Money

How can we help seniors manage their finances? With these tips, seniors can manage their finances better. And if they ever need help, they can shift their financial management to someone they can trust. 1. Use direct deposit. First, use direct deposit for income form pensions, annuities, and Social Security benefits. Not only will this save a trip to the bank, it also avoids the risk of a paper check being stolen, lost, or forgotten. 2. Consolidate retirement accounts. Consolidating retirement accounts into fewer accounts may make it easier to evaluate and manage savings, as well as to take any minimum distributions that are required. Also, when moving money between retirement accounts, it’s a good idea to use a trustee-to-trustee transfer rather than moving the money yourself. 3. Consolidate financial accounts. It can…Read More

Are you a senior worried about identity theft? Or are you worried about a loved one with dementia becoming a victim of identity theft? Here are some tips on freezing someone’s credit. This is important if you’re trying to protect someone from elder abuse. What Does It Mean To Freeze Credit? A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. To Place Or Lift A Credit Freeze, You Must Contact Each Credit Bureau Separately. Equifax: equifax.com or 800-695-1111 Experian: experian.com or 888-397-3742 TransUnion: transunion.com or 888-909-8872 Once a credit freeze is in place, it secures your credit file until you lift the freeze. You can do that online, by phone, or by mail using the special PIN the companies give…Read More

There Is A Lot More Than Just Price That Goes Into Choosing Legal Documents Or The Lawyer That Will Help You When you’re comparing our fees to your other options, I encourage you to really understand what you are actually getting for that price. If you use an online form, you might actually cause your family a lot of headache and heartache down the road. So you want to find a lawyer that can draft you excellent legal documents in accordance with the state laws that captures everything that you want to see about how your assets go to your loved ones under what circumstances, who’s in charge. In My Office, We Create Relationships With My Clients Instead Of Just A Transaction That is because your estate planning should stay up to date…Read More

Start with reviewing the following documents at least once this year. 1. Estate Planning Documents  To help ensure that your property and money ends up where you want it, look over your will, trusts, and other estate planning documents at least once a year to see if there is anything you’d like changed. For example, you may want to make a change if you’re recently married or divorced, added a new child to the family, received an inheritance, or experienced any number of other major life events. Or you may simply want to make a change because you’ve changed your mind about some part of your estate plan. Review your choices for who would manage your finances and health care if you ever become incapacitated. Are you still satisfied with your choices? We…Read More

Life insurance is an important part of estate planning and taking care of the people you love after you pass away. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid. 1. Not Naming A Beneficiary Too many people forget to name a beneficiary or backup beneficiaries. Those mistakes can result in your life insurance proceeds having to go through the probate court process. That can tie up your money for months and even open up the life insurance proceeds to your creditors. And that can wipe out your funds. 2. Naming An Individual As Beneficiary To Take Care Of That Money For Someone Else You might be tempted to list someone you know and trust as beneficiary of your life insurance, with the understanding that he or she would use that money to…Read More

Whether it’s called “The Great Wealth Transfer,” “The Silver Tsunami,” or some other catchy-sounding name, it’s a fact that a tremendous amount of wealth will pass from aging Baby Boomers to younger generations in the next few decades. In fact, it’s said to be the largest transfer of inter-generational wealth in history. Because no one knows exactly how long Boomers will live or how much money they’ll spend before they pass on, it’s impossible to accurately predict just how much wealth will be transferred. But studies suggest it’s somewhere between $30 and $50 trillion. Yes, that’s “trillion” with a “T.” A Blessing Or A Curse? And while most are talking about the benefits this asset transfer might have for younger generations and the economy, few are talking about its potential negative ramifications. Yet…Read More

Although A Nursing Home Cannot Require A Child To Be Personally Liable For Their Parent’s Nursing Home Bill, There Are Circumstances In Which Children Can End Up Having To Pay This is a major reason why it is important to read any admission agreements carefully before signing. Federal regulations prevent a nursing home from requiring a third party to be personally liable as a condition of admission. However, children of nursing home residents often sign the nursing home admission agreement as the “responsible party.” This is a confusing term and it isn’t always clear from the contract what it means. Typically, The Responsible Party Is Agreeing To Do Everything In His Or Her Power To Make Sure That The Resident Pays The Nursing Home From The Resident’s Funds If the resident runs out…Read More