According the to a recent study, 49% of Americans report that running out of money in retirement is one of their main concerns about growing older. [1] With the growing life expectancy and the increasing costs of long-term care, it is no wonder…
Category: Asset Protection
Asset Protection Planning: Early Planning Protects Your Money, Future, and Peace of Mind
“Well, it sounds like I should have done this years ago.” A new client’s response to the plan we presented at the end of her first meeting with our team. “Yes, most people should have started this planning way before they needed it.” The…
VA Pension with Aid and Attendance 101: Official Dates of War
As you know, the Pension with Aid and Attendance benefit can offer substantial income to help veterans and their surviving spouses pay for long-term care. This benefit, however, is only for wartime veterans. More specifically, a veteran must have served for at least 90…
Should Older Adults Consider Bankruptcy?
The recent article in the New York Times, “Too Little Too Late’: Bankruptcy Booms Among Older Americans,” stirred up quite a bit about the financial situation many older adults are facing. As the article points out, many older adults are turning to bankruptcy as a…
Expert Tips for Georgia Medicaid: How to Avoid the Medicaid “Death Bill”
The rules for Georgia Nursing Home Medicaid eligibility are confusing. We have tried our best to provide clear, concise information on our website and blog to help families understand their options and rights. One area of Medicaid law that continues to confuse and scare families is…
Expert Tips for Georgia Medicaid: Hide Your Assets in a Trust?
“Can’t I just put Mama’s assets in a trust and then apply for Medicaid?” We hear this question maybe weekly. Unfortunately for these families, qualifying for Medicaid is not that easy. Medicaid Asset Limits In Georgia, you cannot own more than $2,000 of countable assets…
Expert Tips for Georgia Medicaid: Getting Medicaid Even When You Have Too Much Income
Medicaid is a means-tested, government-provided health insurance benefit. It is the largest payer of nursing home care in Georgia. It is also commonly misunderstood. For instance, many people believe that they may have too much income for Medicaid. It is true that Georgia has an…
Deduction Changes on Tax Returns
This may be your last chance to benefit from write-offs that are easy to overlook, since the new tax law has eliminated some of them starting in 2018. If you can, claim some of these: Unreimbursed Employee Expenses – They are deductible along with other…
An IRS Audit
The IRS conducts audits to minimize the “tax gap,” or the difference between what the IRS is owed and what the IRS actually receives. Sometimes audits are random. Here are seven of the biggest red flags likely to land you in the audit hot…
Importance of a will for Medicaid planning
For married couples, updating wills and beneficiary designations are important parts of Medicaid planning. Most of our clients have “I Love You” wills that leave everything to their spouse after their death. Likewise, their assets have their spouses as the Payable on Death Beneficiaries. This…