When planning for your future, there comes a time to consider the important role of elder law in protecting you and your family members against possible financial hardship and providing for your and their long-term care needs. Elder law can be an intimidating and often confusing topic, however preparing for your future with an understanding of the basics of elder law can give you and your family a sense of peace of mind and assurance that your future is secure.
1. Safeguarding Your Future: Elder Law Basics
As we get older, being aware of the ways to safeguard our future is essential. Elder law is a specialized practice that can be a huge help for those unfamiliar with estate planning or other legal processes. If you’re new to elder law, here are some essential basics to get you started.
Secure Executor Services
Your executor is the person responsible for carrying out your wishes after you’ve passed. It’s important to pick the right individual, someone who is organized and can handle financial decisions. The executor will also manage any legal matters involved with probate, estates and trusts, so make sure to pick someone you can trust.
Protect Your Assets
No matter your age, protecting your assets should be a priority. Elder law covers a variety of strategies and techniques to ensure your savings are accessible and your investments are sound. Here are a few tips for safeguarding your assets:
- Obtain long-term care insurance to protect from any expenses associated with care of aging parents.
- Get appropriate investments to secure your financial future.
- Look into your options for estate planning, such as wills, trusts and Powers of Attorney.
Become Informed
The best way to make sure you are fully equipped to handle elder law is to seek out more information. It may be a good idea to speak to an elder law attorney to make sure that you understand the intricate details of the laws and other factors that could affect your future. It’s also important to be aware of any federal and state regulations that apply to elder care decisions.
2. Establishing Security for Retirement
Retirement Security Begins With Planning
Retirement can be an exciting time. It’s also a time when we must take care to secure our financial future. With careful planning and some smart investments, you can make sure that you’re financially comfortable in your retirement years.
To begin, create a budget that factors in all of your anticipated retirement expenses. Then use that budget to set your savings goals and begin investing accordingly. You can open a savings account, invest in stocks and bonds, or use a retirement investment plan, such as 401k or IRA.
No matter how you choose to save, be sure to diversify your portfolio. This means spreading your investments across different assets, such as stocks, bonds, cash, and perhaps even real estate. That way, no single investment has too much of an effect on your retirement portfolio, in case one investment goes bad. Additionally, make sure to review your portfolio regularly and rebalance it when necessary to make sure you’re taking advantage of the best investment opportunities in the market.
Finally, protect your retirement future with good insurance policies. Disability or long-term care insurance ensures you’ll be provided for if you face a life-altering health issue. Speak to a financial advisor to ensure you’re taking the steps necessary to ensure a secure retirement.
3. Organizing Health Care Directives
Planning ahead and staying organized is one of the best ways to ensure that your health care directives are well taken care of. Here are some tips for organizing your health care directives:
- Create a File: Start by creating a file for all of your health care information and directives. Dedicate a place to store these documents and make sure to keep it safe.
- Organize Documents: Be sure to organize all of your documents in the same manner within the file; this could include things like wills, power of attorney instructions, letters of instructions, and more.
- Scan Documents: As an added measure of protection, consider scanning your documents so that you have electronic copies stored in an online, password-protected account. This will ensure that if anything happens to your originals, you still have copies accessible to you.
Communicating your wishes with your family and health care providers is an important part of making sure that your health care directives are honored. Consider having a meeting with your family and doctor to discuss any changes to your health care directives and ensure that everyone is on the same page. This can also be a good opportunity to make sure that everyone is aware of the original documents and folder that you created for your health care directives.
4. Understanding Guardianship and Advanced Medical Directives
Understanding Guardianship and Advanced Medical Directives
When facing a medical crisis, it can be difficult to make decisions. Planning ahead and understanding Guardianship and Advanced Medical Directives can help provide peace of mind.
A Guardian is someone appointed by a court to act on behalf of someone else. They can make legal and medical decisions, including decisions related to end-of-life care. Advance Medical Directives are documents that allow a person to make decisions regarding their medical care and treatment, even if they are unable to communicate at the time that care is needed.
If you decide to designate a Guardian, keep in mind the role is sometimes limited. The Guardian will not have the authority to do things such as borrow from your assets or make changes to the deed of your property. The Guardian cannot force the acceptance of any treatment against the will of the patient, except for in certain circumstances such as in life-threatening emergencies.
Advanced Medical Directive documents can give you the power to make decisions about your health care, as well as provide instructions on how to handle your care if you are unable to communicate them on your own.
- Living Will – This document sets out the type of medical treatments, such as life support, that you would accept or decline.
- Healthcare Proxy – This document appoints someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf.
- Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care – This document gives another individual the legal authority to make decisions related to medical care, similar to a Healthcare Proxy.
It is important to make sure your wishes are conveyed accurately and to discuss your advanced medical plans with the individuals you have chosen as proxies. Taking the time to learn and understand your options for Guardianship and Advance Medical Directives can ensure that your rights are respected if you ever face a medical crisis.
5. Strategizing for Long-Term Financial Planning
Create a Budget
Creating a budget is the key to long-term financial security. By having a budget you can monitor your spending and see what areas you can make cuts to in order to save more money down the road.
A budget doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by listing your monthly expenses such as rent, car payments, utilities, monthly subscriptions and the like. And then list your income. Then subtract your total monthly expenses from your total income. If you have any positive money left over, you can start to use that money to pay off debt or invest in the stock market.
Save for Retirement and Emergency Funds
Creating a retirement fund and an emergency fund is also essential when strategizing for long-term financial planning. Retirement funds such as a 401(k) help to provide an income when you are no longer working and can’t secure another job. Emergency funds are there in case of any unforeseen circumstances such as an illness or job loss.
How much to save for both of these funds is up to you, but as a general rule, you should save at least 10% of your salary for retirement and usually around 3 to 6 months’ worth of expenses for an emergency fund.
Invest in Securities
Investing in stocks, bonds and mutual funds is a great long-term financial strategy, but it can also present risks. Before investing, it is important to do your research to determine which investments will fit within your risk tolerance level.
You should also look for any hidden costs such as broker commissions and account maintenance fees. These costs can add up quickly and reduce the amount of money that you are investing. To maximize your return, low-cost index funds, dollar-cost-averaging and setting a budget to help stay disciplined are some strategies to consider.
6. Protecting Your Assets with Estate Planning
Estate planning is an important part of financial preparedness. From managing your inheritance to safeguarding your investments, it helps you and your dependents from being left with financial difficulties. Here are some essential tips to get you started:
- Create a will: The best way to start estate planning is to create a will. This sets out all of your wishes for after your death, ensuring that everything is handled as you want it to be. It is important to update your will regularly to reflect any changes in your family’s situation.
- Make powers of attorney: In the event of an accident or illness, you can appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf with a power of attorney. This could be a friend or family member who you trust to act in your best interests.
- Establish trusts: A trust can protect your assets, providing tax benefits and influencing how they are managed after your death. This can help to ensure that the financial and legal side of estate planning is taken care of.
Estate planning is something that should be discussed and addressed as soon as possible. It is essential to have all the necessary arrangements in place to ensure your final wishes are made clear and your family is provided for when the time comes.
Preparing for your future care and financial security later in your life does not have to be overwhelming. With the basics of elder law, you can equip yourself with knowledge to make critical decisions when the time comes. There are a variety of resources available to help you make informed decisions, so don’t be afraid to seek help when needed. Begin today, and with the proper steps, you can protect yourself now and in the future.