In This Issue

1. Community Spotlight: The causes our team is giving back to
2. Wine & Wealth: An evening of connection and what truly matters 
3. Planning Corner: How QCDs help you give more effectively at age 73+

The Community Spotlight: The causes our team is giving back to

This season of gratitude highlights the many ways we can support others—whether close to home or in places that have shaped us. Our team’s charitable work spans local food banks, community-driven giving circles, health-focused nonprofits, and even international relief efforts tied to personal experiences.

Together, they reflect the heart of Thanksgiving: caring for others in meaningful ways.

	James Sambold, Portsmouth, NH - Fighting Food Insecurity Across the U.S., 1 in 9 adults and 1 in 7 children face food insecurity. For over 20 years, James has been involved in 3–5 annual events supporting soup kitchens, food pantries, and the New Hampshire Food Bank — cooking, serving, fundraising, and helping ensure families have access to nutritious meals.
	Tammy STOERKEL, Traverse City, MI - Helping CLose to home As a founding board member of Impact Traverse City, Tammy has helped award more than $2.8 million to local nonprofits since 2017. Her passion is keeping charitable dollars local to drive real, visible change in the five-county area she grew up in — while building deep connections with community members and nonprofit leaders along the way.

Peter kalianiotis, Dedham, MA - Health & Healing Peter gives to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the American Stroke Foundation — two causes that reflect both compassion for families navigating medical crises and personal connection as his wife is a stroke survivor.

Bonnie Barley, Traverse City, MI -  Relief for Jamaica’s Hardest-Hit Communities  Bonnie supports the Issa Trust Foundation in Jamaica, where Hurricane Melissa recently devastated local communities. After participating in medical missions for a decade, she’s seen firsthand the resilience and kindness of the people there. Donations are currently being matched up to $100,000 to support families who have lost everything.

Wine & Wealth: An evening of connection and what truly matters 

Conversation, Community, and What Really Matters

Thank you to everyone who joined us for A Toast to Wine & Wealth, an evening that blended Ashley Cotler’s wine community with her wealth management community — and brought forward the heart of what true wealth really means.

Ashley shared how life’s uncomfortable moments often shape us more than the moments we plan for. Real wealth, she reminded us, is found not in numbers on a page but in the people who walk with us through each chapter.

We’re grateful to Jim Bode, Angel Costanza, and our team for helping bring the night to life, and to Wineaux for creating such a warm atmosphere. From conversations that filled the room to new friendships formed, it was an evening that captured our values: planning with intention, living with purpose, and celebrating community.

→ View the event highlights

Planning Corner: How QCDs help you give more effectively at age 73+

Meg Curry, CFP® Director of Financial Planning

Karen O'Dono, CFP® Sr. Client Advisor

Are you taking advantage of a unique tax benefit if you are 73 or older with retirement accounts? 

Once you reach age 73, you have annual Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) that you must distribute from your IRAs. This money must be withdrawn from your account and taxes must be paid on the amount withdrawn. However, there is a way to meet your RMD but not have that money be subject to taxation.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) became a permanent feature of the tax code 10 years ago. This feature gives you the opportunity to send money directly to a 501(c) 3 organization from your IRA. The withdrawal will help you to satisfy your RMD. However, when filing your tax return, you then designate that amount as having been a QCD, so it will not be subject to taxes.

The benefit of doing this is it lowers your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) which is a factor in calculating your Medicare premiums. Plus, with the higher standard deduction we have at the Federal level, most people no longer itemize deductions. So, your charitable contributions do not provide any tax benefits. We know that your charitable contributions aren’t likely driven by the tax benefits, but why not take advantage of this?

Please reach out to your advisor if you'd like to explore whether QCDs make sense for your situation. 

A Final Thought

As November brings gratitude, gathering, and the chance to give back, we’re reminded that the impact we make often begins with small choices—showing up for our communities, acting with intention, and caring for the people around us. Whether you’re supporting a cause close to your heart, sharing meaningful conversations over the holidays, or planning ahead for the year to come, your actions create ripples that matter.

At Beck Bode, we believe that thoughtful planning extends far beyond finances. It’s about living with purpose, leading with compassion, and building a life that reflects what you value most.

Wishing you and your family a warm, meaningful Thanksgiving season.

The Beck Bode Team