A client with whom I've maintained a relationship for over a decade was almost talked into buying a new LTC plan earlier this year.

I'm glad she called me to ask for help! I researched her risk and offered a very similar plan with significantly lower rates.

Research is the key to finding the best plans for your family.

When you are offered a quote for LTC insurance, ask the person quoting you how many companies they represent and how many LTC applications they submit on average each year.

LTC planning is too important to leave to amatures!

View current and projected costs of care where you live and where you plan to retire at https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care

Then schedule a phone or zoom meeting to start designing your plan here

Don't let your 50 year old kids regret not having planned for future extended care needs when they first thought of it.

A first question I ask when meeting with someone is "What made you decide to look into LTC planning now?"

Far too many reply with some form of having thought about this years ago, but for whatever reason they came up with, they decided to wait. Now, the plans we're considering cost a lot more at 70 than they did at 50. Or maybe they can't health qualify for the plan they want.

You must encourage your 40, 50 and 60 year old children to plan now, while they can be approved by more companies, and while the rates are manageable.

This week, we share a client who is buying a plan for her daughter because the family knows the value of LTC insurance after seeing the husband/dad's LTC plan pay over $200,000 over 24 months, protecting the famly's wealth and emotional well-being.

Two clarifications -

1) Audrey did not keep $46,000 of the RMD because she did have to pay taxes on the withdrawal.

2) Lindsey's plan's benefits wil increase by 3% annually. She doesn't have to wait until the 10th payment to see increases.

Schedule with Diane to design your plan here

View current and projected costs of care (use 5% inflation) where you live at https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care

This week, I'm sharing a story of what happened when I was walking my dog on Saturday.

This can happen to anyone. We don't have to be old or sick to have an accident.

So many people wait to buy LTC insurance because it's for old people, but 1/3 of people receiving care today are under age 65.

And we need to be healthy enough to qualify for coverage. If we wait until after an accident, or a diagnosis, or a medicine that insurance companies won't accept, our options narrow or disappear.

Also, we need to encourage our older family members to not be afraid to tell on themseloves when they fall.

Even after a big event that causes us to need help living through our days, owning LTC insurance increases the probability that we can stay home to get the help we need.

View both current and projected costs of care where you live here

Then schedule with me to start designing your plan here

According to an AARP report, the Department of Health and Human Services reported a 48% increase in cost for home care and assisted living from 2019-2024, while median household income for families 65 and older rose only 22%.

That's an average 8% annual increase!

And people doubt when we use 5% annual increases to project future needs....

View a summary of the report here

See what current and projected cost of care where you live at https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care

Then schedule with me to learn how you can protect your family, assets and choices here

This week, I received a very disturbing call, and this was soon after I met a man whose job is to protect people (mostly seniors) from scams.

I'm so glad that a woman reached out to me for guidance before spending over half of her mom's little bit of savings she needed for her care.

Listen and learn, then schedule time with me to prepare for your tomorrow.

When we're prepared, we're less likely to be tricked.

The 2025 Cost of Care report is available so you can see both 2025 costs and projected costs of care where you live. Check it out here

BTW, home care costs increased by 13% across the country last year.

Prepare today by scheduling a phone or Zoom meeting with me here

We need to believe that we're going to get through these world events that are being thrown at us every day.

We have to believe that we're going to live a long life. When we live a long life, we get old, and when we get old we need help.

The massage today is short, and I hope it encourages each of you to continue planning to protect those you care about most.

The new 2025 Cost of Care updates were released thjis week and you can see current nd projectewd costs where you live here

We're seeing a 13% increase in home care costs across the country. If we want o stay home when we need help getting through our days, we need to plan now to be able to do that.

Schedule a phone or Zoom meeting with me to get started here

Just like when we go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, our eyes are bigger than our stomach.

With LTC protection, bigger than our budget.

We want the best policy that will pay for everything we need for as long as we need care, but our income and savings say we can afford something with less coverage.

Or we apply as a couple and one is declined for health.

Does this mean we don't get any coverage at all?

No! It means we get as much as we can afford for the duration of premiums.

If half of our expenses are paid for with insurance, that's using our own assets and income to pay the other half rather than paying for all of our needs ourselves.

Our family will be thankful for anything we do to help them help us better.

View 2024 and projected costs of care where you live here

Please use a 4% or 5% increase in costs when looking in the future years as that's how costs have increased over the last three decades.

Learn what your state let's you keep to qualify for Medicaid here

Schedule a phone or zoom meeting to start designing your plan here

I get so many calls from families trying to find caregiving support answers for their older parent or relative.

They've reached a point where they are overwhelmed and need help providing for their loved one.

This is not the time to look for insurance.

The choices are limited and have higher costs because at age 75 or 80, we're close to or at the age when the insurance companies think we'll open a claim.

That parent should have considered LTC funding options at 50 or 55.

But 50 and 55 year olds too often believe we'll be in the same health mentally and physically at 75 or 80, and that's usually not the case.

We need to plan for this WAY before that need shows up.

Parents who waited too long must encourage their kids to plan now so this doesn't turn into a never ending cycle of kids spending all of their time and money providing for parents and then not being able to provide for themselves later, depending on their kids' time and money, etc.

I promised links to learn more about Medicaid.

This link shows what each state let's us keep to be financially eligible for Medicaid benefits: What your state let's you keep

This link shares how each state qualifies an individual for Medicad benefits: Elder Law Answers

Schedule with me here to start working on your plan to protect your family, assets and choices and avoid being told where to live by the state.