All Recent Articles

It is that time of year again — time to reassess whether your Medicare plan is working for you. Medicare’s open enrollment period began November 15 and continues until midnight December 31. During this period, you may enroll in a Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan or, if you currently have a plan, you may […]

As the New Year approaches, taxpayers around the nation are thinking about making gifts or other financial moves before January 1 that will benefit them come April 15, 2010. Here are some year-end considerations relating to gifting, distributions from retirement accounts, charitable donations, retirement account rollover options and more.
A Reprieve on RMDs
Last year, as the […]

Price rollbacks throughout the U.S. economy during the past year did not apply to long-term care service providers, according to the 2009 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs. Private room nursing home rates rose 3.3 percent to $79,935 a year or $219 a day, while assisted […]

Many people think that estate plans are for someone else, not them. They may rationalize that they are too young or don’t have enough money to reap the tax benefits of a plan. But as the following list makes clear, estate planning is for everyone, regardless of age or net worth. (For more information on […]

After not rising last year, the basic premium for Medicare Part B will shoot up 15 percent to $110.50 a month in 2010 from $96.40 in 2008 and 2009. But most beneficiaries will be exempted from paying this increase. Whether the rest will be able to avoid it as well remains to be seen.
The explanation […]

Getting remarried can be a joyous event, but it can also make estate planning more complicated. Adding additional family members to your life can make it much richer and happier However, when deciding how to provide for the surviving spouse at the death of the first, and how your combined estate shall be divided amongst […]

The Internal Revenue Service reminds consumers to avoid identity theft scams that use the IRS name, logo or Web site in an attempt to convince taxpayers that the scam is a genuine communication from the IRS. Scammers may use other federal agency names, such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
In an identity theft scam, […]

Although talking to your parents about money can be difficult, not discussing finances now could mean more problems and conflicts later. Can We Talk? is a practical guide to working with your parents to make financial plans and preserve legacies while you both still have the luxury of time.
Written by certified financial planner Bob Mauterstock, […]

There is an extremely helpful new website for family members who are the caregivers of their elderly parents.  Parentgiving.com was created to help time-starved caregivers provide better care for their aging parents.  This new website provides in-depth information and helpful checklists about a variety of caregiving topics; on-call professional care managers who possess the expertise […]

Elder Abuse is a growing problem. Unfortunately, seniors have become the favored target of unscrupulous persons who see their vulnerability as a means to a profit.   Sadly, much of the abuse and exploitation is perpetrated by the people who are most trusted by the victims - like their spouses, children, grandchildren, caregivers, or financial or […]