As the economy has slowed and housing values have dropped, reverse mortgages have become even more attractive to seniors looking for ways to use the equity in their homes without moving. But a new study by the Government Accountability Office ...   more »

President Barack Obama has given his support to a proposal for new national long-term care insurance program that would offer basic help for the elderly and disabled. The President's support could be key to making long-term care coverage a part ...   more »

Redo your Estate Plan Before you Remarry
If you are getting remarried, you obviously want to celebrate, but it is also important to focus on less exciting matters like redoing your estate plan. You may have created an estate plan ...   more »

The Top 10 Health Care Mistakes Made By the Elderly

Americans are living longer than ever before, but many older Americans could better deal with their health problems, according to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA). To help the elderly ...   more »

A durable power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have. It allows you to appoint someone to act for you (your "agent" or "attorney-in-fact") if you become incapacitated. Without a power of attorney, ...   more »

As the economy worsens, incidences of elder financial abuse are reportedly on the rise. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to scams or to financial abuse by family members in need of money.

A recent study found that up to one ...   more »

You may be interested to know that a new combination Life Insurance/Long Term Care policy has been approved in New York State. This policy differs from other combination policies in some important aspects. They are as follows:

1. The underwriting ...   more »

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled a one-to-five star rating system for nursing homes to help consumers evaluate a nursing home’s quality when selecting a facility. The ratings appear on the agency’s Nursing Home Compare Website ...   more »

When creating an estate plan, an important decision is who to name as your fiduciary. A fiduciary is a fancy legal term for the person who will take care of your property for you if you are unable to do ...   more »

The Department of Veterans Affairs, stung by criticism that its slow action has forced some severely disabled veterans to spend themselves into poverty, has moved to implement a two-year-old law requiring it to reimburse such veterans for the cost of ...   more »

Valuation discounts (particularly of the minority and marketability type) can significantly reduce what might otherwise have been the estate and gift tax values of transferred property. In contrast, the IRS often takes the position, on audit and in litigation, that ...   more »

House Ways and Means Committee member Pomeroy (D-ND) has introduced H.R. 436, “Certain Estate Tax Relief Act of 2008,” a bill that would freeze the lifetime estate tax exemption at $3.5 million per decedent (the 2009 level) and would retain ...   more »

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, ...   more »

Certainly, the current economic downturn is not going to affect the needs of some seniors for help with activities of daily living. But it could affect where that help is provided -- at home, in assisted living or in a ...   more »

A recent tax law change designed to help address the financial burden facing those who have seen their IRAs or 401(k)s shrink is expected to be signed by President Bush, officially making it law, shortly. Depending on your particular situation, ...   more »