Divorce and subsequent remarriage have become incredibly commonplace. Blended families are no longer unusual but part of mainstream American culture. However, they still have special legal considerations that you shouldn't ignore. You probably reviewed your estate...
Caring For You In The Long Term
Year: 2021
Options for preserving your Medicaid eligibility
There are a variety of circumstances that may warrant someone becoming a Medicaid recipient. Individuals with lower incomes or disabilities often rely on this government-subsidized insurance coverage for their basic medical care or nursing home costs. These recipients...
Why do you need to start your long-term care planning when you’re young?
Most people think that long-term care planning is something that only older people need to worry about -- but that's not true. Long-term care planning is something that's best to contemplate while you're still young (or relatively so). There's no guarantee that you...
Do I qualify for the Veterans Pension program?
As you get older, you might want to look into setting up your long-term care strategy. You may have some unique options to choose from depending on what you’ve done in your life. You might find that you qualify for a Veterans Pension if you served for at least 90 days...
You’ve selected someone to be your health care proxy: Here’s what to do next
Picking someone to have your medical power of attorney wasn’t easy. After all, you had to find someone who was willing and able to take on the responsibility. They also had to be someone who understands your wishes and is comfortable following them. After a tough...
Finding the right guardian for your child
For parents, an important part of estate planning is choosing a guardian for a child who is still a minor. It may be hard to think of anyone replacing you, but that’s exactly what they need to do in case something happens to you before your child turns 18. Most...
Worried about debt? Some estate planning steps could help
As you reach retirement, one thing you may start looking at is how much debt you’re carrying. If you have a significant amount of debt, you’ll start focusing on paying it off. If you are concerned that there may come a time when you won’t be able to afford to pay down...
Why would you leave someone one dollar?
In researching your estate planning, you may have heard that some people choose to leave a specific heir just a single dollar. It sounds controversial and almost insulting, but is there a reason that people opt to do this? Usually, people do it because they intend to...
Do you need a health care proxy?
Your health care proxy is an advanced medical directive that assigns a person you choose to make medical decisions for you if you no longer care for yourself. This proxy can be anyone you want to control those decisions, but you should choose someone who understands...
How long-term care costs are increasing
Contemplating your own mortality can be difficult, especially when you’re worried about how you’re going to afford the long-term care you may need. Unfortunately, the costs associated with long-term care continue to rise at a steady clip, generally outpacing the...