Charitable Remainder Trusts
A charitable remainder trust can provide you and your spouse with income for life, or for a specified term of years, while providing you with a charitable income tax deduction. If the trust is funded with appreciated securities, capital gains taxes can be avoided as well.

You also have the option of establishing and naming an endowed fund to benefit a department or program of your preference at the University of Hartford.

At the time of the trust's termination, the remaining principal becomes part of the University of Hartford's endowment. Charitable remainder trusts offer the greatest flexibility of all the different types of planned gifts. By clicking on this Gift Calculator link, you can experiment with the amount of the gift, the ages of the beneficiaries, and the terms of the trust, including the payout rate. Please note that the calculator will not allow you to successfully enter a gift plan scenario that is not in compliance with federal law or the university's planned gift acceptance policy.

As a general rule of thumb, charitable remainder trusts pay no less than 5% of their principal's valuation. Annuity trusts pay a fixed amount based on a percentage of the trust's original value on the date of gift, while unitrusts pay an annual percentage of the trust principal's periodic valuation. Subsequent gifts can be made only to a unitrust.

The chief benefits include:

• Income for lifetime(s) or a term of years to one or more beneficiaries;
• Increased income on low-yielding assets;
• A substantial charitable income tax deduction;
• Capital gains tax avoidance on the transfer of appreciated securities or real estate;
• Reduced federal estate taxes;
• The opportunity to establish an endowed fund at the University of Hartford or to provide a substantial benefit to the University of Hartford upon termination of the trust.

Please follow this link to return to Charitable Lead Trusts.

For more information on Planned Giving, contact Peter Congleton at 860.768.2415 or congleton@hartford.edu


Please note that the University of Hartford does not provide tax or legal advice. Gift calculations may be provided for illustrative purposes only, and the actual values may vary based on the timing and nature of your gift. Advice from legal and tax counsel should be sought when considering a charitable gift of any kind.