Monthly Tips
October 2025
TIP 1 International Day for Older People
Most observance days are nation specific; however older adults have great importance in every community, and in 1990 the U.N. designated October 1st as the International Day of Older Persons. The background is available on their website here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day
Quick stats from their page: “The number of older people (defined as those aged 65 years or older) tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021. Between 2021 and 2050, the global share of the older population is projected to increase from less than 10% to around 17%.”
This day should promote awareness of how we can preserve older adults’ rights and dignity. As we age, one of the important things we need to preserve our dignity are financial assets and people to help manage them properly. A little planning ahead can go a long way—for example, by making a living trust part of your estate plan and naming Garden State Trust Company as the trustee of your living trust. As trustee, we will step in and take care of the financial side of things should incapacity strike. Financials are only one issue that becomes more difficult for older persons, but it’s also one that has an industry established to help with it.
https://gstrustco.com/solutions-services/boomers-beyond/
TIP 2 State Probate Laws
With the passage of the legislation that made the federal estate tax exemption permanent at $15 million earlier this year (up to $30 million with portability for a married couple), there is only a very small number of taxpayers who need to plan for federal estate taxes moving forward.
However, that doesn’t mean that estate planning isn’t worthwhile or that everyone below that threshold is off the hook completely. In both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, a state inheritance tax is due as well. The tax rates are not only based on how much money is being passed on, but who it is being passed on too as well. Read more in our latest blog: The Federal Estate Tax Exemption Doesn’t Help With State Inheritance Taxes
https://gstrustco.com/assets/gtsc-tax-facts-2025.pdf
TIP 3 Porch Decorating
Along with crisp mornings and changing leaves comes another autumnal tradition: Halloween decorations. While some relish the opportunity to show off their macabre designs and ghostly creations, others have found that moving heavy pumpkins and tackling a multitude of spooky trimmings has become too much of a chore. The good news is that – like many other things in the modern world – Halloween decorating can be outsourced. Specialized companies are cropping up that will deliver pumpkins to your door and create a Halloween display to your liking, and some even offer a subscription service to redecorate your porch as the seasons change.
Just like Halloween decorations, you can also outsource financial responsibilities. Garden State Trust Company offers trust services that could help you offload minor financial hassles like bill-paying, tracking expenses, reconciling bank accounts, and organizing tax documents when the burden feels like it’s become too great.
https://gstrustco.com/solutions-services/trustee-services/
TIP 4 Halloween
Candy corn is back, just in time for Halloween. Stump your friends with this trivia about Candy corn from the University of Georgia.
Question: What was candy corn originally called?
Answer: “Chicken feed,” as chickens are primarily fed corn as part of their diet.
Question: How much candy corn is produced each year?
Answer: 17,000 tons! That’s also 34 million pounds, and if there are approximately 250 candy corns in a pound then that’s over eight billion candy corns.
Trick Question: What does candy corn taste like?
Answer: Technically speaking it’s buttercream, which is a mix of sugar, butter, vanilla, and honey.
Regardless of which candy is your favorite for Halloween, we hope you have a wonderful and safe event.
