August 20, 2013
Michael Mariani '75L has always loved the law. From his earliest position as a Law Secretary to the Surrogate in Rockland County, N.Y., to his current role as Deputy General Trust Counsel at Fiduciary Trust Company International, Michael has seen the legal system as the best way to make equitable decisions on important matters involving people from all walks of life.
"I handle legal matters in which clients with significant estates are involved," he says. "I provide advice internally to our company as well as to outside counsel on matters that arise on a day-to-day basis, such as whether we can make the distribution to a beneficiary, what type of estate planning documents a client needs or whether we accept a particular type of business. People's lives are impacted by whatever we decide, and I take that responsibility very seriously."
As a specialist in Pre- and Post-Mortem Estate Planning, Michael knows the importance of making wise decisions about what will happen to your assets after your death. He is well aware that while thinking about our mortality may be uncomfortable, postponing such decisions may mean that individuals will have little choice regarding the ultimate distribution of assets, and their estate may be diminished because of the taxes that are paid.
"One way of reducing your overall estate tax obligation would be to leave assets to a recognized charity like St. John's University," he says. "If you can afford to do it during your lifetime, I think the benefit is that you're able to see your money being put to good use while you're still alive, rather than waiting until after you die. It's good to do it at either time, and I always encourage folks to make gifts during their lifetime, if they have sufficient resources to make the gift."
Michael believes that even if a person has never created an estate plan, it's a simple matter to consult a professional and take the necessary steps to be certain that his or her assets will be put to good use in the future.
"Gift and estate planning is important to everyone, regardless of their age," he notes. "Providing a gift to St. John's is, for many people, a matter of giving back and an absolute good way of saying thank you for what was done for us. We only have a short period of time on earth, so why not make the best of it and do some good for others?"
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Contact Susan Damiani at 718-990-7562 or [email protected] to learn about giving back to St. John's University by including a gift in your estate plans.