There is a 1.6% cost of living increase for Social Security recipients starting in 2020. Long Term Care Medicaid recipients will be receiving a notice from their county’s Department of Social Services stating, “You received a Social Security and/or VA Benefits Cost of Living Increase.” It should also state the new Patient Monthly Liability (PML: […]
Retirement accounts are important assets. Currently, Roth IRAs (Individual Retirement Account) have the following rules:
-Only those singles with income below $137,000 or couples below $203,000 can contribute
-Annual contributions are limited to $6,000 or $7,000 if you are 50 or older.
-The account grows income tax free and is distributed after 59½ free of income tax.
-There is no Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) even after you are 70½.
-You can’t withdraw within 5 years of your contribution without a penalty
Why do we buy insurance? There’s Homeowners insurance, health insurance, car insurance, and more. Buying insurance is a way to shift the risk of loss. We want to avoid the financial burden that insurance companies will pay for when calamity strikes. One type of insurance that most people don’t think about is Long Term Care […]
Behavioral Economics is the study of the psychology behind the economic decisions a person makes. Economists want to know why we make the financial decisions we make. Why do we go to the grocery store and spend $150 on food for the week then go out to eat that night? Why do we travel further […]
In 2005 Congress passed the REAL ID Act to set minimum security standards for state-issued Driver’s License and Identification Cards. The REAL ID law was passed to increase security requirements to visit military bases, nuclear sites, federal facilities, and to fly. You can still drive and vote without the REAL ID, but your access to particular sites and transportation will be limited or eliminated.
You’ve been appointed as a loved one’s agent and are being told you have a Fiduciary duty to act on their behalf. What does that even mean?! What is an Agent’s (appointed under a Power of Attorney) responsibilities? You have authority to make decisions but what decisions and how? The General Durable Power of Attorney […]
Estate Planning documents (General Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, Medical Release, Digital Release, Last Will and Testament) are basic legal documents every adult should maintain. Some families need to go beyond the “basic” estate planning documents. The depth of an Estate Plan varies for each client. Trust planning helps a lot […]
Have you ever used your spouse’s (or other loved one) username and password to log in to Facebook? On-line Banking? On-line Bill Pay? If so, what you’re doing is improper and sometimes illegal. These platforms, as well as Facebook, Apps on your smart phone, your Website, photographs, E-mail and much more are all types of […]
There are three healthcare documents that a person of any age should have. Those three are a Health Care Power of Attorney, an Advanced Directive for a Natural Death, and a Medical Release. Advanced Directive for a Natural Death (ADND) is commonly referred to as a Living Will. It is a legal document very limited […]
The Medical Release is the third document in the trinity of health care documents. The Medical Release is often referred to by our law firm as a HIPAA release. HIPAA stands for Health Information Portability and Accountability Act and this law requires you to sign a separate document so that your Health Care Agent or […]
If you own a corporation or LLC, Google “Corporate Transparency Act” and file your report before the end of the year. Don’t be fined $500.00 per day for failing to file.