I promise I'll start talking numbers and cases again next week. We made it through the storms and things are almost normal in our community. This week, I received a question about me rather than about long term care, and I felt the need to answer. Do I get depressed talking about getting old or getting sick all day long? I've been working as an LTC Specialist for over 20 years, and you would think I am sad every day. Listen and learn why that is not the case, and then schedule time with me so I can help you and your family prepare for your tomorrow.

I an still catching up after two hurricanes came through Florida this month,m so I am replaying this episode from August 10, 2021.  Kristina asks about mistakes people make or things people fail to consider when planning for future long term care needs. There are several, but three stand out to me as I have worked too often with people who looked at options many years ago and are looking again today.  Others planned ahead but didn't consider future costs in their strategy.  We also need to consider that, the longer we wait, the more likely a chronic health condition may prevent us from purchasing a plan in the future. Listen and learn, and schedule with me at    Thank you Kristina, for helping to educate families who want to make wise choices.

Thank you for all the phone calls and messages asking how we are doing.  Our home is fine.  No damage and no flooding.  We didn't lose power.  Lots of branches to clean up, and the last two days we've been putting all the stuff we had to move back where it belongs. I hear generators and chainsaws whenever I am outside, and I feel kind of guilty for not having as much damage and problems as those around us. We are helping others where we can, but Paul just had hernia surgery a few weeks ago.   The authorities are asking us to stay put until flooding, electricity and other needs are met. I'll hopefully be back to helping you prepare for tomorrow with Long Term Care guidance next week!.

Just a quick update.  We're ok so far.  Hoping for a Cat 3 or less when it hits, likely a little south of us so we'll get a lot of rain.   Presuming all goes as well as can be, I'll update you all on Friday.

This week is tough.  Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeast and surprised far too many families. My family is safe, and those we know in the areas hit here in Florida and in the mountains are safe, but many aren't.  It will take months and even years to rebuild these areas. This made it difficult for me to talk about preparing for tomorrow when there is so much devastation today. Storms that are created by weather and by dementia hit hard when they hit, and we need to be alert and prepared for both. I can help the people hurt by the storm with prayer. You can prepare to fight against dementia by scheduling time to discuss planning options with me at

To answer this question, I need to first share why and when LTC insurance companies are required to approve and pay a claim, and then I'll discuss where this can get confusing or messed up. LTC insurance companies are strictly regulated by the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 7702(b). If the plans offered will be tax deductible to some individuals and most businesses, and for benefits to be paid tax-free, LTC insurance companies must adhere to the 7702(b) rule. This week, I'm sharing and simplifying definitions within the 7702(b) code. When we understand when companies are required to pay, we'll be better able to use their own vocabulary when talking with the claims departments. If you already own LTC insurance, you should read the policy and review it every couple of years.  Have your kids read it, too.  And adult children should read and review their parents' policies. If you would like help reviewing your plan, ask.  I'll be glad to to review it with you. If you don't own LTC insurance, it's time to schedule with me at start designing a customized plan to meet your specific wants and needs. Schedule at

Today, I want to discuss the financial risk we're facing when planning for LTC needs in 20 or 30 years or more. Home care costs increased on average 10% nationwide from 2022-2023. Assisted Living costs increased 5% on average over that same time. It's not going to get cheaper to get the care we need to get through each day. This information comes from Falls are a big reason people start to need help and support per HelpGuide.org   Caregiving is expensive, financially, physically, emotionally.  We can't be expected to do this alone, without help. If we reach age 65, greater than 50% of us are going to need some form of extended care services. Thankfully, most of us won't be in a nursing home.   But we need a plan to be able to stay home and receive care.  We need to plan to pay well over $20,000/month for care needs in 30 years. Listen to this week's episode of costs of care and schedule with me to design your plan at

Yes, a colleague of mine is selling all of her uncle's belongings because he was "put into aged care". Those who plan know where they want to be when a long term care event enters the picture.  And they have the income, savings and LTC insurance to support their plan.  Most stay home with help for most to the need and move to assisted living if care needs increase.  Most don't ever live in a nursing home, and they surely don't get "put" somewhere. People without a plan put their whole family in a crisis mode adter a severe stroke or when Alzheimer's or other dementia shows up. The three questions we need to ask are: 1) Where do I want to be when needing help to et through each day? 2)  Who do I want to have there with me? 3)  How will I pay for this? Needing LTC services is expensive.  Home care easily costs near $40/hour today, and assisted living $4-8000/month.  Costs of care are increasing by about 5% annually. Schedule some time with me to protect your family when life doesn;t go as planned

On Sunday, Suze Orman discussed the finally finalized rules for inherited IRA's. Listen here:   Today, I'm going to share a case study to share what one of our clients did with some of the IRA funds she inherited from her mom. Some of you know that "non-eligible" beneficiaries of IRA funds are required to withdraw all tne money in the IRA within 10 years and pay taxes on those withdrawals.  If you don't know, listen to Suze's podcast episode from Sunday, September 3, 2024 with the above link. Nicole used $17,000 a year of the $45,000 she is required to withdraw annually over 10 years to create a paid-up long term care plan that will pay more than the entire inheritance she received ($450,000 IRA and $450,000 non-IRA funds). Listen and learn how we accomplished this.  Nicole's mom left her a nice inheritance with an unforseen tax burden.  We repositioned that tax burden to create tax-free LTC benefits for her or a tax-free death benefit for her kids. Schedule with me to learn how you can reposition yout tax-burden at

The two most common reasons people tell me they're looking into LTC insurance are: 1) They don't want to bankrupt their spouse emotionally, physically or financially, and 2) they don't want to burden their children with the responsibility to care for them or to have to pay for their care. Many who say this are caring for a parent who hadn't planned. Many of us in our 50s and 60s don't think we'll ever need care, even though we are providing for our parents.  Why do we deny that we could end up needing help as much as they do today. The best gift an older parent can give to their adult children can be a funded LTC plan for the adult children.  This way, the granchildren won't be facing the same caregiving issues the kids have while caring for the elderly parents now. Parents who are trying to leave an inheritance for their kids can use a small portion of their savings to obtain a very substantial LTC plan for the kids.  This can lessen the burdens of hte next generation. Schedule with me to learn how