Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Estate Planning Is Your Best Defense Against Gray Divorce
Maturity is a key ingredient in successful marriages, and so is being honest with yourself and with your spouse about finances. Conflict about money has tanked the relationships of many couples who married in the springtime of their lives with the highest hopes; one advantage to getting married when you are older and both… Read More »
Storage Of Estate Items Before, During, And After Probate
People sometimes talk about building generational wealth and buying stuff as though they are two mutually exclusive uses of money. Yes, you can often avoid the temptation to make impulse purchases by thinking of how the money can benefit your descendants if you keep it in the bank instead of spending it. It is… Read More »
Are You Sure You Want To Qualify For Medicaid Nursing Home Care?
Setting unattainable goals is a recipe for stress and disappointment, so the advice to aim lower is not always misguided. Likewise, wealth acquisition is not a main goal of retirement; in fact, being free of the pressure to keep up with the Joneses is one of the joys of retirement. Estate planning lawyers often… Read More »
Unless You Plan Carefully, Your Plans To Help Your Children Financially Can Backfire
Creating generational wealth is one of the most common reasons that people cite for contributing money to their own retirement savings accounts. The goal is to save more money than you will need to spend in your lifetime, so that your children can inherit the rest. Of course, you don’t have to be an… Read More »
What Is Escheatment, And How Can You Avoid It?
When friends try to encourage you to get started on your estate plan, they often say things like, “If you don’t do X, the state will take your property.” Their advice has a grain of truth, but they usually word it so vaguely and misleadingly that it comes across sounding like those email forwards… Read More »
Inheritance Scam Used Florida Seniors As Money Mules
Financial abuse is the most common form of abuse that elderly people suffer; this is due in part to the fact that there are so many ways to make financial transactions and to communicate about finances. Physical abuse can only occur when the abuser and the victim are in close proximity to each other;… Read More »
Your Love For Your Family Does Not Change, But Your Estate Plan Should
In contrast to all the gloom and doom that circulates on the Internet at ever increasing speeds, let us take a moment to celebrate the things that you are doing right. If you are 50 years old and you have already written a will, give yourself a round of applause. If you make your… Read More »
Estate Planning For Part-Time Florida Residents
Florida is a nearly perfect location for retirees. Everywhere you look, you find restaurants offering early bird specials, and you never have to shovel snow to get there. The sea breeze keeps the weather mild for most of the year, and your own backyard is a great place not only for bird watching, but… Read More »
Romance Scams Are Among The Most Preventable Types Of Financial Abuse Of The Elderly
Financial abuse is one of the most widespread forms of elder abuse, because it can occur when the victim is in a nursing home, living in a multigenerational household, living alone, or in almost any other situation. The abuser can be a family member, a professional caregiver, a new friend or love interest who… Read More »
What If Aging In Place Isn’t As Cheap As You Think It Is?
The decision to stay in the home where you raised your children for as long as your health permits or to move to a smaller one that better fits your post-retirement lifestyle involves strong emotions, as well as practical considerations of a financial and non-financial nature. If you are already living in a multigenerational… Read More »
