Feng Shui Your Financial House

Revisit Your Charitable Giving in Time for the New Year

Generosity, whether spontaneous or planned, is good for the soul

Today’s financial Feng Shui task: Check-in on your charitable giving.

Look up the donations you’ve made this year so far.

Have you forgotten a cause? Are you over or under where you expected?

What do you want to do next year?

Give a percentage of your gross income? Give a fixed dollar amount? Respond to solicitations as you get them? Or choose your charities and amounts in advance? Give in one lump sum at year-end or make recurring donations?

There are no right or wrong answers; just deciding what would bring you the most joy to give away.

Being generous is good medicine for the soul.

Pro tip: If you’re trying to decide between two charities and live in the U.S., google their Form 990s (financial info filed with the IRS). Other useful sources of information include charitynavigator.org and givewell.org. Fidelity also offers useful information on how to evaluate charities.

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