them.


Many grandparents who enjoy financial freedom are often more than generous to grandchildren. And some even wish to see their grandchildren enjoy an inheritance now instead of waiting to pass along assets after they are gone. If that’s you, here are seven things you should think about before you make gifts to grandchildren.


Clarify The Gift

Most grandparents gift outright, no strings attached. But if you think you are providing a loan or an advance on an inheritance, you need to clarify that in writing.


Equal Treatment

It is not unusual for a grandparent to be closer to some grandchildren than others, but when you are gifting assets, unequal treatment among grandchildren could lead to family resentments. Even if you give more to some than others during your life, consider treating all grandchildren equally in your estate plan.


Taxes

With the federal gift tax threshold at $12.92 million (double that for married couples), most people won’t have to worry about paying federal gift taxes. However, any gift to an individual that exceeds $17,000 each year ($34,000 for married couples) must be reported on a gift tax return.


Education

You can help with a grandchild’s college tuition by making payments directly to their educational institutions, which don’t have to be reported. And there is no limit on these contributions. Investing in a 529 plan for each of your grandchildren is also a great way to help them (and their parents!) save for college, building a tax-deferred account that will never be taxed as long as it is used for educational purposes.


Your Own Needs

It’s tempting to be too generous in making gifts to grandchildren, but you should not give to the detriment of your own needs. Finding the right balance will help ensure your children and grandchildren don’t have to support you because you gave too much to them.


Long-Term Care

Chances are that you will need some kind of long-term care at the end of your life, research shows that most of us will. If you can’t afford long-term care and need help, any gift of assets you have given could make you ineligible for Medicaid benefits for five years.


Consider A Trust

There are many reasons why you should not give gifts of cash or assets to grandchildren, some that you may not even be aware of. Lots of cash could be fuel on the fire of bad behavior or undermine your own children’s goals for their children. To make a lasting gift, consider using a trust that will pass assets along to grandchildren safely and protect those assets from bad behavior, bad marriages and bad credit.


If you have questions, contact Sharek Law Office at 412-347-1731 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15-Minute Call with our staff to learn how we can help


This article is a service of Sharek Law Office, LLC. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life and Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Life and Legacy Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge. Please note this is educational content only and is not intended to act as legal advice.

7 Things to Think About Before Giving Gifts to Grandchildren

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Entrusted Legacy Law View Details

Entrusted Legacy Law

Elder Law 100 Pinewood Lane Suite #303, Warrendale, Pennsylvania, 15086

Our Firm Prepares You for Life What makes our firm different is that we were built with the needs of growing families in mind. We understand you are BUSY, you are growing, you are planning for a life of prosperity and you value ease, convenience and efficiency. You are raising children, and caring for elderly parents, while also working hard to build your own nest egg for a lifetime of support. You want to know youve made the best decisions for your family and that your plan will work when your loved ones need it most. You want to make sure your minor children would be raised by the people you choose, and never by anyone you wouldnt want, and that your teens and adult children are properly prepared to care for you and what you leave behind.  You want to feel confident that youve made the right choices, and handled everything so that you arent leaving behind a mess, when something happens. That is our focus as well. Weve developed unique systems to give you the same access to a Personal Family Lawyer as was previously only available to the super-wealthy, so you can have the guidance you need to build and maintain a life of prosperity and wealth. And, to keep your family out of court and out of conflict, which is the greatest risk to the people you love and all you have created, even if youve already worked with a traditional lawyer or created documents online. Our Team Is Here for You We encourage communication with our clients. In fact, weve thrown out the time clocks so you never have to be afraid to call with a quick question. Everything we do is billed on a flat-fee basis, agreed to in advance, so there are never any surprises. We have a whole team to serve you. When you call our office to ask your quick question, you wont have to wait hours or days for a phone call back. Youll get your question answered, right away. And, if you need to schedule a more in-depth legal or strategic call with your Personal Family Lawyer, a call will be scheduled when you're both available and ready for the call so we can make the very best use of your time and not waste your time by leaving voicemail after voicemail back and forth. And, we ensure the most important details of your planning are followed through on and your plan continues to work throughout your lifetime. We have a funding coordinator to ensure your assets are owned the right way throughout your lifetime and none of your assets will end up going through a long, expensive court process or being lost to the state because they were missed after your death. Weve created unique membership programs to keep your plan up to date year in and year out as well as give you access to our Trusted Team of Legal Experts for guidance on ANY legal or financial matter. One day you will need a lawyer. I dont know why and I dont know when, but when you do, you will be grateful you can call on us and well be here to advise you or get you out of a jam. We Help You Transfer Your Life and Legacy Lastly, we believe your financial wealth is only a small part of your overall Life and Legacy Planning which is made up of your far more valuable and most often lost upon incapacity or death intellectual, spiritual and human assets. These assets are what make you who you are, and sum up whats most important to you. And, a survey of inheritors has revealed that what they care about even more than inheriting your money, is inheriting these intangible assets.   Most estate plans only focus on the transfer of your financial wealth to the next generation. Most people have such great intentions of passing on the intangible, but very few ever get around to it. Its just not a priority, until its too late. How much do you know about your grandparents values? Their most prized personal possessions? How they felt about you? What they had learned during their lifetime? If you are like most people, you know very little. Thats why we build the capture and passage of these most valuable assets into every estate plan we create. Not only will we help you pass on your money, but also your values, your insights, your stories and your experience the truly valuable assets your loved ones care about the most.  Weve developed a tool that allows us to capture and pass on your whole family wealth, including your Intellectual, Spiritual and Human assets.  I cant go into all of the details here, but well definitely talk about it when you come in for your Life and Legacy Planning Session.

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