Gainesville Florida Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog

We’re always looking for ways to live healthier and longer. Results of a European study that were released recently indicate one way to live longer is to help raise grandchildren.

The study was conducted between 1990 and 2009 and included 500 people who were over age 70. Participants completed interviews and medical tests every two years.

The results indicated that the risk of dying during the 20-year study period was one-third lower for grandparents who cared for their grandchildren, compared with grandparents who did not provide any childcare.
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If you’re turning 65 in 2017, it will be a big year for you. Not the least of the significant occurrences that will happen is your Medicare eligibility.

And with so much uncertainty awaiting us all in the insurance industry, Medicare may be coming to you just in time.

With the exception of certain people, there are actions you must take in order to enroll in Medicare. If you are already receiving Social Security retirement benefits or collecting from the Railroad Retirement Board, your enrollment in Medicare Part A is automatic.

If you’re struggling to find a gift for a caregiver, we have a solution. Offer them the gift of time.

Most caregivers don’t want to recognize that they need a break from their role. And, as a result, they won’t ask for it. Especially if they have been at it for a long time, the likelihood is that they definitely need some respite.
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There may be no worse day in your life as the one when your spouse passes.

After a lifetime together, you are suddenly alone. It’s hard enough to just consider the emotional aspects of such a day. But what happens when you have to add legal and financial issues on top of that? It has to be overwhelming. And if the spouse who has passed is the one who handled most of the legal and financial affairs, it may be near impossible.
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In the last few weeks we have written here about dealing with family legal issues as you gather for the holidays. For a variety of reasons, these are not always easy discussions but they are always more successful when the family is all together.

The toughest of these many discussions deals with the division of tangible personal property.

The Florida Department of Revenue defines tangible personal property as all goods, chattels, and other articles of value (excluding some vehicular items) capable of manual possession and whose chief value is intrinsic to the article itself. Inventory and household goods are excluded.

With the holidays approaching, there’s a greater likelihood that families will be gathering to celebrate. That often means this is the one time of the year children get to see their aging parents.

While we are not suggesting that you should not enjoy this time as a family, it is also an opportunity to discuss and review family estate planning issues.

Some questions to consider are whether any adult children are able and willing to assume the duties of the agent under a power of attorney, personal representative and/or trustee. Each has its own unique responsibilities.
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If you are older than 70½ now is a great time to take advantage of giving an IRA distribution to a charity. That’s because it’s free. You can rollover up to $100,000 from your IRA to your favorite charity.

This distribution can be made to any 501(c)(3) charity.  And the best part is you do not have to report the distribution as income on your tax return.
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Back in mid-October we posted here about the opening of Medicare’s annual enrollment period. If you haven’t given the open-enrollment period any thought, it’s time to do just that, as it closes Dec. 7.

Whether you are happy with your 2016 plan or not, you should take this opportunity to review what you have.

Among the things you should be considering are options regarding traditional Medicare, Part D prescription drug plans and Part C Medicare Advantage plans.

It is unfortunate that the people in our society most often duped by schemers are our seniors. So it’s always good to understand what the most common of these schemes are in order to avoid them.

As we get toward the end of the year and the beginning of 2017, we are approaching tax season. Tax scams are some of the most common ones we see. The IRS has issued several consumer alerts in the last few years, as this becomes more and more common.
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We have heard many stories of families who choose to cremate loved ones, and then keep those remains in a place of honor in their home. There have even been circumstances when those cremated remains are divided among family members.

But a new ruling issued by the Vatican late last month will put Catholics who choose one of these options in opposition to church doctrine.

The Catholic Church only permitted burial for most of its 2,000-year history, arguing that it best expressed the Christian hope in resurrection. That changed in 1963 when the Vatican allowed cremation as long as it didn't suggest a denial of faith about resurrection.
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There are six changes coming to Social Security in 2017, the most significant being a slight increase in payments.

Social Security payments will increase by 0.3 percent staring in January. The result of this cost-of-living adjustment is an estimated beneficiary increase of $5 a month, making the average monthly payment for retired workers $1,360 in 2017. Retired couples will receive an average of $2,260 per month, up from $2,254 in 2016.
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