How to Avoid Committing Medicaid Fraud
When it comes to long term care planning, the earlier the better. One of the primary reasons is the Medicaid 5 year look back. Medicaid will look back through 5 years of your financial records to determine if you have done anything with your money that would cause you to
When Might a Gift of $13,000 Per Year Still Be Subject to Tax?
Mary‘s dad lived a long life, passing away at 80. He left a 1.5 million dollar estate. In an effort to minimize estate taxes he had started a gifting program amongst his 3 children and 9 grandchildren, which had reduced his estate by almost $500,000 in the last 3 years
Dad Gets German Reparations Money – Can Mom Keep it All?
Jerry’s dad receives a monthly check from the German government, compensation as a result of his suffering at the hands of the Nazis in World War II. Dad has dementia and will soon need nursing home care. Jerry is trying to preserve as much as he can for his mom,
Finally a New Estate Tax Law – But What Does it Mean?
Unlike last year, when Congress tried to pass a law preventing the no estate tax in 2010 scenario, this year it did manage to pass a law extending the Bush era tax cuts that went into effect in 2002 but were set to expire on December 31, 2010. So what
65 and Still Working – Should I Enroll in Medicare? (Part 2)
What do you think about when you turn 65 in this country? For most people, Social Security and Medicare will quickly come to mind. Last week were talking about the basics of Medicare. This week we’ll pick up where we left off with Medicare Part B. Part B covers doctors’ bills.
I’m 65 and Still Working – Should I Enroll in Medicare? (Part 1)
Much has been written about the oldest baby boomers starting to turn 65 next month and what it might mean for the future of long term care in this country. But, from a practical standpoint there are decisions that each new senior must make that so many are unaware of.
When is it Too Late to Plan?
Last month we lost one of our clients to an unfortunate accident. John was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and living at home with his wife, Mary (not their real names). Mary was 20 years younger than John and still working to support the couple. We had
MetLife Dropping Long Term Care Insurance – What Does it Mean for You and Me?
I have been saying it for years now. Long term care is a growing problem in this country, one that won’t go away. Not with the population continuing to age as 77 million baby boomers start to turn 65 in a little more than a month. The sheer number of
Can I Make Gifts this Holiday Season? (Part 2)
Last week we were talking about gift giving. Most people assume an elderly family member can make gifts without any tax consequences as long as it doesn’t exceed $13,000 per person per year. That’s true. However, it may very well cause a problem if you run out of money and
Can I Give Gifts This Holiday Season (Part 1)?
As the holiday season is upon us again, so is the season of gift giving, whether it be Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or any other life event, for that matter, that we typically associate with gift giving. Many of our elderly clients ask us the following common question, “Can I make