Navigating the Veterans Benefit Maze
Yesterday, we celebrated Veterans Day commemorating the service of 21.2 million men and women throughout the United States who served in our armed forces. Of those, some are wounded from recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, some are still suffering from the long term effects of prior conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and World War II. […]
Continue readingEstate Planning and Estate Administration Real Life Stories
Estate planning and estate administration could seem disconnected with real life until you realize that some of the same issues that affect everyone also affect people who write Wills and Trusts and average people who plan their taxes and people who are entrusted with carrying out the believed wishes of the deceased even when these […]
Continue readingList It or Love It For Elder Homeowners
One of my guilty pleasures known to few when I have time to kick back at home and relax is watching Home and Garden Television, known everywhere as HGTV on a cable network. Then, of all my favorite HGTV programs, the most intriguing in the past several months has been “Love It Or List It.” […]
Continue readingHow to Navigate Medicare Open Enrollment
The solicitations sometimes come with glossy color photographs of vigorous older men carrying surfboards and sporting wetsuits or you might receive a postcard inviting you to a meal at a restaurant or maybe just an informational meeting. It is time as it is every year in the Fall for Medicare Open Enrollment, the period that […]
Continue readingCompany Uses Money Management To Evaluate Long Term Care
When seniors look toward moving to a retirement community, the information can be overwhelming. One of the most significant problems, though, may be sorting through the promotional material to arrive at a decision whether it is right for you. One of my friends, George Lock, whom I met through a networking organization that connects professionals […]
Continue readingAdvice For the Unexpected Executor
Suppose you were appointed the Executor of Aunt Mary’s estate. She lived alone, shared no financial information, enjoyed your visits and regarded you as her favorite nephew. On her passing you learn now that she honored you by naming you Executor in her Will. At this point you do not know where anything is other […]
Continue readingThings You Need To Know Before Signing Up For Medicare
If you are approaching age 65 and are confused with your choices in signing up for Medicare, you are not alone. Here is some basic information you need to know in advance. The Medicare choices you initially make might lock you in later. One rare piece of information is that, if on turning age 65, […]
Continue readingMedicaid Can Continue With a Special Needs Trust
Having described in last week’s column the limitations of trusts when dealing with Medicaid for older Americans facing nursing home expense, it seemed only fair to present the opposite position regarding younger Medicaid and SSI recipients. Special needs trusts, also referred to as supplemental needs trusts, may allow those under age 65 to continue to […]
Continue readingGandolfini Will and Estate Planning Lessons
When actor James Gandolfini, otherwise recognized as the character Tony Soprano of the HBO award winning series, “The Sopranos,” died recently and suddenly at a young age, he left behind assets valued at about $70 million and a Will. The Will which was made available publicly, has taken a fair amount of criticism from estate […]
Continue readingColumnist Expresses Gratitude For #1 Recognition
The process began with a request to my office in early July while I was on vacation to supply a “head shot” to Main Line Today magazine. It resulted in several phone calls back to the office. Since no one knew where I kept a standard photograph and the image in our website at www.collitonlaw.com […]
Continue readingA Medicaid Planning Strategy Disallowed
Since the federal government dramatically changed the rules for Medicaid eligibility for nursing home residents with the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act effective February, 2006, families have been struggling to understand what is permitted and what is not. This does not just apply to those who want to get ahead of the system but […]
Continue readingMandela Condition Raises End of Life Questions
When Nelson Mandela, human rights activist and former president of South Africa, entered the hospital about six weeks ago, his condition raised questions both in South Africa and around the world regarding end of life care. He does not now have a living will or health care surrogate appointed and there has been a great […]
Continue readingEmployer Insurance Mandate Delayed – Is Individual To Follow?
This kind of event does not happen often. In fact, in the past 16 years’ writing my column, it has never happened before that reliable sources contradicted each other. In this case, multiple sources reported as of last week that the employer mandate under ACA (Obamacare) to require employers to offer health insurance coverage to […]
Continue readingWhat Same Sex Marriage Means for Pennsylvania Now
By now most of us who have followed the news know that the U.S. Supreme Court in two recent cases changed the trajectory of same sex marriage, finding in one, United States v. Windsor, that the Defense of Marriage Act, otherwise known as DOMA, is unconstitutional and in the other, Hollingsworth v. Perry, that appeal […]
Continue readingIt May Be Time to Deconstruct Your Estate Plan
If you have any sort of sizeable estate and prepared your Will with an attorney’s assistance over the past 10 to 15 years, there is a reasonable possibility, especially if you are or were married with children, that your Will contained some fairly complicated wording. If the expressions “credit shelter trust,” “family trust,” “Q-Tip trust,” […]
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