
You Live Once but Die Twice: Don’t Be Forgotten
THE ACCIDENTAL PHILANTHROPIST® – MARK HALPERN By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P James Bond fans will remember that he faked his own death in the 1967 film You Only Live Twice. Of course, we all know (until further notice) that everyone lives but once. However, few people realize that …

Strategic Philanthropy: Help Donors Drop the Baggage
By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P I recently met with a successful family in the process of developing a succession plan to transition wealth to the second and third generations. Three potential scenarios were presented to them: Do an estate freeze and use cash on hand to pay tax bill …

The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
THE ACCIDENTAL PHILANTHROPIST® – MARK HALPERN Bad News for Canadian Philanthropy Starting in 2024 By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P Most Canadians still use cash, cheques and credit cards to make charitable donations. There are many better ways. One is to donate in-kind non-registered appreciated securities, such as stocks, …

Strategic Philanthropy: Using Life Insurance Just Got Easier
The Accidental Philanthropist – Mark Halpern By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P Strategic Philanthropy and the use of Life Insurance has been spoken about for a very long time, but it remains a narrow niche within the financial planning community. Accountants, lawyers, insurance advisors and estate planning professionals have set …

The Philanthropic Powers Of Life Insurance
The Accidental Philanthropist – Mark Halpern By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P In my 31 years of professional practice, I’ve had the good fortune of helping many successful business owners, entrepreneurs, incorporated professionals, and affluent families. A lot of my work has involved collaborating with their allied professionals specializing in …

Philanthropic New Year’s Resolutions
The Accidental Philanthropist – Mark Halpern By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P As a new year approaches, people often rush to make charitable donations to get a donation receipt that can be applied against 2022 taxes due. However, reaching for your chequebook or credit card to make last-minute donations …

Little Known Strategies for Charitable Giving
THE ACCIDENTAL PHILANTHROPIST By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P By any measure, we live in an age of instant information. The answers to many of life’s questions are just a Google query away. You probably have a smartphone or computer within arm’s reach. Correction: I meant to say “disinformation”. Much …

Mix It Up: Blended Charitable Gifts
The Accidental Philanthropist – Mark Halpern By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P Philanthropy is very important to me, personally and professionally. The Hebrew word tzedakah is part of our DNA at WEALTHinsurance.com. Often translated as “charity,” it more accurately reflects “righteousness” and “justice.” I believe that when we’re successful, …

Is Strategic Philanthropy Part of Your Major Donors’ Estate Planning?
The Accidental Philanthropist – Mark Halpern Five ways affluent families use Life Insurance to preserve wealth and create enduring charitable legacies By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P I recently moderated a panel discussion about insurance strategies at the 3rd annual Northwind Institute High Net Worth forum at beautiful …

Eat your cake. And donate it too!
By Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P There are many ways to mix and match insurance products to meet your financial planning needs. Today, I’d like to introduce you to one that lets you enjoy relatively high levels of guaranteed income for life and leave a meaningful bequest to your favourite …