Tower Topics ~ Summer 2001

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Website assists with estate planning

More than 50 percent of Americans die without a will, and that is a shame, says Brother Mark Kosiba, Conception Abbey’s director of planned and major gifts.

“In essence, if you don’t have a good estate plan in place, the state will write your will,” he says.

Conception Abbey hopes to help remedy this with “Ways to Give,” an Internet website providing resources and advice on estate planning. It can be accessed at Conception Abbey’s website, www.conceptionabbey.org/gifts.htm.

Updated monthly, “Ways to Give” provides profiles of various estate planning options, including annuities, trusts, scholarships, bequests and cash gifts. The site also includes access to the Abbey’s popular Blessings honor/memorial program as well as a vast library of investment resources and articles, links to financial news, an online planned giving calculator and information on more healthy living.

“This site is concise, up to date with current tax laws, and easy to read,” says Conception Development Director Tim Stransky. “It’s a total package. Our hope is that people will use it to do the necessary research and preparation before meeting with their attorney to plan their estate.”

While Conception Abbey’s service to the Church relies on gifts from friends and benefactors, Brother Mark stresses that Ways to Give is much more than a fund-raising site.

“We want to be of service to people, whether they give to us or not,” he says. “It’s in my nature and my training to want to see people get good estate plans in place. I find that people really want to give back for all that God has given them. They feel an accountability to God and a desire to perpetuate their beliefs and values. A well thought out estate plan is the best way to accomplish that.”

For those in need of further assistance, Brother Mark, a 33-year veteran of planned giving and estate planning, is available for personal consultations. But his initial advice is do the research and talk to loved ones. “Communication,” he says, “is a big component in estate planning.”

The main things is to get started.

“Taking that first step of deciding to write a will is often the hardest step for people,” Brother Mark says. “But once they do, many people tell me they sleep better at night. They feel good about themselves. A lot of the pressure is relieved.”

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