Preparing For Tomorrow podcast

LTC Resources Estimate LTC insurance premiums here https://23149698.hs-sites.com/individual-calculator Ask a question here https://calendly.com/diane-p4t/15min Listen to podcast episodes here https://preparingfortomorrow.libsyn.com/ What your state let's you keep: https://gotltci.com/2024/01/what-your-state-lets-you-keep/ Cost of care estimator: https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost...

Schedule with me at https://calendly.com/diane-p4t/60min Ask a question at https://calendly.com/diane-p4t/30min Website: https://preparing4tomorrow.com/ Podcast episodes: https://preparingfortomorrow.libsyn.com/ What your state let's you keep: https://gotltci.com/2024/01/what-your-state-lets-you-keep/ Cost of Care estimator: https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care

We wish everyone a joyful Christmas and holiday season. Celebrate with those near and far, and enjoy all the bountiful gifts of love and family. Open your hearts and love those you love even more this season. Welcome those who are far from your hearts! I hope you enjoy the song my husband wrote a while back to celebrate the true Reason for the Season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Psst: It's...

As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, I ask you to notice sons and daughters helping their moms and dads perform simple tasks like cutting their food or getting in and out of chairs. Ask yourself and your spouse/partner what you would like to have happen when you reach a point when it's your turn to need help. Do you have kids? Can they, and do you want them to be forced to he...

Diane shares two client stories and some of her own family's story that have all developed over the last two years. So many people want to wait as long as they can to own LTC insurance, but they fail to understand that health is what buys this stuff. When health concerns show up, sometimes we'll be required to wait a specified period of time to be able to apply for coverage. Or we may become an un...

This week, we're sharing how Joe & Jenny used a single payment to create a paid up LTC and/or death benefit that pay tax-free when care is needed or when death occurs. This couple is in their 70s and are thankfully healthy enough to be approved for coverage. At 71 and 72, the leverage isn't as strong as when we're inour 40s, 50s or 60s, but we were still able to create a plan that pays significant...

This week, let's all be thankful for the people we have in our lives. We'll get back to preparing to help them help us better when we need help living - after enjoying those we love most today! Happy Thanksgiving

This week, I interviewed Lynda Krueger with Owl Be There Tampa. Owl Be There isn't a quick referral by zip code resource. Or a DIY search through Google. Lynda and her associate improve the lives of seniors with wise guidance around senior living and care. Lynda shares the details of what it takes and how she works to find the right place based on client needs, lifestyles, spiritual beliefs, proxi...

There are so many ways to design a long term care plan. However, different planning strategies offer their own unique benefits. For example, LTC Partnership Protection is only available on stand-alone LTC plans. Cash benefits and return of premium options are stronger with hybrid life/LTC and annuity /LTC plans. We will work together to decide which plans and benefits will meet your family's needs...

Lisa asked if LTC insurance requires us to use the whole benefit every month or can we use less and stretch the benefit period to pay longer. The answer is "that depends". What kind of plan do you have? What kind of care do you need? Where are you living to receive care? Who will be helping you? Listen and schedule with me here See what your state lets you keep here

This week, a client emailed me an article from Moneywise's retirement section that discussed Medicaid estate recovery. Read the article here - Will the state take my house? The reason we plan is so that Medicaid won't take our house or impoverish our family. This link shows what different states let us keep and still qualify for Medicaid to pay for our care - What your state let's you keep There a...

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 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 toda...

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 aroun...

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...

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-fr...

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 https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finance...

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...

On Sunday, Suze Orman discussed the finally finalized rules for inherited IRA's. Listen here: https://www.suzeorman.com/podcast 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 tax...

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...

Tom shared that there is dementia in his wife's family but not in his. He wants a policy for her but doesn't think he'll need one. My mom's husband said the same thing several years ago, and now he has dementia, at age 68. She's going to be upset that I am sharing this, but it's so important to consider how your decisions affect your family. You may never need long term care services, but what if...

This week, we're talking about health qualifying for LTC benefits. What to do... What not to do... LTC planning is all about timing. If you apply at the wrong time or with the wrong company, you could be declined for something that would have been approved had we waited for the right time or company. We don't want to make this mistake. It takes a lot longer to overturn a decline than it does to wa...

Too often, people contact me when it's too late to access all their LTC planning options. Some people believe they are planning ahead at age 80. Some people wait to inquire until after a diagnosis either limits their options or makes them altogether uninsurable. The earlier we plan, the more choices we have, AND the more benefits we can obtain for the least amout of premium. Business owners can de...

This week, my husband, Paul, asks me multiple questions that we get quite often. I'm guessing you've asked at least one of these questions if you've been considering LTC insurance to protect your family from an extended care need. Please email me additional questions you may have, and I'll be glad to answer you. I may even use your question for a future episode. In fact, I challenge you to ask me...