Author Archives: Linda Fisher
What Should I Know About Medicaid?
Medicaid is the federal program that gives healthcare benefits to those who cannot afford them. Many people who end up requiring long-term care can pay for it out of their own their own assets, at least initially. However, because long-term care expenses are so astronomical, many people end up accessing Medicaid benefits, after their… Read More »
Does Your Retirement Plan Include Long Term Care Insurance?
Roughly 60% of those turning 65 can anticipate using some form of long-term care in their lives, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. It may be a nursing home, assisted living, or in-home care. CNBC’s recent article, “Not having long-term care insurance can be ‘the single biggest devastator’ of your financial… Read More »
Planning for Care in Advance
An aging parent’s health can fail suddenly, or they can have a fall that will unexpectedly put them into a precarious state. Therefore, it is vitally important that legal and medical arrangements be made, while they are still well enough to be an active participant in decisions, advises TAP into Roxbury in the article… Read More »
Steps to Take as a Parent’s Condition Takes a Turn
An 80-year-old man had seizures several months ago. He was treated in the hospital and since then, has had some lapses in short-term memory. His long-term memory is okay, but he is not retaining day-to-day matters very well. His awareness of a loss of some functionality has left him frustrated and a little depressed,… Read More »
How to Keep Giving After We Are Gone
Americans are a generous people, giving of our time and resources, through donations and volunteering. However, according to the article “Charitable conundrum: Why do we give up on giving at death?” from the Austin Business Journal, less than one out of nine individuals include a charitable donation as part of their estate plan. Why… Read More »
When Selecting Beneficiaries Gets Overlooked
Here’s one way to mess up your estate plan: naming beneficiaries not by name, but by the generic term “children.” If yours is a blended family, your stepchildren may be out of luck, according to the article “Five mistakes to avoid when naming beneficiaries” from Delco Times. In many states, stepchildren aren’t recognized if… Read More »
Fisher Law Welcomes New Staff Members
Fisher Law LLC is delighted to announce that Nancy L. Hogan has joined us as a legal secretary/administrative assistant. Nancy joined Fisher Law LLC as a seasoned legal secretary having 38 plus years of experience in the legal field. She is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she earned her Associate Degree in a Legal… Read More »
How Can I Make Amendments to an Estate Plan?
If you want to make changes to your estate plan, don’t think you can just scratch out a line or two and add your initials. For most people, it’s not that simple, says the Lake County Record-Bee’s recent article “Amending estate planning documents.” If documents are not amended correctly, the resulting disappointment and costs… Read More »
What Do I Do With an Inherited IRA?
When a family member dies and you discover you’re the beneficiary of a retirement account, you’ll need to eventually make decisions about how to handle the money in the IRA that you will be inheriting. Forbes’ recent article, “What You Need To Know About Inheriting An IRA, ” says that being proactive and making… Read More »
If My Mom Wants to Give Me Her House, Is It Better to Inherit or Buy It?
Say that your mom owns a house without a mortgage, and she’d like to transfer the house to her adult son and daughter. The issue is whether it’s a better strategy to make the transfer via gift or a sale. Let’s throw in the fact that the son is a U.S. citizen, but the… Read More »