Barbara Bates SedoricDeath and the Family Hunt for Hidden Assets
Where are you hiding assets? Are they stored away in a locked trunk in your attic? Are they located in boxes stacked on the back wall of your moldy basement? Or did you pile your valuable art and antiques in an off–site storage unit located two towns over from your house? Death and Family Hunt for Hidden Assets Do you have several passbook bank accounts from various banks scattered in the four towns you once lived in or three 401K Plans from prior employment? Have you hidden jewelry in tattered shoeboxes in the back of a third floor closet or in
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Guest BloggerWill My Advance Directive Work In Another State?
Making sure your end-of-life wishes are followed no matter where you happen to be is important. If you move to a different state or split your time between one or more states, you should make sure your advance directive is valid in all the states you frequent. An advance directive gives instructions on the kind of medical care you would like to receive should you become unable to express your wishes yourself. It often designates someone to make medical decisions for you. Each state has its own laws setting forth requirements for valid advance directives and health care proxies. For
Continue readingUnderstanding Financial Powers of Attorney – Are They a “License to Steal”?
A financial power of attorney is a valuable legal document that ensures that your financial matters will continue to be handled – should you become incapacitated and unable to do so yourself. However, placed into the wrong hands, these documents can become a license to steal. Understanding Financial Powers of Attorney – Are They a “License to Steal”? In your power of attorney, you’re called the “principal” and the person you select to have authority over your finances is called the “agent” (or “attorney-in-fact”). A general power of attorney allows your selected agent to do everything that you could do with
Continue readingLife (and Death) Happens: Why a Plan Is So Important
Growing up as the youngest of seven children I was surrounded by many maternal figures. The age difference between me and my oldest sister is sixteen years. In addition to the love from my parents, my siblings made sure I had everything I needed – everything except a plan for the unthinkable. At 10 years old, life was “normal.” I was doing well, going to school and hanging out with my friends. My childhood home was in the suburbs of Palm Desert, Calif. My siblings and I really didn’t want for anything. My father owned his own contracting business and
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Carol MarakDon’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care
A recent survey funded by The SCAN Foundation found close to four in 10 Americans, age 40+, believe Medicare and Social Security will pay for long-term care. The need for continuing care services and support to assist with activities of daily living will increase as the population ages. The group will require help with cooking, bathing, grooming, shopping, managing medicines, and toileting. Thirty-eight percent of the people surveyed in the 2016 Long-term Care in America report said they will rely on Medicare to pay. Correspondingly, 35% will count on Social Security and personal savings while 32% expects to depend on
Continue readingUltimate Guide to Burial Insurance
With about 40% of adults in the U.S. foregoing life insurance, it makes sense to discuss how this can affect family members and close friends. For those of you who have played a part in financing a funeral when an uninsured family member or friend has passed away, certainly, you are intimately familiar with the financial burden that can accompany the grief of losing a loved one or close friend. When the market crashed in 2007, practically every working person in America felt the impact. Many seniors who were hoping to stop working postponed their retirement parties for financial reasons
Continue readingHow to Avoid Probate Litigation After Death
If you have given any thought about to whom you want to give your belongings after your death, you will likely hire an estate lawyer to draft legal documents to carry out those intentions. Because of the formality of the estate planning process, we all somehow assume that we can easily check that difficult task off our to-do list after we sign those documents. How to Avoid Probate Litigation After Death But Not So Fast! If you haven’t told your family your specific intentions, or discussed with them what possessions they would like to receive, they may not follow
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Kimberly JohnsonMoney Perils Facing Widows
A fascinating, unsettling survey shows that many widows run into serious financial difficulties after their husbands die — and the problems go far beyond not having enough money to live on. Money Perils Facing Widows Mathew Greenwald & Associates’ Survey of Recent Widows raises red flags that all couples over 50 should know and deal with before it’s too late for them. That’s particularly true if the husband handles most of the household’s investments and financial planning. Money Perils Facing Widows What the Survey Discovered The survey, conducted for the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) and funded by the American Council of Life Insurers, interviewed
Continue readingGeneral Estate Planning Tax Issues
Estate planning is that unique time when death and taxes come together. The game plan for many people is to give more of their money to their heirs when they pass and less of it to the government. Here’s a simple overview so you can be in the know. General Estate Planning Tax Issues The federal government assesses a tax on the assets or things you own that are transferred to others. If the transfer occurs while you’re alive, any tax applicable is called a gift tax. If it happens after your death, it’s called an estate tax, which is where
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