Selling Your Life Insurance Policy to Help Cover Expenses
The National Council on Aging reports that more than 16.5 million adults 65 and older experience economic insecurity, with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Rising housing and health care bills can burden seniors on fixed, limited incomes. Life...
Should You Use a Medical Credit Card?
According to the Health System Tracker, individuals in the United States have more than $195 billion in medical debt. Medical credit accounts for a portion of this debt. From 2018, to 2020, people in the U.S. used medical credit cards or loans with deferred interest...
Prior Authorization: Why Is It Holding Up My Medical Care?
You may be in need of a medical procedure, such an MRI, or are due to refill a certain prescription medication. And yet you may find yourself having to wait until your insurer approves coverage for it before you can move forward. At a minimum, this process, known as...
Probate v. Non-Probate: What Is the Difference?
When planning your estate it is important to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets. What Is Probate? Probate is the process through which a court determines how to distribute your property after you die. Some assets are distributed to heirs...
What Makes a Will Valid?
Movies, television, and books like to present wills in dramatic ways--handwritten notes, videos, deathbed utterances--but what actually makes a will valid? The law varies depending on what state you live in, but there are some basic rules. The legal requirements for a...
What Happens If You Die Without a Will?
Last Will and Testaments determine who gets an individual’s assets upon death. Generally, people can use wills to pass their estate to whomever they wish. Although state laws impose some restrictions, such as preventing married people from disinheriting their spouses...
Your Will (and Other Estate Planning Documents) Can Protect Your Children With Disabilities
August signifies National Make-a-Will Month. For the one in five families who care for children with special needs, estate planning is crucial. Parents of a child with a disability face numerous challenges and concerns. One 2022 study found that getting sick stands...
2023 on Senior Health Report: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The 2023 Senior Report recently issued by America’s Health Rankings sheds light on the latest trends in the health and well-being of older Americans. Highlighting the good news – and the bad – for aging adults in the U.S., the findings call attention to some of the...
What to Do When Social Security Overpays
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), 69.1 million people benefit from Social Security programs, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Of the $1.1 trillion Social Security payments the SSA made in...
Why Hire an Elder Law Attorney?
Elder law attorneys may specialize in estate planning, incapacity planning, and end-of-life care for seniors. They also help older adults remain in their homes as they age and protect them from abuse. These practitioners are essential because they work to protect a...
Remaining Social Promotes Health in Older Adults
More Americans are living longer, with the number of people older than 65 projected to increase to more than 80 million by 2040. As this population reaches retirement age, the risk of social isolation substantially increases – along with its negative effects. Keeping...
OTC Hearing Aids Prevent Dementia
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hearing loss affects one-third of older adults. As difficulty hearing can lead to communication challenges and social withdrawal, it can also increase the risk of dementia. Dementia includes diseases affecting...
How Changes in the Student Loan Debt May Affect You
According to AARP, people aged 60 and older owe upwards of $290 billion in student loan debt. Thankfully, many federal student loan borrowers have experienced payment reprieves for the past few years due to multiple payment pauses enacted during the pandemic by...
Supported Decision-Making as an Alternative to Guardianship
For some people with disabilities, a guardianship or conservatorship would be overly restrictive. Supported decision-making can be an alternative to unnecessary guardianships. It allows disabled people to get assistance with decisions while retaining autonomy. In...
Sole Benefit Trust: Qualify for Medicaid and Aid a Loved One
A sole benefit trust is a helpful estate planning tool if your family has cross-generational support needs. If a senior with more than $2,000 in assets wants to apply for Medicaid – but also wants to provide for a disabled relative – a sole benefit trust may be a good...