Posts by Doug Reed
Jump Starting the LTC Conversation This Summer: When we turn 65, there will be a 70% chance of needing some type of LTC
Talking about long-term-care (LTC) can be challenging, and it can be especially difficult to know where to start. How you choose to broach the conversation may depend on your loved one’s personality, age, health status, cognitive function, and religious beliefs. If you don’t know how to break the ice, consider the following strategies to jump-start…
Read MoreTips to Avoid Common Estate Planning Mistakes: With a few simple actions, you can ensure your estate planning is effective
Whether your estate plan is simple or complex, there are many details, which are often overlooked, that can undermine your plan’s effectiveness. Are you aware of these common estate planning mistakes? Titling property jointly with your children as a substitute for a will. Unlike a will, a transfer of an interest in your property is…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Estate Planning Process: A well-structured estate plan can be invaluable to you and your family
It is common for people to put off planning their estates. After all, no one wants to anticipate his or her own death. In addition, many people may believe that only the wealthy require estate planning or that all that is involved is tax planning, which can be done “later.” They may well be wrong…
Read MoreInflation Impacts Your Insurance Coverage Too: Make the necessary updates before you need them (when it’s too late)
When Jill and John Smith purchased their life insurance policies ten years ago, they based their coverage on their anticipated obligations and needs. They made policy decisions, taking into account the mortgage on their home, projected college education costs, and living expenses. Well, that was then – and this is now. Recently, the Smiths reevaluated…
Read MoreWhat to Do When Your Term Life Insurance Is Expiring: Many families are discovering that a 20-year term for a life insurance policy isn’t enough.
In an ideal world, you buy life insurance when your kids are young or you’ve purchased your first home, and you need the coverage only for about 20 years. By the time your policy nears the end of its term, your kids are on their own, your house is mostly paid off, and you’ve accumulated…
Read MoreLife Insurance: How Much Is Enough?
You may already be aware of the importance of having enough life insurance coverage to handle financial matters that could affect your family in the event of your death. However, determining the appropriate amount of coverage for your family can be complicated. Rather than using an arbitrary formula, such as having enough coverage to equal…
Read MoreA Boomer Train Wreck is Still on Schedule: MedPAC cautions that Medicare Advantage may worsen Medicare’s sustainability.
Baby boomers’ huge numbers and surprisingly shaky health threaten government old-age benefits. That’s why you need to bolster your own retirement finances more than ever. More than 60 members of the U.S. Senate have sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services urging the agency to protect Medicare Advantage by keeping rates…
Read MoreLife Insurance: Changing Times, Changing Needs: Questions that all policyholders should ask themselves at least once a year
When Judy purchased her life insurance policy 10 years ago, she thought her insurance planning was complete. She assumed that if she paid her premiums on time, she could sit back and not think about life insurance anymore. Judy’s life insurance may help to protect her loved ones from future uncertainties, but her policy should…
Read More12 Strategies to Generate Income in Retirement
When it comes to saving for retirement, maybe you’ve done everything right. You started early, maxed out your 401(k) plan, invested in a diversified portfolio and avoided costly mistakes, such as cashing out your retirement plan. Fantastic. But now comes the hard part: making sure you don’t outlive your money. That’s a tall order for…
Read MoreEleven Smart Moves to Make Your Money Last in Retirement
Financial advisers will tell you that the most telling — and risky — years of your retirement are the five before you leave the 9-to-5 world, and the five after you have forsaken a steady paycheck and learn to live on Social Security, perhaps a pension, and a lifetime of wealth accumulation through a retirement…
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