The Coordinated Planning Glossary
Clarity for Your Financial Journey
Every specialized field has its own "lingo" - a set of terms and acronyms that can often make simple concepts feel unnecessarily complex. Financial planning is no different, particularly when navigating the intersection of investments, tax strategies, and estate management.
We believe that clarity is the foundation of a successful partnership. The glossary below is designed to be your field guide to the common terms used by our advisors, in our reports, and across the financial industry. Whether you’ve clicked a link from one of our service pages or are simply looking to sharpen your financial literacy, you can use the sections below to find straightforward definitions for the language of wealth management.
B:
Bunching
Bunching is used to exceed the Standard Deduction in one year. You can prepay other itemized expenses and lump more than one year of charitable donations into one tax year.
D:
Donor Advised Fund
This is a Charitable intermediary. Growth and Income in these accounts are not taxable, They simplify record keeping, allow for anonymous gifts and for legacy gifts.
P:
Private Foundations:
A private foundation is usually:
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Funded by one person, family, or company
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Controlled by a small group of insiders
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Often makes grants to public charities and, in some cases, to individuals (subject to strict rules), rather than operating broad public programs
Most are classified as 501(c)(3) organizations, but not all 501(c)(3)s are private foundations.
Q:
Quality Charitable Distribution (QCD)
A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is an IRA distribution paid directly to an eligible public charity. It can count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), and the amount transferred is generally excluded from taxable income. Annual limits apply (for 2026, the limit is $111,000 per person, indexed for inflation). Not all recipients qualify (for example, donor-advised funds and most private foundations generally do not qualify for QCDs).
T:
Tax Deductible Charity
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Look for “501(c)(3)” status
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Legit tax-deductible charities usually say this clearly on their website or donation page.
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Use the IRS search tool
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Search the organization in the IRS “Tax Exempt Organization Search.” If it’s listed and eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, you’re good.
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Check your receipt
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A proper receipt should include:
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Charity’s legal name
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Statement that it’s a 501(c)(3) organization
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Amount donated
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Note saying whether you received anything in return (important for deductions)
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