4 Gifts That Make a Meaningful Difference to Veterans

When people or causes are important to you, you want to nurture and protect them so that they have a secure future. One crucial way you can protect your loved ones’ futures is through estate planning.

Estate planning is the highly personal process of deciding how your assets will be distributed after your lifetime. It is also your chance to give voice to your values and the causes that have been important in your life, such as ensuring veterans get the benefits they have earned.

Here are four ways you can plan for the future and leave a lasting impact at the VFW.

1. Leave a gift in your will. Creating a will is a key part of planning for the future. Through your will, you can direct the division of your property the way you choose and make special financial arrangements for family members who are minors or who have special needs. You can also support causes that are important to you.
2. Provide support with your bank or brokerage account. Most states allow your loved ones or charitable organizations to benefit from your bank account after your passing. For us to benefit from your checking or savings account or CDs, you must make them payable on death* to the VFW. To leave us funds from your brokerage or investment accounts, simply place a transfer-on-death* designation on them.
3. Give a gift with your retirement account. This is a tax-smart way to support the VFW. If your loved ones are the beneficiaries of your retirement account, federal income taxes alone can erode up to 37 percent of the amount they receive. But because the VFW is a nonprofit organization, we bypass any taxes and receive the full amount.
4. Use your life insurance policy. You likely purchased life insurance to protect the financial stability of your family in case anything happened to you. Perhaps your circumstances have changed now, and the original purpose for the protection no longer applies. Naming the VFW as a beneficiary of the policy is a low-cost way to support veterans in need.

Plan for Your Future – and the VFW's – Today

To learn more about supporting the VFW through will planning, contact the VFW Planned Giving Office at plannedgiving@vfw.org or 816.968.1119 to start a conversation today.  

*State laws govern payable-on-death accounts and transfer-on-death accounts. Consult with your bank representative or investment advisor to consider these types of gifts.