Planning for the future can be challenging because you can't be certain about the costs that you will be facing. You don't know exactly how well your health will hold up or what the health care system will look like in 10 or 20 years. In addition to this there are talks about alterations being made to Medicare and Medicaid. Though there are things that are out of your control, it is important to be proactive about doing what is necessary to gain an understanding of all that is available to … [Read more...] about Long-Term Care Help For Veterans
Estate Planning is Not a “Once and Done”
If you’re like most people, you’d like to let out a big sigh of relief as soon as you “complete” your estate planning. Whew! Yes, a giant “whew” and pat on the back are in order. Good job! But…. But, estate planning is not a “once and done.” It’s truly a process, meaning that your estate plan needs to be updated on a regular basis. Conventional wisdom dictates that your estate plan should be updated every three to five years, or upon the occurrence of a significant life … [Read more...] about Estate Planning is Not a “Once and Done”
Estate Planning For Blended Families
During our modern era, estate planning is often times going to involve more than simply arranging for asset transfers within a nuclear family. For better or for worse, a high percentage of marriages end in divorce these days. The exact statistics vary a bit depending on the source, but it is safe to say that between 40% and 50% of marriages do not last, and the majority of people who get divorced remarry at some point in time. In most of these cases there are children involved and blended … [Read more...] about Estate Planning For Blended Families
Why Not Plan Your Own Estate?
Due to the fact that we are living in the information age people are able to do many things on their own that they were not capable of doing in years past. There are software programs that make many complicated tasks relatively simple, and this has certainly been a positive development in the big picture. But there are always opportunists out there who will take this a step too far and put people at risk in the process. With this in mind, if you start searching the Internet looking for … [Read more...] about Why Not Plan Your Own Estate?
Don’t Take Your Passwords to the Grave
As our lives become ever increasingly virtual, digital assets, usernames and passwords become an increasingly important part of estate planning. Think of all the time you spend on line. Think of all you accomplish online. If you become incapacitated or when you die, your trusted helpers and heirs will need access to: Financial accounts Email accounts Social media accounts Photo sharing accounts Address books Utility accounts Membership organizations Online software accounts Think of … [Read more...] about Don’t Take Your Passwords to the Grave
Retirement Planning: Veterans Can Be Well Prepared
You might think that people are well aware of the fact that they must plan ahead if they want to enjoy a comfortable retirement, but surprisingly statistics tell a different tale. There was a poll conducted by AP-LifeGoesStrong.com recently that was widely circulated in retirement planning circles that attempted to get a feel for how prepared people who are members of the baby boomer generation are for their retirement years. Some 24% of the people who responded to the poll said that they had … [Read more...] about Retirement Planning: Veterans Can Be Well Prepared
Retirement Planning: How To Get The Most Out Of Social Security
There are times when you come across a statistic that really turns your head around, and you can do a double take and question whether or not you actually read it right. One of these is circulating right now with regard to the rapid aging of the population. At the present time there are no less than 10,000 people applying for Social Security each day for the first time due to the fact that the baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age. This in itself is a rather eye-opening statistic, … [Read more...] about Retirement Planning: How To Get The Most Out Of Social Security
Three Dogs Inherit $82,000
When you are planning your estate there are a lot of things to consider and it would be easy to overlook some of the smaller details. But, one thing you are not going to forget is the nuts and bolts matter of making sure that your family members are well provided for after you pass away. Right? Well, actually, there are those who do indeed overlook making provisions for certain family members. The reason why is because these family members walk around on four legs. Yes, people sometimes neglect … [Read more...] about Three Dogs Inherit $82,000
Incapacity Planning: Why You Need Two Agents
In the world of finances, the law, and incapacity planning, you are typically “incapacitated” if you are unable to manage your finances and day to day business affairs. Regardless of whether you have participated in the estate planning process, incapacity planning is an important element. If you become incapacitated for a period of time or permanently, you will need trusted helpers to act on your behalf. If you’ve done estate planning, you get to choose your trusted helpers and give them … [Read more...] about Incapacity Planning: Why You Need Two Agents
Two Basic But Effective Estate Planning Tools
Estate planning can get rather complicated due to tax laws and the various different forms that your assets may be in when you are making your plans. This is why it is a good idea to retain the services of an experienced estate planning attorney from the outset. There is no reason why the layperson would be aware of all of the options that are available. So when you "go it alone" with the help of some type of DIY software that you found on the Internet your frugality could in fact wind up … [Read more...] about Two Basic But Effective Estate Planning Tools
