Smart Planning 101

According to PEW research, over 90% of Americans do not have long-term care insurance. And yet, the Department of Health and Human Services says that more than half of adults 65 or older will need long-term care at some point. This means there’s a good chance that you or your aging parents are going to need long-term care. In this episode, my guest, Cameron Huddleston, interviewed me about how to plan for long-term care, whether long-term care insurance is actually a good idea for you, and some things that you need to be thinking about in the planning.

Did you know that financial mistakes are one of the biggest signs or symptoms of Alzheimer's and related dementias even up to six years prior to a diagnosis? And according to the journal of health economics, during early-stage Alzheimer's people are up to 27% more likely than cognitively healthy people to experience a large decline in their liquid assets, such as savings and checking accounts, stocks, and bonds. The fact, that Alzheimer's and related dementia people are likely to experience financial loss at a very early stage is one of the biggest reasons why we have to help our family members when it comes to finances, and family members and elderly loved ones need to be, or hopefully will be, willing to allow us to be helpful. In this episode, my guest Cameron Huddleston discusses all of the different ways that gift cards and financial scams can come to impact our elderly loved ones and the ways that we can help. Visit smartplanning101.com/39 for more information

Have you ever had to make the decision to let someone else die? Or even a decision for someone else to have a procedure that could lead to their death. Or, did your family have conflict around either one of these topics? While we're healthy, it's really easy to ignore these issues. It is much harder to talk about them and even more difficult when someone gets ill. But as my guest today will tell you, these are crucial and loving conversations, and having them can make all the difference. Dr. Kim Fischer is a board-certified physician anesthesiologist and an advanced care planning coach. She helps take-charge women in the thick of life get clear on what they want to happen should an accident or illness arise that renders them unable to speak for themselves in an ER or hospital. As an advanced care planning coach, Dr. Fischer supports you in having crucial conversations with your loved ones so that everyone knows your wishes explicitly and there is no ambiguity. In this episode, we’ll explore: • What questions

Is your whole retirement planning strategy based on the assumption that you're going to be in a lower tax bracket upon retirement? In this episode, Nicole Wipp talks with John Rohrhoff from JR financial services about income taxes and retirement tax myths. Also, why many individuals do not account for future potential taxes when making financial decisions, today. Visit smartplanning101.com/37 for more information about John and this interview.    

In this episode, I talk with John Rohrhoff from JR financial services about socially responsible investing, what it is, things to think about, and how to get started.  Visit smartplanning101.com/36 for more information.

The FBI estimates that seniors lose more than $3 billion each year to fraud. So what happens when a beloved grandchild calls, begging for money because a bad thing happened to them. Well, you know the answer. That's why this has to be a family conversation, right now. Today’s episode is about “The Grandparent Scam”. Also, how to start important conversations with your elderly loved ones, about various scams, and possible elder abuse.

Right now, we are thinking about our healthcare and our privacy more than ever. In this episode, Nicole covers what “healthcare privacy” really means, what the limits of privacy are for us as individuals, and what the law says about our healthcare and privacy. In this episode: What “healthcare privacy” really means what are the limits for us as individuals What does the law say about our healthcare and our privacy The government’s role in maintaining or protecting our privacy Employment and healthcare privacy under HIPAA and the ADA HIPAA, the health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996: Do you have the right to access your own medical information and history? Who, or what entities, are required to follow HIPAA guidelines? What information is and isn’t protected under HIPAA? What organizations are NOT required to protect your healthcare information, under HIPAA   Healthcare Privacy & the Constitution Why the right to privacy is not “absolute” Whalen v. Roe (1977) - The link

What is the second-worst thing that could happen to your children, if something happened to you? It's simply this: that you didn't make a plan for them.  In this episode, I’m going to talk about four major planning considerations that every parent with minor children should be thinking about when they’re doing their estate planning, whether or not you've started your planning yet. Visit smartplanning101.com/33 for show notes and more information about The Smart Planning 101 podcast.

Have you ever heard that you can give away up to $15,000 per person per year to avoid gift tax? Spoiler alert: the government gives with one hand and takes away with the other. Now, as a general statement. This shouldn't surprise anyone, but when it comes to giving away money and other things to your kid, your family, or anyone you want. There really are some unpleasant surprises out there waiting for you. What are they? That's what today's episode is all about.    Disclaimer: Although I am a lawyer, I am not giving you legal advice. This podcast is for general informational purposes only.   Do you have a have any questions, or have an idea for a future episode? Visit smartplanning101.com/connect and let me know! 

It's been five years since I've recorded a podcast episode on Smart Planning 101, but I'm back! And the content is more important now than ever. In this short episode, I'll explain why I stopped recording episodes. But why I'm restarting now and why you will want to join me. Visit https://www.smartplanning101.com/about-smart-planning-101 to learn more about the podcast. 

Do you, or do your parents or even grandparents, want to remain at home for the rest of your life? For over 75% of people age 50 and above, the answer is yes. But sadly, less than 1% of people actually live in an environment that makes this possible. Right now we are at a unique point in history where there is legislation that can actually help counties, cities, and municipalities create a new reality for their residents. Join me with my special guest, Esther Greenhouse, to learn more about the longevity economy, how our homes are forcing us into frailty, and how our state and local governments can rise to this challenge RIGHT NOW.   Esther Greenhouse is a unique professional.  She is a built environment strategist, consulting with organizations to create innovative initiatives at the intersection of society’s challenges and the built environment. Learn more about her by clicking here. 

Do you need estate planning? I'm going to talk about 14 of the major considerations you should be thinking about when you're considering whether you should plan no matter what your age. Now just be aware, this is of course not legal advice. This is just general information and you really should get with a qualified estate planning or elder law attorney if any of these issues apply to you.   Visit https://www.smartplanning101.com/about-smart-planning-101 to learn more about the podcast.    If you're interested in good estate planning, please visit https://www.miestatelawyer.com or call (248) 278-1511 today!

When it comes to rare disease and chronic illness, early diagnosis is important for many reasons - but even more so when a person has a condition known as pulmonary hypertension (PH). Why? If left untreated, death is almost certain - and the average length of survival without treatment is three years. http://www.SmartPlanning101.com/28 **Doctors are commonly taught to look for horses, not zebras. But what if it really IS a zebra?** The good news is that there are more and more options for treatment of this rare condition, but like all rare diseases, getting to the proper diagnosis is key. Even if you don't have PH, however, this episode is important. My guest, Jessica Armstrong (see bio below), and I discuss many topics that are applicable to almost anyone dealing with an illness and the medical profession - how and why you need to take control of your own care! In This Episode, You Will Learn: The many reasons why rare diseases are misdiagnosed Ways to combat misdiagnosis and lack of proper treatment - how

No one expects bad things to happen to them, or those they love. But real life tells us that bad things happen to good people, every day. This episode is all about planning for an unexpected health crisis, illness, or accident - NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE! In this episode, Nicole discusses the two absolutely essential legal documents every person 18 years and older needs, how people think (incorrectly) that they already have it taken care of, why your spouse may not be the best choice to manage things for you, why you may need to fire your doctor, and much more! Nicole also talks about how she experienced her own healthcare crisis, which is why this is the first podcast episode to be aired after receiving a fatal diagnosis – unexpectedly. Don’t let this happen to you, or to those you love!  Take a small amount of time and effort to be prepared. Be a SMART PLANNER!   THE INFORMATION IN THIS PODCAST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, NOR SHOULD IT BE CONSTRUED AS, LEGAL ADVICE. IT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

In this episode, expert guest Kevin Weedmark discusses how to think strategically about your home and the financial situation around your home, particularly as it relates to refinancing in today's market. Kevin has been in the real estate and mortgage industry for 18 years. He prides himself on thinking "outside the box" when it comes to helping clients get to their goals. I was really surprised at how much I learned in this interview, even though the surprises were mostly related to one concept I try to really make people understand every day, which is - LAWS CHANGE, and your plan should change with it! Here's what we discuss in this interview: #1 - Were you a Cash Buyer? - Free up your cash #2 - Do You Have Mortgage Insurance or Worse an FHA loan - The very important financial reasons you need to do whatever you can to ditch mortgage insurance or move from FHA to a conventional loan #3 - College - Are you prepared? With the increase in home values now may be a great time to fund your child's tuition #4 - Re

The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Clark v. Rameker means that every person needs to understand their options for protecting this important asset! If you own an IRA, 401k, 403b, tax-deferred annuity, or other qualified assets, understanding a recent Supreme Court decision (Clark v. Rameker) is essential if you wish this asset to be protected from creditors or bankruptcy. The point:  INHERITED IRAs are not protected!  Yet, with some SMART PLANNING, they can be.  You just need to understand how and why to do it. Every person that has this type of asset, every financial professional (including financial planners and CPAs), and every estate planning attorney need to hear and understand this. I wrote a blog post on this topic (An Inherited IRA Is NOT Protected From Creditors in Bankruptcy!) the day after the decision was rendered.  You can access the decision and learn more: click here.

When it comes to revocable living trusts, people often don't know the options that they may be able to include to protect loved ones. When given these options, however, many people definitely want them! Know the different types of options you can have to help those you love and help ensure your money goes to who you want, when you want, in the way you want. This is part 2 of a 2-part series on revocable living trusts. To listen to part 1, visit: www.SmartPlanning101.com/23 Thank you for listening!

How do revocable living trusts work? In this episode, host Nicole Wipp discusses what an "RLT" is and the importance of "funding your trust" - a commonly missed step. You will learn: What the primary purposes of revocable living trusts are What a revocable living trust does NOT do for you Common misunderstandings as to how this trust works What trust funding is and why it is critically important In Part 2, Nicole discusses some of the options you may want to consider with revocable living trusts - options that are frequently missed. Listen to that podcast here: 

What are we learning from “conventional wisdom” that may threaten our financial future? Conventional wisdom related to financial and retirement planning can lead to poor -or even devastating- financial results. What does this mean? What are you being told that is leading you down the wrong path? How can we start to think about our financial future in a way that leads to the best results? Guest Kim Butler, the founder of Partners for Prosperity and The Prosperity Economics Movement (as well as being a coach for the elite entrepreneur coaching organization, Strategic Coach), discusses all in this episode. In this episode, you will learn: 1. “Why the idea of retirement is fundamentally flawed;” 2. “The whole truth about 401(k)s – why you’ll keep less than you think;” 3. “How financial planners skew projections, creating false expectations”   Reference links in this episode: Partners For Prosperity – Kim Butler’s Company.  Partners for Prosperity, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is a Regist

Irrevocable trusts, traditionally, are estate tax planning devices. Very few Americans in 2014 need estate tax planning, however - less than 2%. Why, then, would you want an irrevocable trust? This series, including part 1 at www.SmartPlanning101.com/20, focuses on a new type of irrevocable trust known as the irrevocable pure grantor trust. Irrevocable pure grantor trusts are mainly used to protect assets from creditors and predators and can be an excellent pre-planning tool for elder law attorneys and their clients.  Understanding what they are, and how they differ, from traditional irrevocable trusts is essential. In this episode, David Zumpano, a nationally recognized expert on asset protection and elder law planning (also a CPA & attorney) discusses this irrevocable trust, who it is for, and why you may want one.  Learn how this type of trust is one of the best ways to truly keep your money “safe.”