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New scams continue to increase, as well as old scams. Among the most common scams aimed at the elderly, involve their grandchildren or the IRS, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in “As senior population grows, so do scams targeting their money.” A common one is for an unknown person to call a grandparent and […]
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In trying to avoid probate, people can find themselves getting the opposite results. Many people do not realize that probate courts handle more things than just wills and can’t always be avoided, according to WLTX19 in “Man spends thousands in probate costs to help wife with dementia.” Consider the case of one elderly couple in […]
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Estate planning is one of those things that is better done now, rather than waiting until later. That can actually be too late. The question comes up about finding the right time to set up an estate plan as life marches forward. However, the one certainty is that you will always be better off with […]
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11 years after his death, the singer’s estate remains unsettled. Soul singer James Brown passed away in 2006, leaving millions to poor children in Georgia and South Carolina. However, none of the money has been given to the children because the estate is bogged down in numerous lawsuits, according to The New York Times in […]
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Assisted living facilities save Medicaid money. However, it is difficult to know what funds are spent wisely. A group of U.S. Senators asked the Government Accounting Office to look into how the government’s Medicaid money was being spent. However, the results were not good, according to The New York Times in “U.S. Pays Billions for ‘Assisted […]
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Estate planning often involves setting aside educational funds for children and grandchildren. It is common for people to consider helping out their children and grandchildren for educational purposes, when setting up estate planning. There are a few good ways that the educational expenses can be covered, according to The Legal Intelligencer in “How to Make […]
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Can you trust them? If you wonder, then you probably already have the answer. Multiple relationships and fewer bonds can often lead to some challenges, when it comes to settling an estate, according to the Financial Times recently in an advice column “Should I trust my wife to divide my assets fairly?“. The column discussed […]
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A new rule designed to prevent financial abuse of the elderly requires additional information. FINRA, a self-regulatory agency for brokers, has just implemented a new rule to help stop the financial abuse of the elderly even before it begins, according to Consumer Reports in “New Ways to Prevent Elder Financial Abuse.” Financial abuse often goes […]
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Protecting assets for your minor heirs can be a challenge. If you plan on leaving assets to minors, you can leave it to the courts to decide on the best person to handle the funds or you can do it yourself through an estate plan, according to the Times Herald-Record in “Proper legal planning for […]
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Some simple documents will go a long way in protecting you as retirement age approaches. While many people are concerned an estate plan has to be complicated, you often only need a few simple documents prepared by an estate planning attorney, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in “Five legal documents you need by 55.” […]