“Why do they call it rush hour when no one is moving?” a comedian once asked.
None of us like being stuck in traffic. We might enjoy our own vehicle very much, but when we’re forced to wait in line, bumper-to-bumper with lots of other cars, we can quickly become frustrated and impatient. We may feel like the highway motorists in the cartoon who were all thinking, “If everyone else would just take the bus, I could be home by now!”
The great preacher Vance Havner once remarked that “Christians, like snowflakes, are frail; but when they stick together they can stop traffic” (Rick Warren; Purpose Driven Life). How true! When Christians unite their lives and resources together for the cause of Christ with ministries such as Grace Bible College, great things can happen!
But there are other times in our lives when things stick together and cause unintended negative consequences both to our families and the ministries we love. For example, many ministry-minded families have experienced a “traffic jam” of taxes against their hard-earned retirement assets. This happens when well-intentioned people name their heirs as beneficiaries of these assets, unaware that estate and income taxes can be as much as 70% on qualified retirement assets such as 401(k) accounts or IRAs.
The good news is that you can avoid this traffic jam. If you name a Christian organizations such as Grace Bible College as the beneficiary of all or part of your remaining retirement account balance, the full value will be received by Grace Bible College. These funds will not be subject to estate taxes; and because they were not passed on to heirs, they also avoid income taxes—freeing up the resources God has entrusted to you to get to their intended destination.
For a FREE copy of our special bulletin “10 Ways to Avoid a Traffic Jam” simply check the box on the enclosed reply card or contact Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or Shilbrands@gbcol.edu – or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/gbc
This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.
