Astute investments advance healthcare
Bill Pihl is retired chairman of PGR Solutions, following a successful career in retirement planning and actuarial consulting. Now as Senior Investment Advisor at Steadfast Financial Solutions, Bill provides financial counsel in the Valley. He is a past advisory board member for both the Charles Schwab Company and Fidelity Investments.
With a special interest in advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS, Bill and his wife Valerie are generous donors to HonorHealth Research Institute and are recognized as Lifetime Circle of Distinction Champions and Legacies of Distinction members. Bill joined the Foundation Trustee board in July.
As a financial consultant, Bill believes that it’s a good part of senior planning to consider the many options available. “As we gracefully move into old age, it gets a little harder to manage our own money and a Charitable Gift Annuity is a combination of some managed money and reliable income.”
Because Valerie’s brother died as a result of ALS, the Pihls have followed the advancements HonorHealth Research Institute has made in treatment options.
“When we got our tour of the research department and they talked about working on ALS and Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions, we thought ‘Oh Boy! We’ve gotta help out here.’’ said Valerie. “That’s very, very important to us that we do something to help people down the road with that disease.”
Because Valerie’s brother lost his battle with ALS at age 51, they wanted to help those with ALS. "Maybe this is a small step, that’s all,” Bill noted.
Their support for research and clinical advancements is part of the Pihls’ estate plan, which includes both a bequest and a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA). In a Charitable Gift Annuity, you transfer cash or property to HonorHealth Foundation and receive fixed payments for life for you and/or another annuitant (based on your age) at very competitive rates. You receive an immediate income tax deduction for the charitable gift portion of the annuity and payments may be partially tax-free. If you donate appreciated assets, you may also save capital gains tax. HonorHealth Foundation CGAs are administrated by Merrill Lynch.
“It’s interesting that people find it difficult to talk about their mortality,” says Valerie. “And you think: What is going to happen to our life’s work when we’re not here any longer? Somehow, the commitment we’ve made to HonorHealth Foundation has given me a great sense of peace. I feel so good about it because I know that every single penny is going to go to good.”
Bill and Valerie, thank you! Your philanthropic foresight has enabled HonorHealth to expand expert care, recruit and retain talented doctors and deliver meaningful patient services. It continues to fuel innovation that enriches future generations with greater health and well-being.