When most of us think about estate planning, we often find some of the terms a bit confusing. We know what a will us, more or less, and we may have some idea what a health care power of attorney is for, but what about a living will? Is that something we need, and if … Read more

The most important bit of advice we can offer about your estate plan is to have one. The second most important advice: keep it up to date. Your circumstances will inevitably change as your life goes on, and odds are those documents you had prepared back when the senior George Bush was President could stand … Read more

Anyone who has ever sailed in open water understands the idea of a safe harbor. When the weather threatens and the sea becomes turbulent, even the largest ships head for the calm, protective waters of a port where they can ride out the storm in safety – a “safe harbor.” In a metaphorical way, a … Read more

Lately we’ve shared several articles her on the AgingOptions Blog about estate planning. Last week, for example, we wrote about a caregiver who had changed her aunt’s will, unbeknownst to her cousins. A few weeks before came this article about an estate planning checklist. Then there was the article in early March about why people put off writing a will. … Read more

Here at the AgingOptions blog, we’re a bit cautious about sharing the words of financial advice columnists. Too often these so-called journalists have a product or service to sell, and they’ve paid for the privilege of inserting an opinion piece under the guise of “financial news.” But this particular advice column from MarketWatch raised a legal and family … Read more

Among the lessons learned during the COVID pandemic – too often learned the hard way – is the imperative to prepare ourselves for the unexpected. Two years ago, few people could have predicted the upheaval triggered by lockdowns, illness, and, tragically, premature death.  Writing for the Kiplinger financial website, financial planner Ron Brown urges that we use the pandemic … Read more