In this episode of Wealthyist podcast, host Brandon Lehman, director of Annex Private Client, discusses estate planning with a focus on inherited gold and jewelry. He is joined by Charlie Dixon, president of Schwanke Cash and Jewelers. Key points include:

Rising Gold Prices: With gold at $3,400 per ounce (up over $1,000 from last year), estates with gold jewelry or items are increasingly valuable, prompting heirs to consider their options.

Estate Planning Challenges: Inheriting valuable items like gold, watches, or jewelry requires tracking for estate planning, unlike less valuable items that are simply passed down.

Options for Inherited Jewelry:
Melting Gold: If the jewelry lacks sentimental value or isn't wearable, it can be melted for liquidity, especially with high gold prices.

Repurposing: High-quality gemstones (e.g., diamonds, rubies) can be reset into modern designs, preserving sentimental value while creating wearable pieces.

Appraisals: Schwanke Cash and Jewelers appraises inherited items to determine value, helping families decide what to keep, repurpose, or sell.

Thoughtful Process: Dixon emphasizes a strategic approach, encouraging clients to consider sentimental and practical factors rather than immediately melting down inherited gold.

Impact of High Gold Prices: While not aggressively advertising gold-buying services, Dixon notes that high prices may encourage people to liquidate gold from estates. However, it hasn't significantly affected their custom jewelry business, though they may use platinum (cheaper and scarcer) as an alternative.

Technology in Jewelry Design: Modern CAD (computer-aided design) streamlines jewelry creation, allowing faster production of custom pieces while maintaining artistic quality through hand-finishing.

Durability: Platinum is denser and heavier than gold, but both are soft. Eighteen-karat gold or platinum is preferred for jewelry durability over 24-karat gold, which is too soft.

Schwanke’s Role: As a 125-year-old, family-owned jeweler in Milwaukee, they offer in-house appraisals, design, and goldsmith services, assisting with the largest generational wealth transfer by helping families manage inherited jewelry.

The episode highlights the intersection of estate planning and jewelry, emphasizing thoughtful decision-making and modern technology in handling valuable inheritances.

In this episode of "Wealthyist," host Brian Lamborn, Senior Wealth Strategist at Annex Wealth Management, continues his discussion with Ryan Klund from the National Christian Foundation (NCF) about charitable giving, focusing on donor-advised funds (DAFs) and their role in wealth planning.
The conversation contrasts DAFs with private foundations, particularly for successful business owners who value control. Ryan explains that private foundations offer significant control but come with administrative burdens and IRS rules, sometimes becoming overwhelming for heirs after the founder’s passing, leading some to roll assets into DAFs for simplicity. DAFs, as public charities, allow donors to direct grants while relinquishing legal ownership to NCF, balancing control with tax benefits.

Ryan highlights that many NCF clients, rooted in Christian values, view themselves as stewards of wealth, which tempers their need for absolute control. Beyond DAFs, NCF offers tools like complex asset giving (e.g., real estate, business interests) and impact investing, where charitable capital is invested in for-profit companies aligned with NCF’s mission, with returns recycled into the DAF for further granting. For those new to philanthropy, Ryan suggests starting by identifying passions and getting involved, noting that DAFs help organize giving—streamlining tax receipts for donors supporting multiple nonprofits (averaging 12–15 annually).

The discussion emphasizes generational wealth transfer, with DAFs serving as a tool to teach children about giving. Examples include grandparents involving grandkids in choosing charities or parents making heirs equal participants in DAF decisions to instill values. Ryan also underscores DAFs in estate planning, offering flexibility to adjust beneficiaries (e.g., updating charities without legal revisions) and reduce estate taxes by excluding charitable gifts.
Creative strategies include naming a DAF as an “additional child” to split inheritances with charity or setting up post-death grants to sustain giving for years. The episode wraps up with Ryan stressing the importance of modeling generosity to leave a legacy of values, not just wealth, and Brian thanking him for the insights. The podcast notes its content is educational, not formal advice, urging listeners to consult professionals.