Your Will Doesn’t Decide Who Gets Your Money + Give More to Charity & Pay Less in Taxes

In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris tackles two of the most misunderstood—and most impactful—areas of financial and estate planning.

First, Joel breaks down a common myth: your will does not control where most of your money goes. Instead, beneficiary designations quietly determine who inherits retirement accounts, life insurance, annuities, and many investment and bank accounts. With trillions of dollars passing outside of wills every year, Joel explains why outdated or overlooked beneficiary forms can create costly mistakes—and what simple steps you can take today to make sure your assets end up exactly where you intend.

Next, Joel dives into one of his favorite planning strategies: Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). If you’re charitably inclined and over age 70½, this powerful tool allows you to support causes you care about while significantly reducing your tax burden. Joel walks through how QCDs work, the rules you must follow, common pitfalls to avoid, and why they can be far more tax‑efficient than writing a check—especially when it comes to required minimum distributions, Medicare premiums, and Social Security taxation.

Along the way, Joel also shares timely market perspective during earnings season, highlights the importance of staying organized with financial documents, and explains how thoughtful planning can reduce stress, cost, and conflict for the people you love.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your estate plan is really doing what you think it is—or how to give charitably in the most tax‑smart way—this episode is packed with practical insights you won’t want to miss.


💵 About Dollars & Sense: 💵
Hosted by Joel Garris, a Certified Financial Planner and Fiduciary at Nelson Financial Planning, Dollars & Sense is one of Central Florida’s longest-running radio programs and a top 25 financial planning podcast. Each week, Joel and his team provide expert insights to help you make sense of all your financial decisions.

👉 Visit our website: nelsonfinancialplanning.com for more resources and to connect with our team of Certified Financial Fiduciaries.

About Joel Garris:
Joel Garris is a Certified Financial Planner and Fiduciary at Nelson Financial Planning. He’s dedicated to providing comprehensive financial advice to help you achieve your retirement goals. With a team of expert advisors, Nelson Financial Planning is committed to delivering personalized and effective retirement and financial planning solutions.

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