The Petrosewicz Law Firm Estate Planning Blog

Spare Yourself These Retirement Expense Surprises

Learning about the common financial surprises that occur during retirement is an excellent way to try to protect nest eggs, says the article “The Expenses People Often Forget When They Plan for Retirement” from The Wall Street Journal.

A study by the Society of Actuaries found that one in five retirees and one in four widows experienced four or more financial shocks during retirement. That’s a lot of surprises for people living on fixed incomes. The good news is that the study also revealed that many older adults who experienced a stealth surprise appear to have bounced back.

Retirees are resilient, and most are good about making adjustments to their budgets to overcome their surprises. However, being prepared for these financial shocks is even better. Here are some of the more common hidden costs of retirement:

Replacement costs for big ticket items. A new furnace, a new car, or a new roof are all expenses that come up when you’re working. They don’t stop because of retirement. Many retirees underestimate their longevity and overestimate big ticket items that need replacement.

Relatives in need. This pinch can come from older parents or relatives and younger family members who find themselves in a financial crisis. An adult child who loses their job or goes through a divorce or a grandchild who needs help with tuition are some of the typical examples. Can your nest egg sustain their needs, or do you need to say no? Can other family members help?

Required distributions and taxes. Most people know that they will need to start taking withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts upon reaching 72, but they don’t often understand the larger picture. The distribution may push the couple into a higher tax bracket, and increase Medicaid Part B premiums, which are tied to annual income.

It’s not possible to anticipate every single surprise cost that will come up during retirement. However, there are a few things that can be done. First, try to avoid any major expenditures during the first five years of retirement. That’s when nest eggs are most vulnerable to bear markets. Next, while you are saving for retirement or making budgets, include money for home repairs and upkeep.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your estate planning needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 17, 2019) “The Expenses People Often Forget When They Plan for Retirement”

Special Needs Planning is a Lifelong Event

Working to get her son assessed to qualify for support programs, fighting to get benefits and finding therapists became a full-time job, and one that led to enormous costs, even with the family’s having good health insurance. In a recent article “Their Child Has Special Needs. Here’s How They’re Planning for a Lifetime of Assistance” Barron’s explores the life-long journey of caring for a special needs family member.

Smyth’s biggest worry is the same as other parents in her situation: what will happen to her now 23-year old son, when she and her husband are no longer around to support him?

For families with a special needs child, the focus is on the health of the child, but the financial and legal planning to care for someone whose life will likely extend beyond the traditional financial life of the parents is critical.

The estimates of costs are overwhelming. The lifetime cost for a person with autism averages from $1.4 million to $2.4 million, depending on whether the person has an intellectual disability, according to Autism Speaks, an advocacy group. Residential or 24/7 care can easily cost $100,000 a year.

The medical assessment is often the first step to getting benefits, through Medicaid and developmental disability and autism programs. How much and which programs may be covered, depends upon the state. Where you live matters. For parents who are thinking about where to retire, moving to a condo in Florida might be great for lowered costs and taxes, but it could mean a special needs child loses important benefits.

Beneficiary designations must be planned carefully, since a special needs individual may not own more than $2,000 in assets. An inheritance or even a job could disqualify them from accessing programs. One way to avoid this is to open an ABLE account. It’s a state-run savings account that can be funded by the special needs individual or family members with after-tax money up to $15,000 a year, and can be used for housing, education, transportation, and other services. The account’s assets are not included in the benefits calculation as long as the total balance is under $100,000.

Another option is a special needs trust, which can shelter assets. Grandparents who want to leave money to special needs children leave it in a special needs trust. The same holds for life insurance policies that pay out on the death of the parents for the special needs child. Just be careful about over-funding the trust too early, as money that goes in cannot be withdrawn for other purposes. The beneficiary of the trust after the special needs child dies, does not get a step-up in basis for taxes.

Talk with an elder lawyer about planning for the special needs child. You’ll also need to have a health care proxy, a power of attorney, a HIPAA release form and a last will and testament. The estate planning elder law attorney with experience helping special needs families may also know of important resources in your community, which can be invaluable to the qualify of life for you and your child.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your estate planning and trust needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: Barron’s (November 29, 2019) “Their Child Has Special Needs. Here’s How They’re Planning for a Lifetime of Assistance”

Holiday Gatherings Often Reveal Changes in Aging Family Members

A look in the refrigerator finds expired foods and an elderly relative is asking the same questions repeatedly. The same person who would never let you walk into the house with your shoes on now, is living in a mess. The children agree, Mom or Dad can’t live on their own anymore. It’s time to look into other options.

One of the biggest questions, according to the Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News’ article is “How to pay for long-term care.”

The first question involves the types of facilities. There are many different options but the distinctions between them are often misunderstood. Assisted living facilities provide lodging, meals, assistance with eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, medication management and transportation. However, a skilled nursing facility adds more comprehensive health care services. There’s also the personal care home, which provides assisted-living type accommodations, but on a smaller scale.

The next question is how to pay for the residential care of an elderly family. This weighs heavily on the family. That elderly person is often the one who did the caregiving for so many years. The reversal of roles can also be emotionally difficult.

There are a few different ways people pay for care for an elderly family member.

Long-term care insurance, or LTC insurance. Few elderly people have the insurance to cover their residential facility stay, but some do. Ask if such a policy exists, or go through the piles of paperwork to see if there is such a policy. It will be worth the search.

Veteran’s benefits. If your loved one or their spouse served during certain times of war, is over 65 or is disabled and received an honorable discharge, he or she may be entitled to certain programs that pay for care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Private pay. If your loved one has financial accounts or other assets, they may need to pay the cost of their residential facility from these assets. If they don’t have assets, the family may wish to contribute to their care.

Another route is to apply for Medicaid. An elder law attorney in their state of residence will be able to help the individual and their family navigate the Medicaid application, explore if there are any options to preserving assets like the family home, and help with the necessary legal strategy and documents that need to be prepared.

Meet with an elder law estate planning attorney to learn what the steps are to help your elderly loved one enjoy their quality of life, as they move into this next phase of their life.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your elder law needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News (November 30, 2019) “How to pay for longterm care.”

Special Needs Family Requires Special Planning

Taking steps to plan for the future, when loving parents will not be there to help their disabled child as they age, is a hard thing to confront. However, planning in advance for special needs family members is vital. An article titled “4 Tips for Estate Planning When Your Child Has a Disability” from Yahoo! Lifestyle offers good insights and information. An elder law attorney with a focus on special needs planning will be an invaluable resource.

Create a letter of intent. This is a letter of instruction that includes information family and friends will need, if you die or become incapacitated. It should list all the information someone would need to step into your life to care for your loved one. That includes information about medications, daily routines, strategies you use for calming and other daily living information that only you know. The goal is for someone to be able to step in and see how your life works with as little stress as possible and make the transition easier.

Meet with an attorney with experience in special needs planning. Most attorneys will meet you for a free consultation. Allow them to help you build a vision for what you want your loved one’s future to look like. They will know how to plan out the future and what documents will be needed.

Create a will. You’ll want to be the one deciding who should be the caregiver for your child, and who should be in charge of your money. Without a will, the estate goes to probate and a judge who does not know you or your child will make these decisions. Having a will ensures that assets are distributed as you intended and that the care of your child is done by someone you select.

Create a special needs trust. Your attorney will help with this special type of trust, which allows you to distribute funds and property in a way that will not make your loved one lose their government benefits. Your special needs child is not permitted to have more than $2,000 in a bank account or they will become ineligible for Medicaid and Social Security.

Create an estate plan. The estate planning attorney will be able to help you use strategies to transfer assets, after you have passed.

Set up a power of attorney or guardianship. Do you need to take full guardianship of your special needs child, when they turn 18? Can he or she understand money and decisions? Will they ask for help? Supported decision-making is a viable alternative for some families, but you know your child best. If necessary, power of attorney for financial and for medical issues may work better. Talk to an attorney when your child turns 17, so that you can be prepared.

Establish an ABLE Account. An ABLE account ensures that benefits are not jeopardized. The account can hold money to ensure that your child never has more than the permitted number of assets.

Take this one step at a time, as you likely have done throughout your special needs child’s life. It may take a long time to put all of these steps in order, so start now.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with special needs planning.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected]. 

Reference: Yahoo! Lifestyle (August 26, 2019) “4 Tips for Estate Planning When Your Child Has a Disability”

Disappointing News from Social Security for 2020

The annual Cost of Living Adjustment, aka COLA, for 2020, is a smidge of an increase: 1.6%. That’s only slightly more than half of the 2.8% COLA for 2019. For the average beneficiary that means about $23.50 more per month, says the Globe Gazette’s article “Disappointed in Your Social Security Raise? 3 Steps to Take.” It’s a lot like getting a tiny raise that doesn’t budge the budget needle at all. Remember, there’s also going to be an increase in Medicare Part B, which is expected to rise by $8.80. That puts a raise of just $14.70 per month in benefits, once New Year’s Day passes.

The problem is, healthcare costs are continuing to climb. That puts seniors in a bind, especially those who count on Social Security for the bulk of their retirement income. Is there anything you can do to beef up your income?

Review and revise your budget. You needed a budget when you were working, and you really need one in retirement. If you are using up all your available income every month, it may be time to make some changes. Maybe it’s finally time to clear out the big sprawling ranch and downside to a two-bedroom condo. Going from a two-car household to a one-car family could net considerable savings. If you eat most of your meals out at restaurants, consider trimming those outings to cut spending.

Work part-time. You likely have a lot of time on your hands, as a retired person. Getting a part-time job during retirement has a number of benefits. One, you have less free time to spend money, two, you have income and three, you have more social interactions during working hours. There’s also no need to accept a job that you wouldn’t want. Maybe you are great at baking and can turn that into a side business, or dog walking or crafting. Pet-sitting and babysitting are in demand.

Move somewhere less expensive. The cost of living varies greatly from state to state. Look for states that don’t tax Social Security and that offer a lower cost of living and a relatively low income tax rate. However, check your Medicare benefits. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans vary from state to state. If you have supplemental insurance through Medigap, the cost of your plan may change.

If so much of your retirement income budget is based on Social Security, be prepared to make some changes. You can stretch those benefits and, at the same time, lessen your stress.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your estate planning needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: Globe Gazette (October 14, 2019) “Disappointed in Your Social Security Raise? 3 Steps to Take”

Why an Attorney Should Help with a Medicaid Application

Elder law attorneys can be very helpful when planning for Medicaid coverage, and they can save money in the long run, ensuring that you (or a loved one) get the best care. Instead of waiting to see how wrong the process can get, says The Middletown Press, it’s best to “Use a lawyer for Medicaid planning” right from the start. Here’s why.

Conflict of interests. When a nursing home refers a family to people for preparing the Medicaid application, very often the person has dual loyalties: to the nursing home who refers them the work, and to the family who will pay them a fee for help with applying for benefits. Whose interests comes first?  In Texas it is illegal for anyone, other than an attorney, to charge a fee to complete the Medicaid application.

Everyone wants the Medicaid application to be successful, but let’s be realistic. It’s in the nursing home’s best interest that the resident pays privately for as long as possible, before going on Medicaid. It’s in the resident or family member’s best interest to protect the family’s assets for care for the resident’s spouse or family.

An attorney has a duty of loyalty only to her client. She also has an ethical and professional responsibility to put her client’s needs ahead of her own.

Saving money is possible. Nursing homes in some areas cost as much as $15,000 a month. While every market and every law practice is different, it would be unusual for legal fees to cost more than a month in the facility. With an experienced attorney’s help, you might save more than her fee in long-term care and probate cost. Most attorneys will consult with new clients at little or no cost to determine what they need and what they want to achieve before paying a larger fee.

The benefit of experience. It’s all well and good to read through pages of online information, but nothing beats the years of experience that an attorney who practices in this area can bring to the table. Any professional in any field develops knowledge of the ins and outs of an area and applying for Medicaid is no different. Without experience, it’s hard to know how it all works.

Peace of mind from a reliable, reputable source. Today we hear a lot about “FOMO,” or fear of missing out. Consulting with an experienced attorney about a Medicaid application will help you avoid years of wondering, if there was more you could have done to help yourself or your loved one.

There are multiple opportunities for nursing home residents to preserve assets for themselves and spouses, children and grandchildren, particularly when a family member has special needs. However, here’s a key fact: if you wait for the last minute, there will be far less options than if you begin planning long before there’s a need to apply for Medicaid.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your Medicaid needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: The Middletown Press (July 29, 2019) “Use a lawyer for Medicaid planning”

How to Plan for Long-Term Care Costs

The odds are that most of us will need long-term care. At least 52% of those over age 65 will need some type of long-term care at some point in our lives, according to a study conducted by AARP. As most of us are living longer, we’ll probably need that care for a longer period of time, as reported in the article “It’s best to plan for long-term care” from the Times Herald-Record.

Here’s the problem: ignore this issue, and it won’t go away. This is a fairly common response for people 55 and older. The size of the problem makes it a bit overwhelming, and the cost to tackle it seems unsolvable. However, not addressing it becomes even more expensive. How can we possibly pay for long-term care insurance?

Here’s a simple example: a 64-year-old woman who broke her ankle in three places. She was healthy and mobile. However, a badly broken ankle required extensive rehabilitation and she was not able to stay in her home. She has been living at a rehabilitation center and the costs are mounting. What could she have done?

There are two basic ways (with a number of variations) to pay for long-term care.

The first and most obvious: purchase a long-term care insurance policy. Only 2.7 million Americans own these policies. They are wise to protect themselves and their families.

Most families put off buying this kind of insurance, because it’s expensive at any age and stage. The average cost is about $2,170, according to the Kiplinger Retirement Report, for about $328,000 worth of insurance. That rate varies, and it should be noted that if you have a chronic condition, you may not be able to purchase a policy at all.

If a local nursing home costs $216,000 per year and you have $328,000 of coverage, you’ll run out of coverage. The average nursing home stay is about two years. As boomers age, the cost of long-term care insurance is rising, while benefits are becoming skimpier, says Kiplinger.

There are some alternatives: a hybrid life insurance plan that includes long-term care coverage.  However, those can be more expensive than regular long-term care insurance. Try about $8,000 a year for a 55-year-old, about $13,000 for a 65-year-old.

Another choice: a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust. You’ll need to work with an estate planning attorney to create and fund this trust long before you actually need it. Your assets must be placed in the trust five years before an application to Medicaid, which will then pay for your care.

These are complicated matters that become very costly, often at a time when you are least able to deal with yet another issue. Speak with an estate planning attorney before you need the care and learn how they can help you protect your spouse and your assets.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your estate planning needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: Times Herald-Record (July 22, 2019) “It’s best to plan for long-term care”

Are Retirement Finances Prepared for Long-Term Care Costs?

Men will need assistance for an average of 2.2 years, and women will need help for 3.7 years, says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration of Aging. Many people are hoping that they can count on receiving care from spouses or children, that is, unpaid care, says The Detroit News in an informative article, “What to know about aging and long-term care costs.” Unfortunately, that’s not always how things work out.

Here’s what often happens:

• More than a third of seniors will need to stay in a nursing home, where the median annual cost of a private room has skyrocketed to more than $100,000.
• Four out of 10 people will opt for paid care at home. The median annual cost of a home health aide is more than $50,000.
• More than 50% of all seniors will incur some kind of long-term care costs, and 15% of those will incur more than $250,000 in costs, according to a study by Vanguard Research and Mercer Health and Benefits.

Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care. Medicare does not cover what it terms “custodial” care. For most Americans, who have a median of $126,000 in retirement savings, that’s an immediate financial wipeout. They will end up on Medicaid, the government health program that pays for about half of all nursing home and custodial care.

Those who live alone, are in poor health, or have chronic conditions are more likely than others to need long-term care. For women, there are special risks, since statistically women outlive husbands and may not have anyone to provide them with unpaid care. If paying for long-term care for a husband wipes out the couples’ retirement funds, the surviving spouse may be facing a long retirement living on nothing but their Social Security check.

Everyone approaching retirement needs a plan. The options are:

Long-term care insurance. The average annual premium for a 55-year-old couple was $3,050 in 2019. The older you are, the higher the cost and if you have chronic conditions, you may not qualify.

Hybrid long-term care insurance. Life insurance or annuities with long-term care benefits now outsell traditional long-term care insurance by a rate of about four to one. This requires committing a large sum of money up front but is a way to obtain long-term care insurance.

Home equity. Selling a home to pay for nursing home care is not the best solution. However, it may be the only solution, particularly if it’s the only asset. Reverse mortgages may be an option, if one person wants to remain in the home.

Contingency reserve. A wealthy family with assets may simply earmark some assets for long-term care, setting aside a certain amount of money in an investment that can be liquidated without penalty.

Spending down to Medicaid. People with little or no retirement savings could end up depending on Medicaid. There are ways to protect assets for spouses, but it requires working with an elder law estate planning attorney in advance.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your Medicaid needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: The Detroit News (June 10, 2019) “What to know about aging and long-term care costs”

Long-Term Care Costs and Your Estate Plan

There are many misunderstandings about long-term or nursing home care and how to plan from a financial and legal standpoint. The article “Five myths about nursing home costs and estate planning” from The Sentinel seeks to clarify the facts and dispel the myths. Some of the truths may be a little hard to hear, but they are important to know.

Myth One: Before any benefits can be received for nursing home care, a married couple must have spent at least half of their assets and everything but $120,000. If the person receiving nursing home care is single, they must spend almost all assets on the cost of care, before they qualify for aid.

Fact: Nursing homes have no legal duty to advise anyone before or after they are admitted about this myth.

Several opportunities to spend money on items other than a nursing home include home repairs, debt, a new car, and funeral prepayment. An elder law attorney will know how to use a Medicaid-compliant annuity to preserve assets, without spending them on the cost of care, depending on state law.

There are people who say that an attorney should not help a client take advantage of legally permitted methods to save their money. If those people don’t like the laws, let them lobby to change them. Experienced elder law and estate planning attorneys help middle-class clients preserve their life savings, much like millionaires use CPAs to minimize annual federal income taxes.

Myth Two: The nursing home will take our family’s home if we cannot pay for the cost of care.

Fact: Nursing homes do not want and will not take your home. They just want to be paid. If you can’t afford to pay, the state will use Medicaid money to pay, as long as the family meets the eligibility requirements. The state may eventually attempt to recover against the estate of the person who is on Medicaid to recover funds that the state has used for care.

A good elder law attorney will know how to help the family meet those requirements, so that the adult children are not sued by the nursing home for filial responsibility collection rights, if applicable under state law. The attorney will also know what exceptions and legal loopholes can be used to preserve the family home and avoid estate recovery efforts.

Myth Three. We’ve promised our parents that they’ll never go to a nursing home.

Fact: There is a good chance that an aging parent, because of dementia or the various frailties of aging, will need to go to a nursing home at some point, because the care that is provided is better than what the family can do at home.

What our loved ones really want is to know that they won’t be cast off and abandoned, and that they will get the best care possible. When home care is provided by a spouse over an extended period of time, often both spouses end up needing care.

Myth Four: I love my children equally, so I am going to make all of them my legal agent.

Fact: It’s far better for one child to be appointed as the legal agent, so that disagreements between siblings don’t impact decisions. If health care decisions are delayed because of differing opinions, the doctor will often make the decision for the patient. If children don’t get along in the best of circumstances, don’t expect that to change when an aging parent is facing medical, financial and legal issues in a nursing home.

Myth Five. We did our last will and testament years ago and nothing’s changed, so we don’t need to update anything.

Fact: The most common will leaves everything to a spouse, and thereafter everything goes to the children. That’s fine, until someone has dementia or is in a nursing home. If one spouse is in the nursing home and receiving government benefits, eligibility for the benefits will be lost, if the other spouse dies and leaves assets to the spouse who is receiving care in the nursing home.

A fundamental asset preservation strategy is to make changes to the will. It is not necessary to cut the spouse out of the will, but a well-prepared will can provide for the spouse, preserve assets and maintain the surviving spouse’s Medicaid eligibility.

When there has been a diagnosis of early stage dementia, it is critical that an estate planning attorney’s help be obtained as soon as possible, while the person still has legal capacity to make changes to important documents.

The important lesson for all the myths and facts above: see an experienced estate planning elder law attorney to make sure you are prepared for the best care and to preserve assets.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your elder law needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: The Sentinel (May 10, 2019) “Five myths about nursing home costs and estate planning”

Long Term Care Decisions Cause Challenges for Families

One year at an assisted living facility in New Hampshire has a median cost of $56,000, and the median annual cost of a semi-private room at a nursing home is $124,000, reports Genworth, a national insurance company known for its annual “cost of care” survey.

Families are often surprised to learn that health insurance and Medicare will pay little, if any, of the costs of long-term care, reports New Hampshire Business Review in the article “The dilemma of long-term care.” Some may try caring for a loved one at home, but this is stressful and often becomes unmanageable. Assisted-living facilities can be wonderful alternatives, if the family can afford them. Long-term care insurance is considered one of the important financial protections as we age, but relatively few people have it.

A growing problem with Medicaid-paid care, is that it can be hard to find a facility that accepts it. Not to mention that the loved one’s assets have to be down to $2,000 (note: this number varies by state), which requires advance planning or becoming impoverished.

Most people have no idea how this part of healthcare works, and then when something occurs, the family is faced with a crisis.

The Department of Health and Human Services projects that as many as 70% of Americans age 65 and older will need long-term care during their lives, for roughly one to three years. Yet little more than a third of all Americans age 40 and older have set aside any money to pay for that care.

There are ways to pay for long-term care, but they require planning in advance. This is something people should start to look into, once they reach 50. The top reason to do the planning: to take the burden of care off of the shoulders of loved ones. From a strictly financial viewpoint, we should all start saving for long-term care as soon as we become adults. However, not everyone does that.

Families pay for long-term care with a mixture of assets:

• Personal savings provide the most flexibility. This is not an option for many, as one half of American households with workers 55 and older have no retirement savings.
• Veterans disability benefits can be used for long-term care services, but the non-disability benefits available to veterans are more limited. They may cover in-home services and adult day care, but not rent at an assisted living facility.
• If a loved one owns a home, they can take out a reverse mortgage and use the lump sum or monthly payout for long-term healthcare needs. The money is repaid, when the home is sold or passed on to an heir.
• Medicare will pay for some long-term care, but only under very limited conditions. It may cover skilled nursing care in a facility but not the care for daily living activities, including toileting, dressing and others. Coverage is all expenses for the first 20 days in a facility and then there is a daily co-pay of about $170 for the next 80 days after which all coverage stops.
• Medicaid is the source of last resort, but what many families eventually turn to.

Planning in advance for long-term care is the best option, and while premiums for long-term healthcare may seem expensive, having insurance is better than having no insurance. For many families, watching the costs consume a lifetime of savings is enough of a spur to planning for long-term care. Speak with an elder law attorney about to prepare for long-term care needs, as part of your estate plan.

The Petrosewicz Law Firm can assist you with your estate planning needs.  Contact us today at (281) 344-9455 or [email protected].  

Reference: New Hampshire Business Review (May 23, 2019) “The dilemma of long-term care”