Category: Finances
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Medicare 101
Many of us – especially if we’ve been paying high premiums for insurance – look forward to the time when we are eligible for Medicare. Getting enrolled, understanding what’s covered and what’s not, and choosing between original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan can be a bit confusing, however. Here are some basics to get…
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Medicare Open Enrollment
If you are enrolled in Medicare, your annual opportunity to make changes to your coverage is between October 15 and December 7 this year. Changes will be effective January 1, 2019. During this period, you can choose to: · Keep everything the same, in which case you do not need to do anything · Switch…
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Elder Abuse is a Public Health Issue
According to the National Council on Aging, approximately 10% of adults over age 65 have experienced some form of elder abuse. Elder abuse includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect, abandonment, and financial abuse. Two-thirds of abusers are adult children or family members, but perpetrators may also include home caregivers or staff at care…
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6 Practical Tips for Managing Conflict in Family Caregiving
As the aging population continues to grow in the U.S., more and more families are in the position of having to work together in the care of their aging loved ones. At first glance, this would seem to reduce stress as care responsibilities are shared among siblings and/or extended family members. The reality, however, is…
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Unwanted Conversations: Aging Parents and Money
I’m pleased to share this guest blog with you this month. It’s written by David Solie, an author, educator and thought leader on the psychology of aging. Older adults have a deep resistance to having conversations with their adult children about money. Why? It arises from three psychological factors that coalesce in the last phase of life…
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Starting “The Conversation” with Your Aging Parents
If you were visiting your aging parents over the holidays and took my advice about checking for health and safety issues, the next natural step is to have “the conversation.” The content of that conversation will differ based on what you found, and your parents’ situation, but there’s a general consensus among adult children that…
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Visiting Aging Parents for the Holidays? Look for These Signs of Concern
The holidays are a wonderful time to catch up with family and friends, and celebrate the season together. They are also an opportune time to do a loving check up on your aging family members. If you are only able to see your parents once or twice a year, you are in a good position…
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Does your “outgo” exceed your income?
This is Part 3, the final chapter in our series – Can You Afford to Retire? In Part 1 of this series I talked about the importance of having a good understanding of your financial situation when making decisions about retirement. In Part 2, I shared the steps for beginning that analysis. Here’s a recap:…
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Can You Afford to Retire – Running the Numbers
This is Part 2 in our series – Can You Afford to Retire? Conventional wisdom says that you should have at least $1million in savings before you retire. But the fact is, each person’s needs during retirement are different based on lifestyle, health, location, living arrangement, and a host of other factors. Before panicking that…
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Can you afford to retire?
The first of the Baby Boomers (those of us who were born between 1946 and 1964) began retiring in 2011, and it’s estimated that the majority of the nearly 76 million people born in that time period will retire over the next 20 years. Many of us are not prepared – financially or emotionally. A…
Love & Order 