piggy bank

Filial Responsibility Laws, also known as Filial Support Laws, are relatively unknown. More than half of US states (including Puerto Rico) could hold adult children financially responsible for their parents’ long-term care. If your parents live in one of the following states, you could be held legally responsible for their healthcare: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, […]

Senior woman comforting man with Dementia at home

Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases can make even basic tasks extraordinarily difficult. Designer Sha Yao saw this firsthand when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In response, she created Eatwell, a seven-piece tableware set. It features bright, primary colors, which Yao chose based on a Boston University study that showed individuals with cognitive impairment consumed 84 percent […]

Irrevocable Living Trust

An Irrevocable Living Trust generally cannot be modified or terminated except under certain limited circumstances. It requires the grantor to transfer assets into the trust and give up his or her rights of ownership to these assets. So why would you want to create an Irrevocable Living Trust, as opposed to a Revocable Living Trust? Irrevocable Living […]

Smiling young man

Paying your grandchildren’s (or adult children’s) college tuition is one of the greatest gifts you can make. The education lasts a lifetime and opens a world of opportunity for your grandchildren. In a way, it is like giving a gift to your children as well, since it alleviates their concerns about paying for their children’s […]

woman thinking

Losing one’s husband is difficult enough in and of itself. Unfortunately, many widows must also contend with the financial consequences of the loss of their husbands. According to government figures cited in a New York Times article, the household income for widows typically drops 37 percent after a spouse dies, far more than the 22 […]

mother and son

There are many reasons you might consider giving your adult children a portion of their inheritance now, while you’re alive and well. Maybe you’ve seen your nest egg grow thanks to a robust stock market, and you have more in savings than you thought you would at this stage of your life. Perhaps you and […]

family

Serving as a caregiver may require you to oversee your loved one’s legal affairs. A recent article on AARP’s website addressed this issue and included a legal checklist for Caregivers. Here are the highlights. Obtain Essential Legal Documents Your loved one should have the following key legal documents: a Will, a Power of Attorney, and  Advance […]

Shot of a diverse group of people social networking outside

Many people believe that estate planning is only for elders. The truth is that younger folks, including millennials, can benefit from having an estate plan of their own. Millennials are generally defined as individuals born between 1981 and 1996—that is, people between the ages of 25 and 40. This is the age at which many […]

Trust and Estate Planning is shown on a conceptual business photo

A spendthrift trust is typically used to prevent a beneficiary from receiving his or her inheritance all at once. There are several reasons why a grantor (the person who creates the trust) might want to consider such an approach. The most obvious reason is that the grantor believes the beneficiary will quickly squander the inheritance. […]

5 star quality rating system

The Five-Star Quality Rating System was created in 2008 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It has become a popular tool for families to find a quick summary of a given nursing home’s overall level of quality. CMS posts its ratings on the medicare.gov website. Unfortunately, the accuracy of this rating system is open […]