fortune cookie

“Most of us have heard the quote from Benjamin Franklin, ‘In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.’” No one actually enjoys paying taxes, and few of us really want to think about our own death, but both require advance planning and careful consideration, advises Ohio’s Country Journal in the article “Death and […]

printing calculator

“Earlier this year, the IRS lowered the underpayment penalty threshold from 90% to 80% to help taxpayers who didn’t have enough tax withheld from their paychecks in 2018 or didn’t pay enough in estimated taxes last year.” With the lowering of the underpayment penalty threshold, taxpayers could avoid the penalty this past filing season, if […]

senior couple talking

“Particularly if you’re 65 or older, you may have recently been asked by your financial advisor, custodian or brokerage firm, if you would like to add a trusted contact person to your account.” Dramatically increased instances of elder financial abuse are behind a new question asked of seniors by their advisors these days: do you […]

miniature woman standing over a pile of coins

“Roth IRAs are powerful and flexible financial planning tools. They are also complex. As a result, many people aren’t familiar with all aspects of a Roth IRA.” There is a lot that most people don’t know about Roth IRAs, as detailed in the article “9 Surprising Facts About Roth IRAs” from the balance. Some of […]

doctor with female patient

“The best way to ensure that they know and understand your wishes, is to take a copy of your health care proxy with you to your next check up and talk to your physician about it, then ask them to keep the copy on file.” Everyone needs to have an annual checkup, taking stock of […]

Holding Hands with Elderly Patient

“In addition to the assault on the resident’s dignity and the administration of drugs without informed consent, the misuse of anti-psychotic drugs can kill a senior, particularly one who suffers from dementia.” Nursing homes are supposed to administer prescribed medications to residents. Appropriate use of these substances can treat illness and improve the quality of […]

Holding Hands with Elderly Patient

“The fact many people need both types of services, home care and home health, contributes to the confusion.” Many people use the terms “home care” and “home health” interchangeably, which can cause confusion when you try to find funding for these services. This article will try to help you understand the difference between home health […]

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“Sometimes the persons involved either die simultaneously, i.e., too close in time to determine clearly who survived the other or die very close in time to each other.” There are any number of ways a person can inherit assets from another person. They may inherit assets from a trust, through a will or as a […]

Senior Woman Blowing Kisses

“Retirement coach Sara Zeff Geber visited several Northern California assisted living facilities to interview ‘solo agers’—people, either single or coupled, who don’t have children to help them as they grow older.” She was a bit surprised when she couldn’t find any. She then realized that it’s the adult children who push their aging parents into […]

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“In their trust they leave each other their share upon death and then I would be trustee when my last parent dies. I’m really concerned about this whole deal.” A son has contacted an elder law estate planning attorney now that mom is in a nursing home and he’s unsure about many of the planning […]