'Tis the season of giving. Here’s what to do before making a charitable donation

'Tis the season of giving. Here's what to do before making a charitable donation  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE WED, DEC 02, 2020 YOUR WEALTH Editor's Note It's been a surreal year and many of us are now feeling that it's time to make a positive difference for those in need. With that said, you want to donate money to a cause you care about and you want to make sure that donation truly counts. That's great stuff. However, the sad truth is that not all charities are created equal. With social media part of our daily lives, it is inevitable that we will be hit by some charitable scam. Many scammers use social media to pretend that they are acting on behalf of a well-known charity. Others will use some heart-breaking tragedy to create phony websites and seek contributions that will never make it to those who actually need the money. Before you make that donation, do some research to make sure a charity is reputable and uses its donations responsibly. You should know, for example, exactly how much of your donation goes to the program you want to support. Don't donate until you're sure it will make a difference. There are some things you can do to make sure your donations get where they'll do good — and help you avoid donating to a scam. The Federal Trade Commission recommends you check out the charity's website and also see what your state's charity regulator has to say about the charity. Look it up at nasconet.org. The FTC also suggests you use one of these organizations to help you research charities: BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, CharityWatch and GuideStar. Take these steps to find a charity that aligns with your goals and makes effective use of donor money. By doing this, you can give confidently, knowing that your donation is going to a worthy cause. For more cool stuff like this, please follow me on Twitter @jimpavia and check out CNBC's Financial Advisor Hub and CNBC + Acorns Invest in You: Ready. Set. Grow. Jim Pavia @JIMPAVIA 'Tis the season of giving. Here's what to do before making a charitable donation While the need for assistance is tremendous amid the pandemic, it's important to do your due diligence before writing a check. Got a scary letter from the IRS, threatening to seize your refund? How to proceed Some taxpayers are just now receiving a scary letter from the IRS: a warning the federal taxman will seize their state income tax refund. Here's what to do. Time is running out to make changes to your Medicare coverage for 2021. Here's why you should check your options Medicare's annual open enrollment period ends Dec. 7, which means you have a week left to check whether there's a better coverage option for 2021. Bitcoin hit the $19,800 mark. What the IRS wants to know about your holdings Whether you received some crypto this year or you decided to finally cash in your Bitcoin while it's high, you'll have to tell Uncle Sam next spring. Shareholders challenge the companies they invest in to promote good in the world Financial advisors, active asset owners and investment managers deploy shareholder advocacy to make corporations notice and respond to shareholder concerns. Wall Street's No. 1 small-cap strategist hasn't been this bullish in years, sees 12% gain in 2021 Jefferies estimates that small-cap benchmark Russell 2000 will rise more than 12% to at least 2,050 in 2021. For 42 million student loan borrowers, monthly payments will resume January The pause on student loan payments that started in March due to Covid-19 is set to end in December, meaning regular bills will resume for 42 million borrowers Federal Reserve says key bank lending rate will be phased out by June 2023 Banks should stop writing contracts using Libor by the end of 2021, after which the rate no longer will be published. Here's a decade-by-decade guide to retirement planning Hitting key milestones at early ages can get you in solid financial shape for retirement. Saving in 401(k) plans, and individual retirement accounts can help. 5 reasons why Bitcoin is going up "Call it the 'Respectability Rally'… A few reasons for Bitcoin's return to the record highs. It's about $18,500 as of this writing, matching the previous highs from 2017's original explosion ..." CONTRIBUTORS Sharon Epperson @sharon_epperson Josh Brown @ReformedBroker Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel   Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy CNBC Events   © 2020 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS