People put off thinking about or planning to apply for Medicaid because there is nothing pleasant about it, from coming to terms with being ill and impoverished to sharing a nursing home room with a stranger, according to USA Today in "Navigating Medicaid for elder care can be as painful…
A will is the best known estate planning document; it provides instructions about how to distribute your assets after death. There are many different kinds of trusts, and whether you need one or more than one is best determined with the help of an experienced estate planning attorney. There is…
Reality kicks in when the year or actual date of your retirement is around the corner and you realize that your retirement finances aren't what you had thought they would be. For many, this means their retirement includes part time employment or not retiring at all. Harsh lessons, which can…
Throw open your windows, put the screens back in and get ready for more outdoor time, whether that means gardening or walks in the park. While you are at it, refresh your estate plan. If it has been three years or more since you last had it reviewed, it is…
More times than one would think, the very wealthy start the process of working with an estate planning attorney, discussing the plan and figuring out how to achieve specific goals. But many stop short of actually executing the plan. What leads this to happen? In an attempt to understand why…
In "3 ways to choose the right life insurance plan," the New York Daily News invites readers to consider how their lives have changed over the decades, and how their insurance should change too. Young adults have some pretty straightforward insurance needs like obtaining insurance for their first car, insuring…
Perhaps the most important thing to do when you inherit an IRA is your homework. Start by finding out exactly the type of IRA you have inherited, and then find out what kind of beneficiary you are. USA Today's article, "If you inherit an IRA, make a plan before doing…
Estate planning for the owner of a family business is more complex and requires more thought than estate planning for an employee who owns a home and investment accounts. In "Five things you should know about estate planning for a family-owned business," Smart Business points out, in five broad strokes,…
When you live on a fixed income, any increases in your living costs present a huge challenge. For Manny Martinez, whose sole income is his monthly Social Security check, even living in rent-controlled senior housing doesn't protect him from being squeezed when costs go up. There are months when he…
In the absence of proper estate planning, medical care decisions can be delayed and families may face expensive and unnecessary costs. Think of your estate planning as a gift you can provide for your loved ones that will let them know you were thinking of them after you have passed.…