With older Americans being most at risk from the COVID-19 coronavirus, the response to the pandemic is highlighting issues of ageism in the United States. According to experts, ageism is evident both in the response to the virus and the lack of protective equipment...

More than 4 in 10 Americans have at least one step-relative in their family – either a stepparent, a step or half sibling or a stepchild -- according to the Pew Research Center. The National Center for Family and Marriage Research estimates that about one-third of all...

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on the elderly, particularly those in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This has raised questions about how the virus has influenced the costs and provision of long-term care insurance, which...

You may have a vision for your retirement, but does your spouse share that vision? Spouses often disagree about many key retirement details. It is important to work together to come up with a plan you both can accept. Many husbands and wives are not in accord about...

Many jurisdictions and individual businesses are requiring store customers to wear face masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. A legal theory is circulating on social media, and in recently filed lawsuits, that people are protected by the Americans...

As more and more people marry more than once, prenuptial agreements have become an important estate planning tool. Without a prenuptial agreement, your new spouse may be able to invalidate your existing estate plan. Such agreements are especially helpful if you have...

In his pre-session presentation at the 2020 ASNP Annual Meeting, “Special Needs Planning Integration with Veterans Benefits,” Doylestown, Pennsylvania ASNP member Richard L. Newman provided an overview of VA health care and disability benefits, and concluded with a...

Written By: Lelia Wardwell Mander Trusts are important vehicles in special needs planning. They not only set aside funds to pay for the care of the person with special needs while maintaining eligibility for programs like Medicaid, but they provide ways to preserve...

Shopping online has become a literal lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic for many at-risk individuals.  But for millions of people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who are currently unable to enter grocery stores, online shopping is not an...

Not everyone will get the relief payment the federal government is sending to help Americans through the economic hard times triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Among those left out are seniors and adults with special needs who are claimed as dependents. The...

Speaking at the 2020 ASNP Annual Meeting, ASNP member Melanie Marmion discussed how the SECURE Act’s new rules regarding retirement accounts are “a game changer” for special needs planning. In her presentation, “SECURE Act and Special Needs Planning: The Latest...

Retirement account owners, many of whose retirement balances have been pummeled by a stock market drop due to the coronavirus pandemic, do not have to take mandatory withdrawals this year. Federal law requires individuals who were age 70 1/2 before the end of 2019 to...

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent unemployment to its highest levels since the Great Depression, and older workers have been particularly hard hit, with one in five over age 55 now out of work, according to one estimate. Many people continue to work beyond retirement...

The closure of Social Security offices has caused problems and worries for recently unemployed seniors who need to apply for Medicare after losing their employer coverage. In response, the federal government has announced that seniors affected by the crisis have...

Written By: Andy Jones As the economic devastation from the coronavirus pandemic continues to mount, new research suggests that many Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will turn to payday loans to meet basic living expenses, much to the distress of consumer...