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Creating a spendthrift trust for your loved one can limit their spending and protect wealth. While this type of trust may come at the expense of their autonomy, it can provide them with greater financial security.

Starting an estate plan can be overwhelming, and you probably have many questions. You are not alone. Below are eight questions people often ask about last wills and testaments as they begin to think about estate planning.

Although in some situations the advantages outweigh the disadvantages when selecting beneficiaries, there are always exceptions.

Life estates are ways for you to transfer property to another party while retaining the right to live there until you pass away, or some other event occurs. As the grantor of the life estate deed, you become a life tenant of the property.

When individuals cannot manage their finances, courts can appoint guardians. Financial guardianship is for those who need help handling money.

Seniors and disabled citizens will receive more access to the Medicare Extra Help Program as of the beginning of 2024, the federal government announced. This expansion of benefits could enable up to 3 million people to reduce their prescription drug costs.

When Geraldine Tyler, age 94, relocated to a senior community, she stopped paying property taxes on her home. After the property was foreclosed on, the county where Tyler’s home was located sold the property for $40,000 to recover about $15,000 in unpaid property taxes. Tyler received none of the remaining profits from the sale. Tyler took her case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Tyler’s local government violated the U.S. Constitution by keeping more money than it was owed and not returning surplus funds to her.

Under a federal pilot program, a number of states are using Medicaid funds to cover healthy food costs for Medicaid recipients. Ultimately, the trial program seeks to determine whether nutrition support can help prevent and manage certain chronic illnesses related to diet.

Estate planning is an important consideration for all couples. However, for LGBTQ+ couples (or former couples), it may be more important than they realize to review their circumstances and see whether they have an estate plan that accurately reflects their wishes.

When people pass away, they leave behind assets, property, and possessions that can have sentimental and real value for surviving family members and loved ones. Everything that an individual owns upon their death is known as their estate.

If you are in the hospital, you may want your loved ones to be able to access information about your prognosis. However, if you have not authorized them to receive specifics regarding your medical condition, they could be denied these details.   

A trust is a legal document that you can set up to give assets to someone else. Trusts can be revocable or irrevocable. If you (the grantor) choose to create a revocable trust, you can modify it at any point during your lifetime. With irrevocable trusts, however, you generally cannot make any changes once you establish this type of trust.

Vermont has become the first state in the U.S. to update its end-of-life choice law to make it legal for nonresidents to pursue medically assisted suicide.

According to the 2023 Wills and Estate Planning Survey by Caring.com, only 34 percent of Americans have an estate plan.

In late 2022, the federal government passed legislation known as the SECURE 2.0 Act. Provisions in this bill have made it easier for people to fund certain annuities that can delay taxes on their retirement funds until the age of 85.

Safe housing that meets older adults’ needs is essential to healthy aging in communities. Many seniors with low, fixed incomes struggle to balance housing expenses with the costs of health care, transportation, and groceries.

End-of-life decisions are never easy. One of the most important decisions you may make regarding health care as you age could be whether you need a nursing home or hospice care. To make the best choice for you and your family, it helps to know the difference between the nature of the care provided through a nursing home as compared with hospice.

Adults 65 and older constitute the fasting-growing age demographic in the United States. When it comes to elder care, this expanding population is facing a scarcity in people equipped to support them as they get older.

Most older adults want to remain in their homes and communities as they age rather than move into assisted living facilities or nursing homes. For those who wish to maintain their independence and continue living at home as they grow older, taking certain steps to protect their physical, mental, and financial welfare is essential.

A power of attorney (POA) is a document that authorizes one or more parties (each known as an “agent” or “attorney-in-fact”) to act on behalf of a person (referred to as the “principal”). Most powers of attorney documents are guided by state law, which sets forth the POA form and the specific requirements regarding what defines a valid power of attorney.

Most people recognize that they need to plan for the future. Yet while financial planning has been at the top of many Americans’ minds, a vast majority of people have stalled in creating an estate plan.

A pour over will is a type of estate planning document. It works in concert with a living trust and goes into effect if you become incapacitated or pass away. In such a scenario, this document ensures that any assets you had not transferred to your existing living trust are directed (or “poured over”) to it.

A power of attorney is among one of the most important incapacity planning documents you can have. It designates someone you trust with taking care of your affairs if you become unable to do so.

Many older Americans choose to have their family members care for them as they age. Despite the comfort a familiar face may provide, there is a significant cost for the loved ones who sacrifice their time, and often their upward economic mobility, to ensure that they can secure proper care for their senior parent.

Hospice care is a type of health care that patients with terminally ill conditions rely on at the end of their lives. This type of care focuses on pain management and emotional, spiritual, and familial support for patients nearing the end of their lives.