Are You Passing Down the Right Things?

Ninety-three percent of adults 55 and older want to remain in their homes as they age, according to U.S. News & World Report. Aging in place involves growing old comfortably and safely in ones dwelling.As adults age, they may want to remain in their homes and communities for several reasons. For one, remaining in ones own residence preserves independence.When older adults remain in their home, they can continue local activities they enjoy and maintain their routines. They may be better able to maintain their quality of life.Staying in the same community fosters social support. It makes it easier to sustain relationships with friends, neighbors, and community members. Seniors who need long-term care services also may be able to receive at-home care.Several barriers can prevent seniors from aging in place. Rising housing costs, home maintenance, and lack of accessibility can prompt older adults and their families to consider senior living options, such as assisted living.The cost of housing can be a particular burden for retirees on fixed incomes. More than half of older adult renters are cost-burdened. This means that they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, per the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers programs that can help older adults age in place. HUD programs supporting seniors include the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Note that moving residences to participate in one of these programs may be necessary. However, these programs can help older adults remain in communities rather than entering assisted living or long-term care facilities.Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly ProgramThe Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program incentivizes the creation of housing for low-income older adults. The program funds eligible private and nonprofit sponsors to create senior housing.Section 202 housing provides support services essential to aging in place, such as cleaning, cooking, and transportation. This type of housing is available to households with at least one adult 62 years old or older. The individual or family must meet the programs income requirements. The household income must be less than 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the propertys location.Residents of Section 202 properties typically pay 30 percent of their adjusted household income for rent. The federal government covers the remaining costs.To find Section 202 properties, consider reaching out to a HUD-approved housing counselor for guidance. Note that, as HUD does not handle leasing, prospective renters must contact a property manager or owner directly.Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher ProgramThrough the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, low-income renters who are older can select privately owned housing of their choice that meets program requirements. This gives older renters greater flexibility in choosing housing that meets their needs. For example, they may be able to look specifically for accessible housing.Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer this program under HUD. Participating households receive a voucher. The program pays a housing subsidy directly to the landlord for the participating family or individual.To be eligible for Section 8 housing, families and single people must meet certain requirements. Generally, their income can be at most 50 percent to 80 percent of the median income for their region.Apply for the Section 8 Voucher Program by contacting your local PHA. HUD offers an agency directory. While waiting lists for Section 8 Housing can be long, some PHAs prioritize older applicants. HUD permits PHAs to prioritize certain applicants, which can include older adults.Speak to an Elder Law AttorneyBoth Section 202 and Section 8 programs offer housing for low-income people. However, Section 202 specifically serves households with older adults. Section 8 housing is available to low-income households, including but not limited to families with older members.Section 202 participants are more limited in their housing choices. They must reside in specific approved properties. Meanwhile, Section 8 participants have greater housing choice.Contact Entrusted Legacy Law at 412-347-1731 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15-Minute call. This article is a service of Entrusted Legacy Law. We dont just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life and Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than youve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Life and Legacy Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge. Please note this is educational content only and is not intended to act as legal advice.

When that extra bit of money from your tax refund lands in your bank account, (kinda feels like Christmas, doesnt it?)  it's easy to start dreaming about all the ways you can use it. Financial experts may tell you that it's a chance to pay off debts, tuck away savings for an emergency, or add to your retirement savings. You, on the other hand, may want to splurge on something special. However, there's an often-overlooked option that not only provides immediate satisfaction but ensures long-term benefits for both you and your loved ones: estate planning.Estate planning might sound like a complex and daunting chore reserved for the wealthy, but it's actually a straightforward and crucial process for everyone. In its most basic terms, estate planning involves making a plan for what happens to your belongings and finances after you're gone, or if you become incapacitated. Think of it as creating a roadmap for your loved ones to follow, ensuring they're taken care of and know exactly how to handle your estate according to your wishes. After all, someone will have to do something with your stuff after youre gone, and if youre the one who takes care of it while you can, you can save your loved ones a lot of pain. And, make sure you are cared for in the way you want, by the people you want, if you become incapacitated.And by the way, proper estate planning covers much more than just money and personal belongings, but well delve into that in just a bit.Why You Need an Estate PlanNot only do you need a plan for what happens with your finances and personal items after youre gone or become incapacitated, but you also need an estate plan if any of the following are true:You care about the people in your life who will handle things for you, if you cannot. First and foremost, estate planning isnt something you just do for yourself, its truly an investment you make for the people you love. If it feels daunting to you, imagine how they will feel left with a big confusing mess when something happens to you. And, its one of those things that you must get handled before you need it because by the time you need it, its too late, and youve just left the people you love the most with a big mess.Thats why we say that estate planning is about protecting your family. It's about protecting their time, energy and attention, and leaving them with a gift of love. Its a way of saying "I love you" that goes beyond words, providing them with security and guidance during a difficult time. By making your wishes clear, you can keep them out of court, prevent potential conflicts and ensure your loved ones are supported exactly as you intend.You want your wishes to be honored. With an estate plan, you have the power to dictate exactly how you want to be cared for if you are incapacitated, or who makes decisions for you if you cannot. If you would not want to linger in a hospital bed for years like Terry Schiavo did before her death, you must create a plan. Otherwise, the people you love could get stuck in a court process fighting over your care. You also get to say who inherits your assets, from your home and savings to sentimental items. Planning ensures there isnt any confusion and guarantees that your possessions end up in the right hands. Planning also makes it clear who should handle things after you are gone, and it makes it as easy as possible for the people you choose. You want to save money and time (for yourself and your family). Dealing with the court if you become incapacitated or when you die is time-consuming, can be expensive and is totally public. Without a clear plan in place, you or your family may face costly legal battles and time-consuming administrative hurdles. Your careful planning now can save them from this stress and financial strain, making the process as smooth as possible. In addition, careful planning ensures that you save yourself money by avoiding unnecessary costs if you are unable to care for yourself. You have minor children. If you have minor children, consider who is home with them when you arent. Would that person know what to do if you didnt make it home? Or would the authorities show up at your house and have to take your children into the care of protective custody/strangers while they figured it out? If the idea of this terrifies you like it does most parents, you need an estate plan. Most parents of minor kids are overwhelmed with the demands of everyday life and dont stop to think that estate planning applies to them. A common misconception is that planning is only for older folks who know their mortality is staring them in the face, and young parents think thats too far off to warrant any consideration. Thats a mistake. Death happens to everyone and incapacity can happen before it, no matter how old you are right now. Dont leave your kids at risk.So now you know you need an estate plan but arent sure what to do next. If you feel like the process seems daunting, dont worry. Taking that first step is easier than you might think. Put Your Tax Refund To Work You might consider using your tax refund to do your estate plan on your own or opt for a cheap online service. While these options can seem cost-effective at first glance, they dont offer the comprehensive coverage and personalized advice that your unique situation requires. Instead, investing your refund in working with a heart centered, holistic attorney with a process in place for ensuring that your plan works throughout your lifetime is a much wiser choice. We will get to know you, your family dynamics, and your assets, and then help you choose the right plan for you both now, and into the future. Creating a will or a trust isnt a one and done thing you do, and then put it on a shelf or in a drawer and never look at it again. When you do that, your plan is almost guaranteed to fail when the people you love need it. In that case, its almost better to do nothing because then at least you have it on your to-do list. False security is one of the greatest risks of estate planning.We will help you navigate the law, and also help you tailor your estate plan to fit your specific needs, as well as provide peace of mind knowing that your estate plan is thorough and legally sound. Remember, when it comes to safeguarding your family's future and ensuring your wishes are accurately reflected, the value of expert guidance is well worth the investment.At the very least, your attorney should help you create the relevant documents, including:Creating a Will: A will is a document in which you detail the distribution of your assets and designate guardians for any minor children. It serves as your voice, ensuring your assets are allocated as you desire. Setting Up a Trust: For greater control over the distribution of your assets, a trust is invaluable. It not only allows for precise management of how and when your assets are distributed but can also offer tax advantages and circumvent the lengthy and public probate process. In addition, and maybe more importantly, a trust will help your loved ones avoid a lengthy, expensive,  and totally public court process, which can cost your family significant amounts of time, energy and attention. Selecting Guardians and Executors: A key component of estate planning is choosing individuals who will execute your wishes and look after your children if you are unable to do so. These crucial choices help safeguard your family's future. And if you want to go beyond merely choosing people to raise your kids, you need a thorough Kids Protection Plan, which takes into account anything that could happen (i.e., youre in a car accident and theyre with a babysitter at home). A Kids Protection Plan also ensures your kids are raised by the people you want in the way you want, that someone youd never want to raise your kids is able to, and that the right people are able to get emergency care for them if youre traveling without them.Managing Taxes and Expenses: Effective estate planning can significantly lessen the tax load on your beneficiaries, allowing a larger portion of your assets to benefit them directly instead of going towards tax settlements.These are all undoubtedly important, and what most estate planning attorneys will do for you. However, a Estate Planning Lawyer will go a few steps further, ensuring that investing your tax refund in an estate plan is the very best investment youll make all year. In fact, every Estate Planning Lawyer promises to deliver a plan to clients that works throughout your lifetime. They do this by: Empowering you to choose the right plan that fits your unique family situation, values, and budget (most lawyers will tell you what you need); Ensuring your assets are inventoried and dont end up lost (most lawyers wont tell you that this happens - a lot - to the tune of billions of dollars every year); Creating a Kids Protection Plan, a comprehensive plan outside of your will for what happens to your kids if something happened to you (most lawyers dont even think to do this); Being a trusted advisor for your family, so they have someone to turn to for help when something happens to you (most lawyers dont ever make contact with your family after youve completed your estate plan);  Capturing your memories, stories, values and family traditions so they are passed down to the next generations (most lawyers dont think to do this either); and A system for updating your plan at least every three years to make sure your plan stays up to date so as your life changes and the law changes, your plan works when you need it to (most lawyers treat their clients as a one and done transaction, never checking in again and letting your plan go stale). What If I Didnt Get a Refund This Year?Now you may be thinking, bummer, I didnt get a refund this year. Know these two things: 1) Estate planning is always a wise investment whether you get a refund or not; and 2) A Estate Planning Lawyer, using a unique process called Life & Legacy Planning, can help you organize your finances so you are more likely to get a refund next year, or at least not have a big unexpected tax bill, if thats what happened this year.. A Estate Planning Lawyer will also help you get more financially organized than youve ever been before, so that you make the very best decisions about the allocation of your resources for yourself and the people you love. Estate Planning: The Ultimate Expression of LoveAmong all the ways to use your tax refund, estate planning with a Estate Planning Lawyer ensures that your love and care for your family endure long after you're gone. It's an act of foresight that not only secures your family's financial future but also leaves a legacy.Contact Entrusted Legacy Law at 412-347-1731 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15-Minute call. This article is a service of Entrusted Legacy Law. We dont just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life and Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than youve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Life and Legacy Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge. Please note this is educational content only and is not intended to act as legal advice.

When you die, what happens to your online life? Each social media platform has its own rules for dealing with the accounts of deceased users, ranging from permanent deletion to transforming accounts into places for mourning and memory. Understanding these options is essential for managing digital assets responsibly and respecting your wishes. So lets take a look at the various policies of major social media sites and what you can do to make sure your accounts are handled the way you want. After all, our social media accounts reflect our personalities, interests, and memories, so we want them handled with care.What Each Platform AllowsLets take a look at the practical aspects and discuss what each digital platform allows or requires. Note that these provisions are updated as of April 2024, as this article is being published.Facebook. Facebook offers two options for accounts of deceased users: either close the account permanently or convert it into a memorial account where loved ones can share memories. The platform allows you to designate a "Legacy Contact" while youre alive; someone who can manage your memorialized account by updating your profile picture, accepting friend requests, and posting memories. Importantly, they cannot log into the account or view your private message history.Instagram. Instagram also allows accounts to be either memorialized or permanently deleted. A memorialized Instagram account will display a "Remembering" label and will not appear in public spaces like the Explore section. The process requires proof of death, such as a death certificate, so someone will need to provide that after youre gone.TikTok. TikTok permits family members or legal representatives to request the deactivation of a deceased users account by providing appropriate proof of death. Unlike Facebook and Instagram, and at the time of this writing, TikTok does not currently offer a memorialization option, so your account is permanently removed once the request is processed.X. X (formerly known as Twitter) allows the family to close the account of a deceased user. This involves submitting proof of death, after which your account and its contents are permanently deleted. X does not provide a memorialization option.YouTube. YouTube is covered by Googles overall policies, which offer a proactive feature called the Inactive Account Manager. This allows you to set instructions for your account if you become inactive for a specified period. You can also choose to have your data shared with trusted contacts or have the account deleted.LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, immediate family members or colleagues can request to remove a deceased member's profile by providing proof of death. LinkedIn focuses on maintaining a professional network and so does not offer account memorialization.How to close or memorialize an accountIts important to know that social media platforms generally discourage logging into a deceased person's account as it poses privacy and security risks. To close or memorialize your account, family members must directly contact the service and provide the necessary documentation. They wont be able to make a phone call, either - theyll have to find out how to close or memorialize your account on each site separately, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. But theres a better way! You can create a plan that helps your loved ones navigate the process. To do that, you need a trusted estate planning lawyer.What an Estate Planning Attorney Can DoA trusted estate planning attorney plays a crucial role in helping manage your digital legacy, ensuring that your wishes for your online accounts are carried out after your passing. Heres what a skilled attorney can do to help ensure that your loved ones have the necessary information and authority to manage your accounts:1. Create a Digital Asset PlanAn estate planning attorney can help you draft a digital asset plan that details your wishes for each of your online accounts. This plan can specify which accounts should be closed and which should be memorialized. It includes all kinds of digital assets, from social media accounts and emails to digital wallets and personal blogs.Your attorney can also guide you in appointing an executor, a person who will be responsible for managing your online assets according to your wishes. A knowledgeable attorney will explain the responsibilities involved and help ensure that the executor has the legal authority they need to act on your behalf with various digital platforms.2. Provide Necessary Legal DocumentationA skilled attorney can prepare necessary legal documents that authorize your executor to access your accounts. This might include special powers of attorney and directives that are included in your will, trust, or in a separate document. 3. Secure Your Account InformationA trusted attorney can suggest secure ways to store your account usernames, passwords, and any other necessary information. This information can be kept in a way that respects privacy and security but becomes accessible to the digital executor or designated individuals after your death. 4. Update the Plan Over TimeAs laws and platform policies change, a trusted estate planning attorney can help update your digital estate plan. This ensures that it remains compliant with new regulations and continues to reflect your wishes accurately.However, its important to know that most estate planning attorneys treat their clients as a one and done transaction. Once your plan is signed, they wont contact you again to ensure that your plan stays updated over time. And they wont explain that failure to update your plan regularly means your plan wont work when you need it to. Instead, work with a Personal Family Lawyer who will keep in touch for your lifetime to ensure your plan works. How We Can HelpAs a Estate Planning Law Firm, we don't merely dispense legal counsel; we safeguard all your assets and guide you to make the right decisions for your unique situation. We take the time to fully understand whats important to you, and then together, well craft a thoughtful and holistic plan so you and your family can avoid the stress, conflict, and chaos that comes with incomplete planning - including incomplete digital planning.Contact Entrusted Legacy Law at 412-347-1731 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15-Minute call. This article is a service of Entrusted Legacy Law. We dont just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life and Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than youve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Life and Legacy Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge. Please note this is educational content only and is not intended to act as legal advice.