Creating and executing estate planning documents is just the first step. Once you have completed the documents, you need to know what to do with them. All estate plans should include, at minimum, two important planning instruments: a durable power of attorney and...

A durable power of attorney and a health care proxy are two very important estate planning documents. Both allow other people to make decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated. Because the individuals chosen will have to coordinate your care, it is...

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment is skyrocketing. Seniors who lose their jobs may be tempted to claim Social Security benefits early, but should they, given the resulting reduction in future benefits? The answer depends on your situation, but you...

With the coronavirus pandemic hitting nursing homes and assisted living facilities especially hard, families are wondering whether they should bring their parents or other loved ones home. It is a tough decision with no easy answers. The number of coronavirus cases in...

The centerpiece of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law March 27, 2020, is its one-time $1,200 payments to millions of eligible individuals. When can you expect your payment and how much will it be? The answer to...

Written By: Andy Jones The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued regulations clarifying that people who have to take time off work to care for family members with disabilities may be eligible for the new paid sick leave protections enacted by Congress in the wake...

Written By: Andy Jones The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will have the  $1,200 emergency COVID-19 relief checks automatically deposited in their bank accounts just as they would normally receive their...

The coronavirus health emergency is a reminder that life is unpredictable, and it makes sense to be prepared. It may sound self-serving, but the threats to life and finances posed posed by the pandemic offer ample reason to reevaluate your estate plan -- or create one...

The coronavirus relief bill includes a direct payment to most Americans, but this has Medicaid recipients wondering how the payment will affect them. Because the payment is not income, it should not count against a Medicaid recipient’s eligibility. The Coronavirus...

Written By: Andy Jones In a reversal, the federal government has clarified that recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) will not be required to file tax returns to receive stimulus checks as part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, signed into law by...

The beneficiary of a special needs trust can never control or access trust funds – that is the job of the trustee. A common fear among beneficiaries or their families is that the trustee may not do what’s in the beneficiary’s best interests and that, if this happens,...

The $2 trillion economic relief package that Congress passed to help Americans deal with the devastating financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic contains some provisions that affect seniors. In addition to authorizing direct payments to most Americans, including...

Some lucky retirees split their time between two different states. Legally, you do not need separate estate planning documents for each state, but it may make sense from a practical perspective. The Constitution of the United States requires that states give “full...

If your parents are getting on in years, you may be helping them with their finances and other matters, such as medical visits and shopping. You may live close by and be able to visit weekly or more often. Or you may live far away and were visiting every few months...

A U.S. district court rules that Medicare beneficiaries who are admitted as inpatients, but whose status is changed to observation have a due process right to appeal the decision, but Medicare beneficiaries who are admitted under observation status, do not have right...