Throughout 2022, as the seemingly endless rush of headlines indicated, the Federal Reserve raised the Federal Funds Rate by approximately 4.25%, from a .25% rate in March 2022 to a 4.5% rate at the end of the year, the fastest pace of rate increases in U.S. history. In the low-interest rate environment of the last 15 or so years, low-rate interest driven transactions employed by high net worth individuals were extremely effective in planning, which includes charitable planning. While such planning should and will continue, given how significantly interest rates in the U.S. have recently risen and could continue to rise in 2023, charitably inclined clients should consider the effect these rate increases will have on such charitable planning techniques. This article explores the impact of rising interest rates on two common charitable trust structures, Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) and Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs).

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