The Consequences of Not Paying Your Property Taxes
When Geraldine Tyler, age 94, relocated to a senior community, she stopped paying property taxes on her home. After the property was foreclosed on, the county where Tyler’s home was located sold the property for $40,000 to recover about $15,000 in unpaid property...
How “Third-Party” Special Needs Trusts Differ From Other Trusts
Special needs trusts come in three main flavors — first-party special needs trusts, third-party special needs trusts, and pooled trusts. All three trust varieties are designed to manage resources for a person with special needs so that the beneficiary can still...
What Is a “First-Party” Special Needs Trust and When Is It Useful?
A Special Needs Trust (SNT) can play an important role in preserving the financial security and lifestyle of a person with special needs. A properly drafted SNT allows the individual to benefit from supplemental resources while still qualifying for public benefits,...
When It Comes to Taxes, Special Needs Trusts Are Not All Equal
Special needs trusts can be an invaluable tool for families that have a child with special needs. One often overlooked aspect of a special needs trust (SNT), however, is how the trust is taxed. This consideration is important because the tax savings can be...
Tax Deductions for Parents of Children With Disabilities
Unique tax benefits are available to families who have children with special needs. And thanks to recent changes in the tax code, there are opportunities to save substantial amounts of money at tax time. Thomas M. Brinker, Jr., a professor of accounting at Arcadia...
Lawmaker Revives the Expanding Veterans’ Options for LTC Act
A bipartisan bill recently reintroduced to Congress seeks to support senior military veterans in living more independently as they age. The number of U.S. military veterans aged 85 or older who will become eligible for nursing home care is anticipated to increase by...
Legal Decision Making as Your Child Nears Age 18
Privacy laws were enacted so that when a child turns 18, his or her parents are no longer able to make medical or financial decisions for them because that child is now considered a legal adult. This is the case for all children turning 18, especially those with...
Your Medical Directive
Any complete estate plan should include a medical directive. This term may encompass a number of different documents, including a health care proxy, a durable power of attorney for health care, a living will, and medical instructions. The exact document or documents...
CMS: Medicare Will Soon Cover Certain Alzheimer’s Treatments
Medicare recipients living with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s recently received promising news: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that it would begin covering new Alzheimer’s treatments that receive approval from the FDA. “If the FDA...
Medicare Fraud Prevention Week: Avoiding Health Care Scams
The week of June 5 marks Medicare Fraud Prevention Week. Seniors – as well as their caregivers – should be aware of the risks posed by Medicare scams and how to avoid falling victim to this type of fraud. Each year, Medicare loses tens of billions of dollars to abuse...
How Will the Public Health Emergency’s End Affect Veterans?
Per an announcement from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the federal Public Health Emergency created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ended in May 2023. With the end of this Public Health Emergency (PHE) comes a number of shifts...
Retirement Planning Question: Should I Explore Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts?
In late 2022, the federal government passed legislation known as the SECURE 2.0 Act. Provisions in this bill have made it easier for people to fund certain annuities that can delay taxes on their retirement funds until the age of 85. First, What Is an Annuity? If you...
Estate Planning Q&A: Do You Need a Trust?
According to the 2023 Wills and Estate Planning Survey by Caring.com, only 34 percent of Americans have an estate plan. The primary reasons respondents gave for not participating in estate planning are: Procrastination Believing they need more assets Not knowing how...
Which Should I Choose? Nursing Home Care vs. Hospice Care
End-of-life decisions are never easy. One of the most important decisions you may make regarding health care as you age could be whether you need a nursing home or hospice care. To make the best choice for you and your family, it helps to know the difference between...
Trusts and SSI
The contents of most trusts you create for yourself will be considered available to you in determining your eligibility for SSI. On the other hand, assets of most trusts that someone else creates and names you as a beneficiary of will not be considered to belong to...