Creating an estate plan is an important step in protecting your loved ones and ensuring that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. Unfortunately, scammers know that people who want to safeguard their estates are often willing to act quickly.
Even a carefully drafted estate plan can be...
One of the greatest concerns for the elderly we serve and their families is that of long term care. Two-thirds of seniors will need care at some point in their life and many have not planned for this likelihood. It is an emotional and unpleasant topic to broach, but helping those we serve to...
An earlier issue addressed social security benefits generally and when to apply. In this issue, we will address the critical yet often-misunderstood topic of Social Security survivor benefits. This e-newsletter is based in part upon an article by Frank Rainaldi and William Rainaldi, first published in Trusts & Estates magazine and available on WealthManagement.com.
Survivors...
Late in 2014, the ABLE (“Achieving a Better Life Experience”) Act was signed into law. The law is aimed at achieving a manner in which those with special needs can save money without losing needs based public benefits such as SSI or Medicaid . This is an important issue and, perhaps the greatest accomplishment...
People often wonder about the value of using irrevocable trusts in Medicaid planning. Certainly gifting of assets can be done outright, not involving an irrevocable trust. Outright gifts have the advantages of being simple to do with minimal costs involved, including the cost of preparing and recording deeds and the cost of preparing and...
Introduction
Most Americans do not know, or refuse to accept, the facts surrounding their potential need for long-term care and the costs associated with it. This was reconfirmed recently in a telephone survey of 1,735 Americans over the age of 40, funded by the SCAN Foundation and conducted by the Associated Press...The benefits of a highly detailed, comprehensive power of attorney are numerous. Unfortunately, many powers of attorney are more general in nature and can actually cause more problems than they solve, especially for our senior population. This issue highlights the benefits of a comprehensive, detailed power of attorney, including some of the provisions that...
No one likes to think about the possibility of their own disability or the disability of a loved one. However, as we'll see below, the statistics are clear that we should all plan for at least a temporary disability. This issue of The ElderCounselorTM examines the eye-opening statistics surrounding disability and some of the...
