Resources

Sometimes, loving people means having hard conversations.

We're updating our original post, How to Have Difficult Conversations About Money, Long Term Care Planning, and More below with more insights and tips that you can use in many different situations - from talking about hard topics like finances and caregiving to negotiating whose house the holidays will be hosted at this year.

Have you heard about AI generated images and “deepfakes”? You might be wondering: what exactly is a “deepfake”? How can a computer make such realistic fake photos, videos, and sound bites, and why?

With inflation, the cost of goods and services increase over a period of time, meaning that you’ll need more retirement income in order to pay for the same lifestyle.

The odds are that you’ll live a long time after retiring. That’s the good news. The bad news is that you’ll need sufficient assets to provide retirement income over a potentially long period of time. The alternative is to risk outliving your retirement income.

Rising prescription drug costs are hitting many people hard this year, and you may be wondering where to find relief. We've updated our blog post on the best tips for lowering your prescription drug costs for 2024.

The new year is bringing little change to long term care insurance deduction limits but may mean brand new payroll taxes for long term care being introduced in some states. Below, you’ll find the current deduction limits for individual plans and guidance on factors that affect deductibility of premiums. Check with your CPA to make sure you are getting the deductions you deserve.

We've come to our fifth and final tool for helping loved ones who are receiving care: working together to build new routines that accommodate changing abilities.

In this video, we discuss the technique of positive redirection while caring for loved ones. It's a tool that helps people shift from being upset to finding calm, by directing energy towards possible actions.

Regardless of the worries of today, laying out the full picture of your current retirement plan leads you to a better understanding of how to strengthen it for the future.

One of the most commonly used retirement savings plans, after 401(k)s, are IRAs. Many folks will pass away with assets in their IRAs yet most of us don’t think of IRAs as a part of our legacy. Post updated with updated values for 2023.

In this video, we discuss using reflective listening to get to the heart of difficult issues for your loved one who is transitioning between independence and needing care.

Reminiscing, our next tool for dealing with loss of independence, is probably the most fun for everyone involved.

Let’s talk about grief. According to the Cleveland Clinic, grief is a natural response to any kind of loss, regardless of whether the loss is a spouse, a job, or full mobility.

Caregivers deserve support. But what about those we’re taking care of? Most of us assume that if someone is getting help with the tasks they can no longer do alone, then everything is okay.

My friend, Tara*, didn’t expect to be a single mom. She had a good job, a home of her own, and a husband she loved when she had her children. But after struggling for years…

According to Andrew Rosen’s article in Forbes, “Americans aren’t saving for retirement at all, or [not] enough.” We’ve updated our blog on retirement savings by age for 2023.

Rising drug costs and high inflation are hitting many people hard this year, leaving folks wondering where to find relief. If you or someone you’re caring for is looking for ways to lower prescription costs, this article is for you.

Generally, the conversation about needing long term care to get through the day revolves around cost, availability, insurance and demands on care givers and family. Outside of professional caregiver forums, it’s rare to find a discussion of the emotional and physical distress of the person who receives care.

Trying to balance work, children and anything resembling a personal life can sometimes feel impossible. Days rush by while dreams disappear into the future. Your budget feels stretched to the limit. How is it possible to keep the household expenses paid, pay for life insurance to protect the family in case you or your spouse pass away, put money away for the kids’ college costs, and still save for retirement? If this is happening to you and your children are high school age or younger, options may be here.

Are you one of the millions of adults who have let estate planning fall to the bottom your to do list for years? Does wondering about how you’ll pay for long term care nag at the back of your mind? Has life thrown some curve balls that smacked the life out of your retirement savings?

Sometimes it feels like it’s just too late or too hard to rescue your retirement dreams, but take a minute to remember all the times you’ve been knocked down yet found a way to get back on your feet.

Last year brought home to me the reality of aging. My husband and I experienced five deaths of people close to us which included responsibilities for three of the estates. My mother, Joan, and a close family friend, Russell (through his wife Mary) chose me to handle their estates as Personal Representative – a role I’d never held before. Since both estates were small and had been prepared by the same local estate attorney, the comparison of how they turned out was eye opening.

Most of us have either experienced or heard about long, expensive, painful Probate proceedings. Many of us wonder if avoiding Probate will protect our legacy and ease the burden on our beneficiaries when we pass. As with most things involving the law, there’s no one answer.

During the current high inflation, many of us are rethinking our retirement plans and wondering if we’ll outlive our savings. If you’re still working and saving for retirement, it’s not too late to make some changes to account for higher inflation. If you find yourself in a bind with an unexpected expense or a view of the end of your retirement income, you may be able to recoup some funds.