by Christine | May 31, 2013 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Medi-Cal Long Term Care, Medicaid, Medicare |
Promissory notes can be a valuable tool in Medicaid planning, as illustrated by a recent federal district court case. When it comes to ensuring proper care for your elderly loved ones, Medicaid (called "Medi-Cal in California) can mean a world of difference …...
by Christine | May 30, 2013 | Annuity, Elder Law, Estate Law, LIfe Insurance, Retirement |
"Often times these products are sold based on the moment in time," said Richard Coppa, managing director of Wealth Health, a financial advisory firm. "A couple of years ago, they were sold on guaranteed returns of 6 or 7 percent because people were so...
by Christine | May 29, 2013 | Elder Law, Estate Planning |
People are calling "family meetings" nowadays not only to deal with their parents' health issues but increasingly to sort out their finances as well. No communication is bad communication. So regardless of how hard certain "talks" can be, there...
by Christine | May 28, 2013 | Estate Law, Estate Planning |
This post concerns potential estate tax saving from establishing a separate revocable trust for each spouse and dividing the marital estate between the two trusts. What is a "unified credit" and how does it affect your estate plans? Forbes recently shed some...
by Christine | May 28, 2013 | Divorce, Elder Law, Marriage, Social Security |
Robin Brewton, who advises clients on Social Security benefit strategies, has boosted retirees' financial security with a single question: Are you divorced? There are several new challenges today’s retiring generation is facing, with the volatility of Congress and...
by Christine | May 24, 2013 | Estate Tax, Inheritance Tax |
Even if death and taxes are the only things certain in life, state legislators say they can never be certain about death taxes. The fiscal cliff-bridging budget set and made “permanent” the estate tax at a generous $5.25 million exemption amount. Good news, right? But...
by Christine | May 23, 2013 | Estate Law, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Inheritance, IRA Rollover |
John and Sue were both 75 years old last year. They both took their RMDs for the year. John died early in December. Sue was his beneficiary. She rolled his IRA into her own IRA in January. The question was – “What is Sue’s RMD for this year?" The different ways...
by Christine | May 22, 2013 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning |
“To the extent that there is a disconnect between parents and their grown children on these financial topics, our data show that families can look to mom to help bridge that gap,” says Lauren Brouhard, senior vice president of retirement in Fidelity’s Personal...
by Christine | May 21, 2013 | Elder Care, Hospice |
"The effect is very negative for end-of-life care in the country. The way hospice is designed now may have worked fine 30 years ago, but it doesn’t work now and we need to think about alternatives." U.S. health care has been in flux since 2010, with many...
by Christine | May 20, 2013 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Tax Law |
There was no contract, no invoice, and no evidence the family agreed to pay him anything. Sure, Anthony gave round-the-clock care. The family would have hired round-the-clock nurses if he hadn’t been there. If you find yourself taking on the responsibility of a...
