Author Archives: Site Administrator
End-Of-Life Websites Popping Up All Over
A recent article in The New York Times focused on a woman facing tragic irony: Just as she was developing a web-based business focusing on end-of-life planning, the East Hampton, N.Y., resident received word that her brother had been killed in a traffic accident. “Suddenly, her fledgling business, Everplans, a website that helps people… Read More »
Long-Term Care Rate Hikes Troubling
As members of the Baby Boom generation move into retirement and beyond, long-term care insurance policies to help cover the costs of assisted living or nursing homes are becoming more and more of a necessity, rather than a luxury. Unfortunately, the cost of these policies is rapidly become prohibitive for a large segment of… Read More »
Missteps Can Make Retirement Years Burdensome
The old adage that it requires the breaking of eggs to make an omelet is certainly true, but another hard truth is that a comfortable retirement demands that a nest egg be in place. Retirement savings golden nest egg (Photo credit: SalFalko) Unfortunately, a recent story in The Wall Street Journal highlights the missteps… Read More »
Long-Term Care Cancellations Require Better Notification
It should never happen again. And whether it’s by passage of a new law or a rule change at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, maybe it never will. A recent story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch brought to light the plight of people left without long-term care for the elderly. The story focused on the… Read More »
Caregivers Need Care Themselves
The emotional and sometimes physical stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia is intense. (Photo credit: British Red Cross.) A recent blog on The New York Times by Jane E. Brody highlights a book by San Jose, Calif., psychologist Judith L. London that focuses on… Read More »
Downsizing A Home Should Be On Retirement Planning Table
Retirement planning should, but often doesn’t, include what an individual or a couple plan to do with their house, as a recent article in The Wall Street Journal points out. Single-family home (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “For most people, their house is their biggest asset,” according to the story by Tom Lauricella. “It’s also their… Read More »
Tax-Free Gifts Flowed After Congress Changed The Law
A law passed late in 2010 has resulted in a quadrupling of tax-free gifts less than two years later, according to a recent item by Bloomberg News. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Congress approved legislation that let wealthy Americans make gifts with no tax penalties of as much as $5 million, and they sure responded, the… Read More »
Less Costly Options Exist To Afford In-Home Care
While in-home care for elderly parents or other relatives may be a kinder approach than placing them in a nursing facility, it can also be a very pricy proposition. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A recent Caring.com article offers some creative approaches to affording this option. “In general, pay rates in urban areas are higher than… Read More »
Lessons Are There For The Learning In Actor’s Death
The tragic death of talented actor Philip Seymour Hoffman from an apparent drug overdose offers some important lessons for people least likely to learn them. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “One key lesson is the need to make an estate plan when one is going through a personal crisis or a downward spiral,”… Read More »
Longtime War Widow At Last Finds Some Peace
In a heart-warming story out of Los Angeles late last year, a war widow of 63 years who never remarried finally got to say goodbye to the love of her life. (Photo credit: North Dakota National Guard) On Friday, Dec. 20, 94-year-old Clara Gantt stood up from the wheelchair she must sometimes use to… Read More »