You can reap tax benefits from a Gift Annuity in four basic areas:

1. You can claim a charitable deduction for a portion of your gift on your income tax return in the year your gift is made.

2. A portion of the annuity payments you receive each year is not reported as income throughout the remainder of your life expectancy.

3. If you fund your Gift Annuity with assets like securities that have increased in value, only a portion of the capital gain is taxable. The taxable portion is allocated over your life expectancy starting when your annuity payments begin.

4. A Gift Annuity on your life is generally not considered a part of your taxable estate. When another person also receives benefit from a Gift Annuity, a portion of the value is included in your estate. However, in modest-sized estates, estate taxes are seldom a factor.

Furthermore, a Gift Annuity is not part of your probate estate, and therefore does not add to the expenses connected with settling your estate.

No. Your primary concern should be providing adequately for yourself and your loved ones, and making sure that your planning provides for the charitable causes you believe in. With any plan you need to stop and ask yourself a basic question, "What will provide me with peace of mind?" This question usually leads you back to those you love and what you value and believe in.

To figure your annuity benefit, follow these four steps:

Yes. Christ Temple stands behind your annuity, and we have never missed an annuity payment. And for your protection, we have placed ourselves under the same reporting responsibilities commercial insurance companies do. We handle your annuity carefully and confidentially.

No. Once you enter into a Gift Annuity, it cannot be altered by you or BGEA, For this reason, care should be taken to make sure you have other savings, assets, or income to meet emergency needs.

Once your Gift Annuity is issued, your benefit will never change. Additional Gift Annuities purchased over the years may pay higher annual rates because you will be older.

Any one or two people may be included in a Gift Annuity. However, a two-life annuity pays a lower rate.

Many people have adequate income now, from employment or other sources, but are concerned that they will need more income at retirement or some other future time. Deferring the time when payments begin may be the answer. In doing so, you receive a large charitable deduction in the year of the gift. You then designate a future date when you wish to begin receiving the annuity benefit, which would be larger than if you began receiving it immediately.