Stillwater is a very generous community for which charities and local organizations, like the Stillwater Public Library, are grateful. This past year, following the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, both nonprofits and tax payers have been concerned about how the act will affect charitable giving and individual taxes.

For retirees, who may make charitable giving part of their retirement plans, or for those who would like to start taking advantage of the financial benefits of giving, an upcoming program from the Oklahoma State University Emeriti Association may have the answers.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, Dimas Nunez, Senior Advanced Markets Field Director of Ameritas Life Insurance Company and Ray E. Smith, Jr. of Ray Smith Wealth Management will be discussing Charitable Gift Annuities and Qualified Charitable Distributions at “Making the Most of Retirement.” The program begins at 1:30 p.m. and is held at the library.

According to Nunez, retirees who attend the program will also leave knowing how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 impacts their finances and where charitable deductions are going forward.

“Retirees may be seeking additional tax deductions post Tax Cuts and Job Act enactment,” Nunez said. “This workshop will present ideas for retirees to address their Required Minimum Distributions, sale of appreciated assets and various strategies for reducing income.”

Nunez and Smith understand that charitable planning ideas can be daunting, and they plan to make the topic as easy to understand as possible.

“The workshop will be in ‘plain English,’ Smith said. “We hope the presentation will benefit our retiree population.”  

Smith, whose business is based in Stillwater, has been a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) since 1980 and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) since 1983.  He holds a life, health and variable annuity license in the state of Oklahoma and other states, and a Series 7, 63 and 65 securities registration.

Smith has twice served as President of Stillwater’s National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAIFA), served as the President of NAIFA-Oklahoma and has served as a State National Committee Person.

Dimas earned his B.S. from the University of Colorado at Denver and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado School of Law.

In his current position, Nunez’s primary role is to work closely with the 35 Elite Producers of Ameritas Life Insurance Company in the areas of non-qualified advanced planning opportunities, such as executive compensation planning, estate planning, business succession planning, charitable giving and charitable estate planning.

 “Making the Most of Retirement” addresses topics of interest to retirees and those who are nearing retirement. The programs are free and open to retirees and to those nearing retirement.

The next program takes places on Oct. 17 and is a moderated discussion group on estate planning tips.

For more information on “Making the Most of Retirement,” visit https://retiredinstillwater.wordpress.com or contact the library Help Desk at 405.372.3633 x8106 or askalibrarian@stillwater.org.

The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. (the corner of Duck and 12th Ave.).  Visit the library online at http://library.stillwater.org.