Money & Law

Suzanne speaks with Phillip George, an elder law and estate planning attorney from Safe Harbor Legal Solutions at 360-746-7169. This segment addresses things you...

Asset protection attorney Darol Tuttle explains how a spousal protection trust will double your tax exemptions.

Elder Law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks about planning ahead — what do people need to plan for? When you can't take care of yourself, and you have trouble with activities of daily living — being able to get out of bed or a chair, bathing, eating, toileting, or dressing on your own — you're either injured (temporary) or facing a permanent change. How do you plan ahead for that financially? You can 1) do nothing, 2) buy insurance, or 3) give money away now while you're healthy, and rely on Medicaid later on. If you pick 3, work with a long-term care attorney to find a balance of what you need to care for yourself vs. what you're able to live without. Jim addresses all three choices.

Bob Carlson joins Suzanne to talk about senior retirement finances. Retirement has changed multiple times, and you can expect the details to change again before you retire, meaning you need to keep up or it can cost you a lot of money. Bob talks about changes to Medicare, inflation, and interest rates that affect retirement planning. Financial wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana.

All about long term care insurance. Insurance takes the burden from you. You want to look at a stable company and stick with it for life. These are companies you don't see in the news, don't take risks, and have a history. One that underwrites on a long-term care model is best, rather than a disability model.

Elder Law Attorney Jim Koewler talks about the dynamics of the legal side of elder care. Your elder care attorney can be your greatest asset. Jim talks about some of the changes that have happened during the pandemic. For instance, It's easier to stay on Medicaid and easier to get on Medicaid, but the general lack of ability to pay for long-term care hasn't changed.

Learn how to appoint people to represent you in situations where you're unable to act for yourself. This segment focuses on after you pass away. You can choose between a will-based estate plan or a trust-based estate plan.

When talking to an elder law attorney, what questions should you ask about spend downs, and what questions you should be prepared to answer? If you have the power of attorney for a senior loved one, how do you start the conversation with the family about their assets, and how do you best navigate this with them? Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne Newman to answer these questions.

Probate is a court process to retitle assets. Probate is designed to create a “final accounting” upon death. It is the legal process of “proving up” a will, or verifying that a will is valid, takes place in one of two instances. First, if a person dies leaving behind a will, or second, if the deceased has died intestate, that is, has not left behind a will or estate plan of any type or the will cannot be found. Estate planning attorney Steve Waltar with Legacy Estate Planning joins Suzanne to give us a primer on probate.

There are different ways you can remain solvent in your aging years, and there are techniques to maintain and preserve assets. Estate planning specialist David T. Phillips joins Suzanne to talk about the three types of leveraged care solutions and to provide an example of how they work.