​Is there anyone sad to say goodbye to 2020? For many of us, 2021 epitomizes the symbolic renewal of a new year, with an extra kick of life motivation.  In what ways will you channel this energy? 

Everyone should tend to their personal affairs in some manner. For some this may be a simple review of existing documents or an update of contact lists and account inventories. However, if you are reading this and you know you still have not taken care of those basic documents everyone must have – Now is the time!

​It has become more common than not that retirees over 65 have parents that are still living independently, but are they at risk? What if they were to fall or a sudden illness meant they could no longer maintain their current lifestyle, and there now senior-aged children do not live close by? Or their children have health concerns of their own. Are both you and your parents at risk?

The acronym HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and should be taken into consideration when you are planning your estate.

​Every state has laws controlling what happens to your assets if you die and don’t leave instructions indicating what you want to happen to those assets. Those laws are called “intestate succession” laws. While they are designed to cover what people will want generally, they typically don’t come close to being what most people want to happen.

Some people get scared off by the term "estate planning" because they think it sounds like something only the wealthy need to do. When in truth, one of the greatest gifts you can make for your loved ones is leaving instructions regarding your wishes. Not only for after you die, but in case you can't make health or financial decisions while you're alive.
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Remember, it's not always about money, it's about planning to make things easier, for the transfer of your assets and if anything should happen to you. 

Simple, essential steps for putting your affairs in order
The steady drone of coronavirus news this year has spurred countless older Americans to face a long-procrastinated task: writing — or rewriting — their wills. A 2016 Gallup poll found that more than 30 percent of people 65 and older and more than 40 percent of people ages 50 through 64, do not have a will. The main reasons people stall, according to Caring.com? Most say they haven't gotten around to it, or they don't have enough assets to leave to anyone.