Retirement Assets and Account Designations
Make a Gift in 3 Easy Steps
A popular way of giving to USC is through a beneficiary designation, which is simple and allows for maximum flexibility. You may make USC a beneficiary on the following accounts:
- IRAs and retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
- Commercial annuities
It only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. Here's how to name University of Southern California as a beneficiary:
- Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
- Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
- Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.
See How It Works
How It Works
Robert and Carol treasure the financial help they've been able to give their children and USC over the years. The couple recently updated their will to leave stocks and real estate to their kids. They left USC a $75,000 IRA to be transferred following their lifetime. Because USC is tax-exempt, all $75,000 will help support our mission.
If Robert and Carol had left the IRA to their children, approximately $18,000* would have gone to pay federal income taxes—leaving only $57,000 for their family's use. Robert and Carol are happy knowing they are making the most of their hard-earned money thanks to their updated estate plan.
*Based on an assumption of a 24 percent marginal income tax bracket.
Fund Your Gift With:
Learn More
Download our complimentary guide Beneficiary Designations: The 3 Easiest Ways to Leave Your Legacy.
View My GuideGifts That Pay
Your payments depend on your age at the time of your gift. If you are younger than 60, we recommend that you learn more about your options and download this complimentary guide Plan for Retirement With a Deferred Gift Annuity.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.