Changing Demographics – Part 3
In last week’s post I explained the differences between domestic partnership, civil union and marriage when talking about the rights of same sex couples. So how does this impact the issues faced by aging LGBT seniors? Married vs. single has an impact on taxes. Different thresholds and rates apply to married
Changing Demographics – Part 2
In last week’s post I began discussing some of the unique issues faced by seniors who are part of the LGBT community. Only within the past 20 years or so has marriage been an option for same sex couples. It is still an evolving area of the law as various
Changing Demographics – Part 1
In past blog posts I have written about the changes in the demographic makeup of our aging population and the issues they face. The LGBT community encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Historically, this community has experienced disapproval of and discrimination against its members although much has changed in
The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Help Out Parents
Families look after each other. They pitch in when a member needs help. As an elder law attorney, I see this quite often. It can be an aging parent helping out an adult child in need due to financial difficulties caused by illness, job loss or divorce.
The Dreaded Diagnosis – Part 2
In my blog post last week I was discussing the answer to the question “when is the right time to plan for long term care.” I also noted that we are seeing more people dealing with long term care at a younger age, often in their 50’s
The Dreaded Diagnosis – Part 1
In this week’s blog post I want to revisit a question that I am asked often when I tell people what I do. They ask, “when is the right time to plan for the possible need for long term care?” For most people I think the optimum
Required Minimum Distributions – Part 2
In last week’s blog post I covered the basics of how required minimum distribution (RMD) rules work for IRAs and other tax deferred retirement accounts. To summarize you must take out a minimum amount from your account each year. That’s RMD and it starts in the year you turn
Is There Any Government Benefit Program I Am Not Aware Of? (Part 2)
In last week’s post I related a common question about government benefits – “is there something out there in the way of benefits that we could get that we’re just not aware of”? Most recently, a son, whose dad is in a nursing home already receiving Medicaid benefits, asked
Is There Any Government Benefits I am Not Aware of? Part 1
In this week’s post I want to talk about a common question I get about government benefits. “Is there any benefit my family member can get that I am not aware of?” In other words, “am I missing anything”? I can certainly
Raising a Grandchild (Part 2)
In last week's post I focused on an increasingly common family arrangement in which -for several different reasons - grandparents who expected to retire and live a more leisurely lifestyle instead find themselves caring for their grandchildren. This often starts as a temporary solution but