How to Optimize Social Security Survivor Benefits as a Widow
Deciding how to claim Social Security survivor benefits as a widow could be a decision worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Deciding how to claim Social Security survivor benefits, while trying to navigate everything else when your loved one dies, is not a straightforward decision. Optimizing Social Security benefits requires you to consider your life […]
Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth It?
How to plan for long-term care and whether to purchase long-term care insurance is a difficult decision. Most people never plan on living years or decades with health issues, but it is becoming more common, which makes planning for long-term care important. How will you pay for care? Which assets will you use? Do you […]
4 Ways to Help a Widow
Losing a spouse and experiencing the accompanying grief is heartbreaking. Life changes overnight. What was once easy can become difficult. It could be paying the bills, cooking, eating, getting out of the house, or remembering appointments. Widowhood is unlike anything someone has typically experienced. The brain fog that can come with the death of a […]
Family or Professional Trustee? Pros and Cons of a Professional Trustee
While people create trusts during their life, estate plans often include the creation of trusts at death. Knowing who you will put in charge of the trust is vital, including backup options. You have to specifically name them in the documents. They will be responsible for carrying out the terms of the trust, making distributions, […]
The Negative Effects of Caregiving
Let’s talk about the impact of caregiving – notably, the negative effects of caregiving. I’ll spend a little time talking about the positives of caregiving, but I want to give more attention to the negative effects of caregiving because they often outweigh the good. I’ve experienced it first hand and seen it in other families. […]
Aging In Place – Costs and Factors to Consider
Many people I meet prefer the idea of aging in place. Unfortunately, aging in place is expensive and not possible for everyone. Besides the financial costs, there are costs to renovate a home, technology to implement, and the need to coordinate multiple levels of care instead of having it centrally located. Plus, there are the […]
7 Ways to Help a Caregiver
Having been a caregiver and listening to other caregiving experiences, I often see friends and family with the best intentions try to help caregivers, but they do it in a way that doesn’t actually help a caregiver. Have you ever said, “Let me know if you need anything”? I have. It’s the wrong way to […]
5 Smart Ways to Invest for Your Grandchildren
You want to invest for your grandchildren’s future and financial success, but how? Helping out your grandchildren is an act of kindness. Before you give them cash or open an account for them, it’s important to understand how that might affect your future, as well as your grandchildren’s. Opening one type of account instead of […]
Cybersecurity Statistics in 2023 and Tips to Protect Yourself Online
Protecting yourself online has never been more important. With more of your personal information online and cybersecurity attacks on the rise, it’s important to understand what cybersecurity risks exist and how you can protect yourself online. It’s estimated that cybercrime causes $6 trillion worth of damage annually. Even more startling, an FBI agent who investigates […]
8 Tips to Help Prevent Elder Financial Exploitation
“Financial institutions reported a total of $1.7 billion in suspicious activities in 2017, including actual losses and attempts to steal the older adults’ funds”, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Elder financial exploitation is incredibly common. It feels like people are constantly attempting to scam seniors. Sometimes it is from an outside party, but […]
