On September 18, the Veterans Administration (VA) published new rules that make it more difficult to qualify for this important benefit after October 18 of this year. For example, any gifts that you made in the past 36 months, either to a family member or to an irrevocable trust, would be penalized. Likewise, an investment in an annuity would be penalized. This means you could be prohibited from qualifying for VA pension benefits for up to 5 years, depending on the amount of the gift(s).

Did you know 73% of consumers have outstanding debt when they die? According to December 2016 data provided to Credit.com by credit bureau Experian, the average debt is $61,000.

Who pays for that?

Two new federal laws permit Medicare Advantage plans to offer telemedicine as a covered benefit and allow doctors to bill the government for monitoring certain patients remotely using telemedicine tools like tracking heartbeat and rhythm, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

Telemedicine, also referred to as telehealth, allows you to ‘visit’ with a doctor using a computer, tablet or phone that has a camera. The doctor --  who may be down the street or across the country -- is able to coach you through some simple steps that may be needed for a diagnosis, like feeling your throat for swelling. (Many area hospitals offer telehealth apps that you can download to your computer or telephone.)

If your child has special needs, you have undoubtedly spent a lot of time caring for him/her day to day and preparing for his/her the future. You Estate Plan can continue to provide a watchful eye over your loved one if you make smart decisions now. 

One of the best decisions you can make is to create a special – or what we like to call a supplemental -- needs trust for your child.

A properly structured trust manages your child’s inheritance so public benefits that cover food, shelter and medical care are not lost.

In our last blog, we talked about the importance of being very specific in an Advanced Directive about receiving food and hydration when you cannot speak for yourself, potentially because of late stage dementia.

A recent article in Time magazine addresses another common medical procedure which often violates a patients’ wishes: the use of breathing machines.

If a patient arrives in an Emergency Department with difficulty breathing, staff may quickly suggest a breathing machine.

As individuals live longer with chronic illnesses, problems with traditional Advanced Directives for health care are beginning to become apparent.

We encourage veterans to carefully read about recent changes to VA benefits and access to care.

No one wants to think about his or her death, but a little preparation in the form of a prepaid funeral contract can be useful.

Recent news stories highlight how small mistakes can create real problems for you as you grow older. Here are two you can learn from.

If you are like most Americans, you want to live to a ripe old age in your own home.

Everyone has heard the terms “will” and “trust,” but not everyone knows the differences between the two. Both are useful

Although estate planning will probably be the last thing on your mind after a divorce, you should certainly review your will

We live in a wonderful country with freedoms many people around the world only dream about.

Lots of people, from 20 to 90, are buying Bitcoin (BTC). Some hope to see the value grown and cash

Older parents are becoming more common, driven in part by changing cultural mores and surrogate motherhood. Comedian and author Steve