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  Last Updated: 3/31/2010 12:05:46 PM A new law makes the purchase of products that combine annuities or insurance policies with long-term care insurance more attractive. As ElderLawAnswers previously reported, these “hybrid” products are gaining in popularity due to a law that went into effect January 1, 2010, making distributions from life insurance and annuities Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 2/23/2010 3:16:29 PM Social Security’s Retirement Estimator is now available for people who have signed up for Medicare but have not yet signed up for Social Security because they are delaying retirement. The popular calculator allows you to project what your monthly Social Security benefit will be based on your actual work Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 3/17/2010 2:29:37 PM Jan Warner and Jan Collins. Next Steps: A Practical Guide to Planning for the Best Half of Your Life. Quill Driver Books. Fresno, CA. 2009. 255 pages. $11.66 from Amazon (click on book to order) Aging endangers many things we take for granted when we’re younger: health, assets, family Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 4/8/2010 2:44:42 PM After a year of legislative wrangling and premature forecasts of death, historic legislation overhauling the nation’s health insurance system has passed the Congress and been signed into law by President Obama. The measure that finally prevailed, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is the same legislation the Senate Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 1/12/2010 1:43:46 PM With Senate Democrats unable to persuade Republicans to extend the 2009 estate tax law for even a couple of months until a more permanent solution could be devised, there is currently no tax on the estates of those dying during 2010. Although Congress may reinstate the tax retroactively in Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 2/5/2010 11:49:46 AM April 15th is approaching and it is time to begin crossing T’s and dotting I’s in preparation for paying taxes. As tax time draws near, you want to make sure you file all the proper forms and take all deductions you’re entitled to. Following are some things to keep Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 1/29/2010 11:59:14 AM Joy Loverde. The Complete Eldercare Planner (Rev Upd. edition.) Three Rivers Press. N.Y. 2009. 400 pages. $13.57 at Amazon (click on book to order). Becoming a caregiver for an elderly loved one can be an overwhelming experience. The Complete Eldercare Planner is a practical guide designed to help caregivers Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 1/12/2010 3:06:17 PM Now that 2010 has arrived, people whose incomes were previously too high to permit them to rollover a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA are calling their investment houses about making conversions. That’s because for the first time, even if your annual income exceeds $100,000, you can convert a Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 1/25/2010 11:28:30 AM When planning a funeral, the expenses can add up quickly. The average funeral costs about $7,300, including the casket, embalming, and transportation, and if you include extras like flowers, obituary notices, and acknowledgement cards, the price goes even higher. However, there are several ways you can save on funeral Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 1/26/2010 3:47:31 PM Reprinted by permission of retirementrevised A million low-income seniors have become eligible for a big assist on prescription drug expenses this year under a newly expanded federal program. The subsidy can defray thousands of dollars in costs, and in many cases eliminate prescription drug expenses entirely for participating seniors. Read Full Article