Gift Early and Often

Most clients start thinking about gifting around December 28… right after they “start thinking about going to the gym in January.”

But a recent piece from Northern Trust makes a good point: gifting earlier in the year can move more appreciation out of your estate—simply because the clock starts sooner.

Example: In 2026, the annual exclusion is $19,000 per donor, per recipient (so $38,000 for a married couple).If you and your spouse gift your child $38,000 of Apple Inc. stock on January 1, and it grows 5% pre-tax, it’s worth $39,900 by year-end. Do that annually for 10 years, and “January-you” creates roughly $24k–$25k more appreciation than “December-you.” (Compound interest is annoyingly consistent.)

Yes, markets also go down so this plan is not without risk. But this has definitely challenged my default “year-end gifting scramble” mindset.