Todd L. Rust

So, in September, when Congress passed the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act, it provided a way for other charities to get some assistance, Todd Rust, a financial consultant with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons Inc., said Tuesday.

"They created enhanced benefits for all charitable deductions," he said.

Basically, Rust said, the bill allows people to give up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income to charity -- and deduct it all from their taxes.

Donations have to be in cash, which includes credit cards, debit cards and checks.

In the past, Rust said, the contribution level was capped at 50 percent of adjusted gross income.

"It could potentially wipe out someone's tax liability," he said.

-- Todd L. Rust, a financial consultant with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons Inc., recently was certified as a chartered wealth adviser.To attain this designation, Rust completed courses from the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute of Michigan State University.

Todd L. Rust, financial consultant and chartered wealth adviser with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons has become an accredited asset management specialist by the College for Financial Planning, Denver.