What to Look for When Choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan

As Medicare premiums rise, a Medicare Advantage plan can seem like an attractive option. But if you are considering switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to know what to look for. Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers,...

Receiving an Inheritance While on Medicaid

For most people, receiving an inheritance is something good, but for a nursing home resident on Medicaid, an inheritance may not be such welcome news. Medicaid has strict income and resource limits, so an inheritance can make a Medicaid recipient ineligible for...

Do You Pay Capital Gains Taxes on Property You Inherit?

When you inherit property, such as a house or stocks, the property is usually worth more than it was when the original owner purchased it. If you were to sell the property, there could be huge capital gains taxes. Fortunately, when you inherit property, the property’s...

IRS Issues Long-Term Care Premium Deductibility Limits for 2021

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the amount taxpayers can deduct from their 2021 income as a result of buying long-term care insurance. Premiums for “qualified” long-term care insurance policies (see explanation below) are tax deductible to...

The Hazards of Do-it-Yourself Estate Planning

CAUTION!! Many websites offer customized, do-it-yourself wills and other estate planning documents.  Although such products are convenient, using them could create serious and expensive legal problems for heirs. These digital services appear to offer a cost-effective...

Don’t Forget to Fund Your Revocable Trust

Revocable trusts are a very popular and useful estate planning tool. But the trust will be ineffective if you do not actually place your assets in the trust. Revocable trusts are an effective way to avoid probate and provide for asset management in the event of...