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Can The Last Days Be The Best Days?

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
—Dylan Thomas, 1947

Newsflash: Life Is Not Easy

Don’t we live in a loud, demanding world? Personal and professional responsibilities compete for each moment of attention. Spouse, Children, Parents, Job, Commitments. And you want to do it all. For everyone. To satisfy each person’s need. You run as hard as you can, as fast as you can. Will it be enough? Will you be satisfied with your choices, your decisions? Have you had enough practice with the balancing act? Navigating through conflicting imperatives is second nature to us now, like breathing out and breathing in. Does that make it easy?

Gratitude comes in moments of calm reflection. As you consider your own life, who are your heroes? With whom do you seek to spend time? Business partners? Professional colleagues? Bankers or financial advisors? With whom do we spend the most time? Are our brief moments with loved ones: good friends, grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, wife, husband, children… are they insignificant? Are personal, intimate experiences and relationships without meaning? Are commercial attachments the most important?

You are an adult. A grownup. You know the truth that younger people seek to deny. You know that: Life is choices. Balance is critical. There are no easy answers. Hard decisions must be made. Family responsibilities are real and must be honored. Obligations to business team members and others who rely on you are genuine, too. You cannot run away from the tough stuff. You cannot pretend it is easy. You cannot wish it away. That is not how the world works. Whatever the storybooks say.

Hold Yourself To Account

When your mother closes her eyes for the last time, will she regret that you did everything possible for her comfort and support in her twilight hours? Or will she wish that you had closed another deal? Taken some more overtime? Kept your nose to the grindstone?

Will your aging father be disappointed that you spent as much time as possible with him and provided well when you could not be at his side? Or will he be distressed that you preferred his companionship to another company meeting?

Having done the very best you can for your loved ones in their time of need, will you feel guilty? You have run the race, fought the good fight, poured yourself lovingly into care for your loved one. You were there when you could be. You provided for care when you could not. Is it ridiculous to think that you could be contented, even quietly proud, while grieving the loss of that special person?

Something Is Gained And Something Is Lost In Living Every Day

Not many World War II veterans are still around. There are a few. Like my father. Winding down a life that stretched almost 97 years. Still “sharp as a tack” he still does things according to his own notions. He has no mental limitations and has never seemed to appreciate his own physical limits. So, my brothers and sisters and I have been taking turns living with Dad, a couple weeks at a time. For years. A couple weeks at a time, sharing the opportunity, so that Dad is never alone. Well, hardly ever.

Recently a checkup revealed a serious progression of congestive heart failure. Not unexpected, not welcome either. So we decided to spend a few more days with Dad. Two of my brothers were already staying there.

On the way to his house, one morning, my brother called to redirect me to the hospital. Dad was unresponsive. The EMTs said his heart had stopped and they put him on an external pacemaker in the ambulance.

Dad woke up in the hospital. And immediately demanded to go home. And rejected the idea of a pacemaker. Which the doctor said was his only chance for continued life. Which Dad firmly refused again. Consistent with earlier statements.

So the doctor got the palliative medicines ready. Turned off the machine. And… Dad kept going without the machine. An astonished doctor said he would not try to explain it and that Dad could go home.

When will that final moment arrive? Not yet. But 8 children, 20 grandchildren, and a couple of new great-grandchildren got one more opportunity to know Dad.

Available Options Are Unacceptable

When my mother suffered from the dementia which led to her death, over 10 years ago, their LifePlan™ preserved 50 years of lifesavings. Mom’s months in the nursing home did not mean Dad’s impoverishment. Dad has spent the last years with security and peace of mind.

But now the limitations of the system have struck home. More profoundly than ever before. Hospice has been wonderful, a Godsend. But Dad now needs round the clock care. No one wants him in a long-term care facility. Least of all himself.

But how to provide care? My family’s solution only works if you had 8 children most of whom could work remotely. And we are not all medical people. We do not know what to do. Or how to do it.

The current situation is simply not acceptable. Dad is ready, willing and able to hire a Certified Nursing Assistant, even an RN. But the demand is so great, they are hard to find. At any price.

Does it seem right to you that the person you have hired to keep watch overnight gets more sleep than you do? Well at least you didn’t wake your caregiver by snoring. As she woke Dad. Twice. As the video shows.

Large families like my father’s are few and getting fewer. There once was something called the “Sandwich Generation”. When your children were willing to care for their own kids and care for you as well. The Sandwich Generation is almost a thing of the past. Not quite gone yet, but…

Over the last 32 years there have been tremendous changes in long-term care. From “Nursing Home or Nothing!” to a wide range of options and choices. From an acceptance that your lifesavings would be quickly eaten up by long-term care costs, to the realization that there are programs that can preserve those savings. For yourself. For your family.

At-home care has changed also. The “friend from church” or “neighbor lady” who could be counted on to help out for $5/hour… gone. She has either retired or been hired at $20/hour by an agency. An agency that charges $40/ hour for caregivers with minimal training and no credentials. “Caregivers” who cannot stay awake.

For 32 years, I have rejected traditional notions of estate planning. Traditional planning is failure planning. My firm pioneered and advocates for LifePlanning™. No Poverty: You will not go broke. No Charity: Your caregivers will get paid. No Waste: Your heirs will get their inheritance.

Maybe it is time to reject traditional notions of at-home care. Are you opposed to living your last days independently in familiar surroundings? Is it a ridiculous idea to expect you could receive cheerful, professional, wide-awake care without a nursing facility? LifePlanningTM™ has always focused on preserving your lifesavings so that your lifetime of work and thrift would continue to serve you until the very end.

But what if the services are not available? What if the money does not matter because the choices for care are so limited? Or not acceptable? Who will fill the gap? Who can you trust? Is now a bad time for a new solution?

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

Perhaps you think you already have an answer to this problem. Maybe you do not see this as a problem at all. It is possible that you do not believe in the passage of time or its effects on you.

For many years, that’s how I felt about my father. He seemed to never age. Always the same peppery mix of cutting humor, sentimentality, ferocious attention to detail, and strength. He has not changed in his personality, but he is no longer independent.

My brothers and sisters and I have been privileged to be with him almost the entire time. Without each other, this moment would have come years ago. We have come to terms with the situation. But I am determined that everyone should be able to make good choices.

Peace of mind and financial security are waiting for everyone who practices LifePlanning™. You know that peace only begins with financial security. Are legal documents the most important? Is avoiding probate the best you can do for yourself or your loved ones? Is family about inheritance? Or are these things only significant to support the foundation of your family?

Do you think finding the best care is easy? Do you want to get lost in the overwhelming flood of claims and promises? Or would you like straight answers?

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

The LifePlan™ Workshop has been the first step on the path to security and peace for thousands of families. Why not your family?

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste.
It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.
Get Information Now. 800-317-2812

New Year’s Resolutions
Safe To Go Back To The Gym?

Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions
From the Home Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, here are the top ten New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Exercise more
2. Lose weight
3. Get organized
4. Learn a new skill or hobby
5. Live life to the fullest
6. Save more money / spend less money
7. Quit smoking
8. Spend more time with family and friends
9. Travel more
10. Read more

—GOSKILLS.COM

Alert Readers will may notice that LifePlan™ made the list 3 times:
#3 Get Organized,
#5 Live Life to the Fullest,
#6 Save More Money.

New Year’s Resolutions Are Hard!

By now, of course, you have probably can’t remember your New Year’s Resolutions. Forget about trying to actually carry them out. Well, The Michigan Elder Law Reporter is always here to help! Are you against achieving 3 New Year’s Resolutions all at once? Is the beginning of another mad and merry year a bad time to get started? Is it a ridiculous idea to think that attending a LifePlan™ Workshop could be the start of something really big for you and your family?

LifePlan™ Workshop Resolutions Are Easy!

At the top of this page are the Workshop listings. Go. Pick a date and location. Pick up the phone or email us. Or sign up on our website by clicking HERE. Pick up your date. Come to the Workshop. In a few short minutes (60 minutes, but it goes fast) you will have accomplished 3 of the top 10 most popular New Year’s resolutions. And enjoyed some fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookies, too.

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste.
It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.
Get Information Now. 800-317-2812

Read the Print Version

Are You Against Peace of Mind?
What Is A Will? Probate – Who Cares?
What Is A Trust? Why Do Trusts Routinely Fail?
Why Don’t They Ever Talk About The Real Problem?
Why Are They Misleading You?
Is Now A Bad Time?

American Middle-Class Values Are Universal
The Future Is Middle Class

Sometimes do you feel surrounded by gloomy complainers who think you should be as anxious and angry as they are? At Christmastime, they complain about everything: gift-giving is bad, Christmas dinner is sinfully extravagant, family time is traumatic. Sad. Proof positive that misery loves company.

Gloomy Gus and Miserable Mary take especial twisted delight in accusing you of all manner of wretched, greedy, evil behavior. Your joy in simple pleasures both infuriates and depresses them. They have “issues.” Every glass is half-empty. All emotions are tainted. Lurking beneath each good deed is a selfish and unworthy motive. The pinnacle of their dismal happiness is to accuse America of unique and awful sin. COVID responses have only deepened their malaise.

What rubbish! Just as your (vaccinated!) immune system rapidly isolates and destroys deadly viruses and bacteria, we need to inoculate ourselves against this deeply stupid and self-destructive whining. Childish and immature? Yes. Infantile and unserious? Definitely. That does not mean we can ignore this injurious infection. Sunshine is the best disinfectant!

Is everything bad and getting worse? Are you an awful person? It is easy to observe that throughout human history, humans have wanted the same things. Why do they ridicule the notion that we are all the same underneath?

You spent a lifetime working and saving. You paid your bills. You raised your kids. You showed up. Nose to the grindstone. Happy warrior. Fighting the good fight.

Lucky for you, you are an American. Being an American means that your efforts count. You can get stuff. And keep it. And enjoy it. Some people like snowmobiles. Other people like Precious Moments™ figurines. Bowling balls and pool cues. Snap-on Tools™. Surf boards. Quilts. Pottery. We like our stuff. It is good to get stuff. The more stuff, the better.

Abundance. Prosperity. Wealth.

How do I know that it is good to get stuff? Look around. Everybody, in every country, around the world, is trying to get stuff. Stuff like yours. Stuff we take for granted.

It starts with sanitation. Toilets. Clean water. Pretty soon folks want electricity. And a bank account. For their savings. Then cell phones. Then McDonald’s™ hamburgers. Then a place to call their own. Then a house. And a car. Health care too. People like to live. They like to live with their stuff. It’s not just you.
Everybody’s doing it.

How do I know? Glad you asked…

Extreme Poverty Almost Gone

The world is becoming middle-class. America just got there first. Not getting blown up in WWII probably helped. Working really hard and believing the America Dream also helped. And now, according to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in the 2020 Goalkeepers Report, the world is catching up.

Worried about Extreme Poverty? It is practically a thing of the past. Look at the graph. Go to the website. All good news!

Got Personal Hygiene?
Get Running Water and Toilets…

What about safe water? Again, check out the chart. More people than ever are living healthier lives. Who knew that things were so good? The truth is that other folks want the same things you do. And, like you, they are willing to work to get those good things. Is it ridiculous to think that other people want flush toilets, clean water, and a place to wash their hands? Did you think anyone was choosing to wash in sewage?

financial services for the poor chart

Who Needs Banks and Banking Services The Most? Poor Folks

And what about money? Once again, trust your own eyes. Even in the poorest countries. Even the poorest people in those countries. 30% of the poorest people in the world have bank accounts. A safe place to store the fruits of their labors. Giving them a way out of poverty. Promising them a brighter future.

The job is not done. Not by a long stretch. Be of good cheer. Progress is tough to derail. Not even the COVID pandemic or some of the hysterical reactions to it have significantly slowed the train. So. Let the nattering nabobs of negativism tell you how bad everything is… Then give them a reality check. Pow! Right in the kisser. Metaphorically. Rhetorically. Confidently.

The future is middle class.

Middle class folks want to make things better for the family members they leave behind. It is a new kind of problem for most people. Including most Americans.

You Got Stuff, You Die Who Gets Your Stuff?
The Last Will and Testament

Funny thing about stuff. It lasts longer than you do. What happens then? The answer to that question is the beginning of estate planning. For a very long time, only the pashas, potentates and princes had anything worth having. But that began to change. Slowly at first, but eventually lots of folks had stuff that was still around after they were gone and still useful.

Who gets it? That was a big problem. The answer was a new kind of court, the probate court. A special place where all this could be settled out.

Along with getting stuff for themselves, folks wanted to give the next generation a leg up. They wanted to say who would get the left-overs. And that’s where wills come in.

Your Last Will and Testament is simply instructions to the probate court. That is it. Your Will only works if it goes through probate. Lots of people will tell you, “I don’t have to worry about probate, I have a Will!” And now you know better.

How much does it cost to probate your leftover stuff? A frequently cited number, attributed to AARP, is 4-10% of the value of the estate. That seems about right to me.

Why so expensive? Because you left a big mess. While you are alive, your name is on your stuff. You are large and in charge. It is as if you were carrying items around in a store. In your arms. As long as you are steady on your feet… no problem. But if you slip and fall… Whoops! There goes all the stuff you were carrying. And now you have made a big mess. You were in complete control of your stuff. Now nobody is in control. Stuff goes flying. Good luck sorting it out. Nice easy job, cleaning up the mess.

But cleaning up the mess is exactly what the probate court does. The probate court is a janitor. Your will is simply a note found in the mess. Let’s hope the janitor finds the note. And reads it. And follows it. And is not distracted by everything else going on…

Probate is not a curse inflicted on innocent people by a vengeful deity. Probate is the necessary and unavoidable consequence of the rise of the middle class. Together with a failure to plan ahead.

You Got Stuff, You Die Who Gets Your Stuff? The Trust

Is it ridiculous to think that most people would rather not lose 4-10% of their leftover life savings? Are you opposed to keeping what you have earned? Maybe then avoiding probate would be a good idea. Are you against finding better ways to get the job done? I didn’t think so…

That’s where the trust comes in. Trusts hold your stuff, like a shopping cart at the store. You are in control.

Put things in. Take things out. Re-arrange. It is all up to you. The key is that when you “slip and fall”, your possessions are in the cart. Sure, you went flying. Call the EMTs! But your stuff remains in the shopping cart/ trust. No fuss. No muss. Nothing for the janitor to do. Your successor trustee steps up and divvies up the stuff to your deserving and grateful family members. What could be easier? Are you surprised that trusts are so popular?

The Huge Dirty Secret of Trust-Based Planning

Is it ridiculous to think that a highly profitable industry based on cleaning up messes might want to go on cleaning up those messes? Can continue collecting those fees? If you were collecting 4-10% of folks’ leftover lifesavings, would you be in a rush to cut off that gravy train? Is it bad to wonder why 90+% of trusts fail? Is it cynical and ill-natured to wonder whether the astonishing failure rate of trusts has anything to do with probate industry profits?

Why do trusts fail harder than the Wizard of Oz? The simple reason, which is well-known to your banker, insurance agent, financial advisor, attorney, and anyone else with the slightest familiarity, is that hardly anything gets into the shopping cart.

You paid for a bright and shiny new trust/shopping cart. And that is what you received. It is beautiful! Leather binder. Lots of pages. Wow! And it is empty. And you are still carrying all those items around in your arms. So when you slip and fall… oopsie! All your stuff STILL goes flying, STILL makes a huge mess, STILL requires probate.

How Do They Get Away With Such Piracy?!

How does the probate industry get away with it? Simple. In that fancy binder of yours, there is a memorandum/ letter/instruction booklet/ brochure. In that document, the responsibility of getting your stuff into your trust is placed squarely on your shoulders.

Did you know that? Would it be a waste of your time to, right now, dig into that fancy binder and find that memo? It is in there, I promise.

The memo is how the probate industry turns your kids’ righteous indignation at having to pay for probate into sheepish surrender. It was Mom and Dad’s fault! They did not follow the instructions! Aww gee! Heh heh… betcha ya didn’t see that coming!

What if there was a law firm that did the hard work of tracking down your assets with you and getting them into the trust. Would you be surprised if the process took longer? Would it be a shock that it cost more? Would you be against getting what you paid for?

Would you be surprised to learn that there is no free lunch?

American Middle-Class Values
Are The Wave Of The Future

Do you reject the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats? Is it too farfetched to think that today’s “rising tide” are the peaceful virtues of the middle-class lifestyle? Rapidly spreading across the globe. Raising hundreds of millions, billions of our sisters and brothers out of poverty. On to the path for a better life.

Our better future has its enemies. Craven, miserable, alive only with jealousy and envy. You extend the helping hand of friendship; they see only the claw of exploitation. You offer to help build, construct, improve, they seek only to tear down, demolish, devastate.

You are winning. Ever more desperate, they are losing.

Peace of mind and security are waiting for everyone who embraces productive work. While you are here. And after you are gone. Waiting for you. You have a choice. Despite what “everybody else” says.

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste. It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.

Get Information Now. 800-317-2812

See the Print Version

What If All Times Are Crazy Times?
Does The Battle Against Crazy Ever End?
Have You Given Up On The Fight?

Will 2022 Be Our Best Year Ever? Why Not? Is America Over?

Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Where’s the spirit? Where’s the guts, huh? “Ooh, we’re afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble.” Well just kiss my ass from now on! Not me! I’m not gonna take this.
—Bluto Blutarsky, Animal House, 1978

I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!
—Howard Beale, Network, 1978

We’re not gonna take it No, we ain’t gonna take it
We’re not gonna take it anymore
—Twisted Sister, We’re Not Gonna Take It, 1984

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Why accept their judgment? Have they demonstrated competence? Do they show kindness? Class? Intelligence? Is it really up to “them”? Are you against middle class values of thrift, charity, authentic generosity? Should we give up without a fight? It is a free country. You choose.

Remember when you were younger? There was always one obnoxious kid who tried to boss everyone else around. The question for that kid was: “who died and left you king? [or queen?]” Seems like those kids all went to Harvard, got fancy degrees, and have not changed a bit. Can’t leave well enough alone. Can’t shut up. Always talking. Always ruining everything for everyone else. Isn’t it time to ask: who died and left you in charge? Cause it certainly wasn’t us!

Is now a bad time to make good changes? Is it a ridiculous idea to think we can take our country back and joyfully continue the work of keeping the American promise for everyone? Are you against peace, love and understanding? Have we given up on the ideas of Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King, Jr.? Have we given up?

Look At Our Leaders… It Seems Like The Inmates Have Taken Over The Asylum

Do you wonder why our politicians prey ruthlessly on our divisions? Do they all hate America? Why? Why the gleeful, self-satisfied, smug rush to embrace every crackpot idea that “proves” America is, and has always been, evil? What psychological diagnosis is there for people who abandon self-respect for self-hate? Were they unloved or over- indulged? Who told them they were so precious? Who saved them from real work, blisters, sweat, fatigue? Why did they never learn to build? Why do they rejoice in destruction? How does other folks’ suffering make them feel better? Where did they come from?

Is this all Doctor Spock’s fault?

Actions have consequences. Eliminate low-wage substitutes for American workers. Surprise! More Americans are working than ever. Flood the country with low-wage substitutes for American workers. Amazing! Labor force participation plummets to new lows. Inflate the money supply by trillions of cheap dollars. Shock! Prices for everything skyrocket. Pay people more money to stay home than to work. Astounding! People stay home instead of work. Cowardly retreat from honorable commitments. Incredible! Other countries now think we are dishonorable cowards. And act accordingly. Set up a super- secret laboratory in a busy city to research disease viruses moving from animals to humans. Unexpected! An outbreak of disease viruses moving from animals to humans in that same busy city. There are none so blind as they who will not see.

Are You Qualified To Be An Elite Leader In 2022?

Take Our 3-Question Quiz!

1. Some kids get lousy grades. Those kids feel bad about their lousy grades. How do we make the kids feel better?
A. Help and support parents help their kids do the homework so they get better grades.
B. Hire more staff to tutor the kids to get better grades.
C. Encourage the kids who get good grades to help the other kids to get better grades.
D. Eliminate grades. Give everybody an “A+++”.

If you answered A, B, or C, you are a horrible and uncaring person.
If you answered D, you must be a highly- paid consultant. Brilliant!

2. There are no questions 2 and 3. We don’t do math so good. But our self- esteem is top notch!

Nothing New Under The Sun

An American statesman recently proclaimed:
[I]n addition to honesty, we need sanity. [T]he wild preachers of unrest and discontent, the wild agitators against the entire existing order, the men who act crookedly, whether because of sinister design or from mere puzzleheadedness, the men who preach destruction without proposing any substitute for what they intend to destroy, or who propose a substitute which would be far worse than the existing evils—all these men are the most dangerous opponents of real reform. If they get their way, they will lead the people into a deeper pit than any into which they could fall under the present system. If they fail to get their way, they will still do incalculable harm by provoking the kind of reaction which, in its revolt against the senseless evil of their teaching, would enthrone more securely than ever the very evils which their misguided followers believe they are attacking.

Who was this brave, courageous commentator? Who would dare to point out the insanity of those “wild preachers of unrest and discontent”? Surely, he will be banned from Twitter, Facebook, and all other modern forms of communication. Who are the people that “act crookedly” and “preach destruction”? Hiding their faces with black masks, they “propose a substitute which would be far worse than the existing evils…” “do[ing] incalculable harm.”

So, who was it that braved the cancel culture to tell the truth?

It was Theodore Roosevelt, president of the United States, on April 14, 1906. One hundred and fifteen years ago. Did Teddy Roosevelt solve the problem of destructive, insane, dishonest “wild agitators”? No.

There is no final victory. With other good- hearted Americans, Teddy fought the battle of his day, one hundred and fifteen years ago. Our beloved land has seen these sorts of folks before. We have confronted them. We have beaten them. Again and again. But like the shingles virus, they hide. Then they come back like a painful rash. Biding their time. Persistent. Waiting. Sneaky. When we least expect it. Bang! We cannot let them win.

Fight The Good Fight Ignore The Peanut Gallery

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910

Middle-class folks, regular people, ordinary Americans. You show up every day. You do the right thing. You work hard. You are grateful for blessings. You endure suffering. You see the job through to the end. Satisfaction does not come from false claims of historical persecution. Contentment is recognition of difficult work done well. Without complaining. Without victimhood. With charity for all and malice towards none.

We live in complicated times. Government has grown far beyond any monstrosity Teddy Roosevelt could have dreamt in his most horrifying nightmares. This is our challenge. We cannot fight it with blood, sweat and tears alone. We must win on the playing field we did not choose. We must use the legal tools that are available to everyone. Have you given up on winning?

Will We Let Them Destroy The Middle-Class?

Most folks want to live and enjoy life. Do you want to go broke? Do you aspire to obscene wealth? Is it ridiculous to think that you could work and save, living frugally but comfortably? Are you against passing on some of your surplus to the next generation?

How can you convince younger people today, that it is worthwhile to work and save? So much seems to be immediate gratification. Fortunes are made professing victimhood. More fortunes are made blaming other people. Still more fortunes are made by merely threatening to accuse innocent people of being the bad people. How can you convince the young that the easy path is not the best path?

As John F. Kennedy once said, “We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

Perhaps actions speak louder than words. Would you be viewed as a success if you died a victim of nursing home poverty? If your lifetime of work and savings were gone in a matter of months? If you had no ability to help your loved ones? Or yourself?

LifePlanning™ Preserves, Protects

Can middle-class people afford skilled nursing care at $10,000 to $15,000 per month? Should middle-class taxpayers pay more taxes, so others do not have to work? Is it unfair for middle-class Americans to expect some sort of safety net from all the tax dollars they have paid? Is it wrong for working people to choose a higher level of care over a night gambling at the casino?

Middle-class workers go broke every day through long-term care bills. Others, who did not save, get services without charge. Middle-class folks do not begrudge the less well-off the care that they need. But why can’t middle-class folks get the same deal? Why do they have to bankrupt themselves? And their families. And sacrifice generations of patient, pay-it- forward toil?

Is it possible for you to enjoy the peace of mind and security you have earned? Does government make it easy? Are you against finding out how to benefit yourself, your spouse, your family?

It is your choice. Poverty is not inevitable. Your decision.
No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste. It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.

Get Information Now. 800-317-2812

Panelists: Ebenezer Scrooge, Robert “Bob” Cratchit, Fred (Nephew Of Scrooge), Jacob Marley (Ghost Of), Cast Of Thousands

Special Guests: Spirits Of Christmas Past, Present & Future

Is A Focus Group Possible Without Experts?
Introducing The Authorities

Ebenezer Scrooge: “[A] tight- fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint…; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.”

Jacob Marley’s Ghost: “[P]igtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail… The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made… of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. His body was transparent; so that Scrooge, observing him, and looking through his waistcoat, could see the two buttons on his coat behind.”

Robert “Bob” Cratchit: “[L]ittle Bob, the father, with at least three feet of comforter exclusive of the fringe, hanging down before him; and his threadbare clothes darned up and brushed…”

Fred (The Nephew): “[W]ith rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge’s… was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.” “[T]here is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good- humour. …Scrooge’s nephew laughed in this way…”

Christmas Past, Spirit of: “[A] strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man… It wore a tunic of the purest white… It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and… had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible[.]

Christmas Present, Ghost of: “[A] jolly Giant, glorious to see; who bore a glowing torch…” “[C]lothed in one simple green robe…, bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare… Its feet were also bare; and on its head
it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. Its dark
brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air.”

Christmas Yet to Come, Phantom of: “[S]hrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.”

Convenient Contributors: Portly Gentlemen, Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Fred’s wife.

Is It Such A Ridiculous Idea That At Christmastime We Could Find Kindness For One Another And Joy In Our Hearts?

Scrooge: “Bah!” … “Humbug!”
Fred: “Christmas a humbug, uncle!” … “You don’t mean that, I am sure?”
Scrooge: “I do,” … “Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.”
Fred: “Come, then… What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”
Scrooge: “Bah!” … “Humbug.”
Portly Gentleman: “[A] few of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.”
Scrooge: “If I could work my will,” … “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!”
Fred: “I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. So, A Merry Christmas, uncle!” Marley’s
Ghost: “At this time of the rolling year, I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode!
Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!”
Scrooge: “[K]eep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine.”
Spirit of Past: “These are but shadows of the things that have been.” “They have no
consciousness of us.”
Fezziwig: “Yo ho, my boys! No more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let’s have the shutters up, before a man can say Jack Robinson!”
Spirit of Past: “A small matter, to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.”
Ghost of Present: “You have never seen the like of me before!”
Scrooge: “Never.” “I am afraid I have not. Have you had many brothers, Spirit?”
Ghost of Present: “More than eighteen hundred.”
Scrooge: “A tremendous family to provide for!” “Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you?”
Fred: “But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of when men and women seem to open their shut-up hearts freely. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”
Tiny Tim: “God bless Us, Every One!”

Do You Reject The Idea, Actions Have Consequences?

Marley’s Ghost: “Man of the worldly mind! Do you believe in me or not?”
Scrooge: “I must. But why do spirits walk the earth, and why do they come to me?”
Marley’s Ghost: “It is required of every man, that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world—oh, woe is me! —and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!”
Scrooge: “Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live.” Ghost of Present: “I see a vacant seat in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.” Scrooge: “No, no, Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared.”
Ghost of Present: “What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
Scrooge: “Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead, but if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!”
Phantom of Future: The finger pointed from the grave to him, and back again.
Scrooge: “Spirit! Hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this if I am past all hope!”

Should You Only Bless Those Who Bless You First?

Bob Cratchit: “I’ll give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!”
Mrs. Cratchit: “The Founder of the Feast indeed! It should be Christmas Day, I am sure, on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge.”
Bob Cratchit: “My dear, Christmas Day.”
Mrs. Cratchit: “I’ll drink his health for your sake and the Day’s, not for his. Long life to him! A merry Christmas and a happy new year!”
Fred: “Here is a glass of mulled wine ready to our hand; and I say, ‘Uncle Scrooge!’ A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, whatever he is! He wouldn’t take it from me, but may he have it, nevertheless. Uncle Scrooge!”
Everyone: “Well! Uncle Scrooge!”

Is Anyone Beyond Redemption? If A Scrooge Can Be Saved Can Anyone Be Doomed?

Scrooge: “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future! The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob; on my knees! A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world.”

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, in the good old world. And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste.
It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.

Get Information Now. (800) 317-2812

Happy Now?

Pleased By Punishing Prices? Gratified By Groveling To Grandees? Have You Given Up On The Idea Of America?

None Of This Is New Or Unexpected: It Is Obvious And Intentional (Also Evil)

Facts Are Stubborn Things: So Are Questions

When do you think we should use national emergency war reserve stocks of petroleum? Maybe in a national emergency? Or war? Do you think we should use national emergency war reserve stocks of petroleum because Russian rulers and sovereign sheiks humiliated and rejected us when we begged for more oil? Is it ridiculous to think that canceling America’s energy industry would lead to dictators and potentates holding us hostage? How did America’s enemies rip away our energy independence? Who delivered us hogtied and weak to our blackmailers? Didn’t that just happen?

Russia threatens invasion of Ukraine. Again. Russian pipelines from Russian oilfields supply Western Europe. New pipelines that do not go through the Ukraine. America approves. America shuts down American pipelines and oilfields. America begs for Russian oil. Russia says “Nyet!” Will Russia listen to America about Ukraine invasion? Is good joke, no?

China plans invasion of Taiwan. Etcetera. Etcetera. Will China listen to America about Taiwan invasion? Also good joke, yes?

Some people smash and grab sledge hammers and crow bars from big box home improvement stores. Some people use sledge hammers and crow bars to smash and grab luxury goods from luxury stores. And regular stuff from drugstores, dollar stores, grocery stores. No sledge hammers required. Some congressionpersons deny this is a problem.

Some prosecutors refuse to prosecute smash and grab theft. Also minor assaults. Also major assaults. Also murders. Also riots. Also arson of police stations, federal courthouses, stores, small business, single family homes, apartment houses, and basically anything else that burns. Some TV talkers think you should look at the “good news.”

Some people rob and murder wealthy, generous, socially-conscious, 80 year-old Black women in their guarded Beverly Hills mansions. Now Oprah Winfrey disapproves.

Some presidents (to media applause) pardon people who were convicted of detonating bombs in the U.S. Capitol building. Some presidents (to media applause) hold people in solitary confinement who are accused of protesting in the U.S. Capitol building.

Some teachers encourage some kids to think of themselves as evil exploiters, based on skin color. Some teachers encourage other kids to think of themselves as helpless victims, based on skin color. Some teachers encourage kids to think of teachers as avenging angels. Some teachers discourage kids from thinking that hard work pays. No more grades. Or advanced placement or study courses. Providing pillows, puppies, and warm, soft comfortable spaces to think correct thoughts about their victimhood. Based on skin color.

Inflation. At least they stopped lying about it and admit that skyrocketing prices for just about everything are here to stay. Happy now?

There Is Nothing New Under The Sun

5 The sun also rises, also does it set, And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full.
9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.
11 There is no remembrance of past things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come.
—Eccliesiastes 1:5-7,9,11

Is there any mystery as to how we got here or how to get out? Is the world too complex? Should we simply run away? But where would we run to? Is surrender the answer?

“There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” Ronald Reagan. How do we know what is morally right? This is not a new question. The answers are not new either.

Seven Deadly Sins
Breaking News From The 4TH Century

Is it ridiculous to recognize that humans today are the same as humans two thousand years ago? Same temptations. Same ways of getting it wrong. Doing evil.

Same aspirations. Living a good life. Finding meaning in the world. Getting it right. Doing good.

Do you hear preachers these days talking about the time-tested seven deadly sins? Are today’s preachers correct that everything is okay? Have good and evil gone out of style? When? Is it a good thing that preachers are most intensely concerned about current social theories about which skin color group is to blame for the misery of other skin color groups? Should we cheer when preachers condemn some people for disapproving of the actions and behaviors of other people, when those actions and behaviors are harmful? To themselves and others? Should the question of good and bad be a popularity contest?
Here is a list of bad attitudes and behaviors first identified by Aristotle thousands of years ago. In the 4th century a Christian monk listed them as 7 or 8. A few hundred years later Saint Thomas Aquinas whittled the list down to Seven:

  • Lust
  • Gluttony/Drunkeness
  • Greed
  • Sloth
  • Wrath
  • Envy
  • Pride

Can you think of any problem we face today that does not spring directly from one of these mindsets? If someone is pushing schoolkids to embrace Sloth (no grades), Envy (they got stuff you want), Wrath (they stole your stuff), and Pride (they can do no right, we can do no wrong), does that someone really have the best interests of the kids at heart?

Do you insist you are perfect? Do you claim the right to judge others? Are you asking for anything more than the right to try as best you can to do as well as you can? Do you want unjust, undeserved rewards? Do you seek unfair advantage? Do you want a crumb more than what you have earned? Can anyone honestly accuse you of wanting more than simple fairness?

Of course, none of us are perfect. As the sun also rises, so do we fail to meet our highest ideals and aspirations. But just as all rivers run into the sea, we keep trying. Keeping faith. Acknowledging our failures and striving to improve.

Seven Cardinal Virtues
How To Win

Humans have been behaving badly for a long time. No surprise. And humans have been rising above bad behavior for just as long.

Is it ridiculous to recognize that humans today are the same as humans two thousand years
ago? Same hopes and dreams. Same aspirations to get it right. Doing good. Making the world a better place. Is that ridiculous?

Fortunately, the folks who gave us the list of the Seven Deadly Sins, left another list. The second list has the simple answers. Remember, these answers may be simple, but they are not easy:

  • Chastity
  • Temperance
  • Charity
  • Diligence
  • Kindness
  • Patience
  • Humility

Can you think of any problem we face today that could not be solved by applying one of these mindsets? If schoolkids were encouraged to embrace Diligence (do your homework), Patience (good things come to those who wait, and work), Kindness (understand others before you demand understanding from others), and Humility (nobody has all the answers, no one is perfect), would we have parents feeling betrayed and (finally) demanding accountability?

Are you against enduring faithfulness to your spouse? Are you too afraid to see the world clearly, seeking deadly shelter in a drunken haze? Have you given up on extending the helping hand to others? Is it crazy to think that challenging work gets superior results? Do only suckers and chumps practice compassion, loyalty, and integrity? Are you opposed to seeking peace and extending mercy? Do you reject the bravery of listening to the other side and the modesty of acknowledging your faults?

America wins when we all win. That has always been the promise. And America has been pretty darn good at keeping that promise. Better than anyone else. In the history of the world.

But now we are flooded with petulant, peevish professionals: teachers, lawyers, politicians, tech moguls. You know who they are. Unhappy people who find their toxic joy in the misery of others. Resentment is their stock in trade. Utopian promises that deceive only the ignorant.

From National Socialism to Soviet Socialism to Venezuelan Socialism to a Baskin-Robbins assortment of other socialisms, the results are always the same. Repression. Starvation. Death.

Is it a ridiculous idea to think that you can do something about it? Have you given up on the idea of America? Are you opposed to fighting for the way of life that has brought so much happiness to so many?

Avalanche, Landslide, Earthquake, Tidal Wave Big Events Start Small

A few pebbles bounce down the mountain side. A tiny snowball starts to roll. Tectonic plates slip, just a little. Then a little more. Bouncing pebbles cause rolling rocks. Snowballs grow huge. The earth shudders. Change is coming.

A few people become concerned. They talk to other people. Who talk to other people. The powerful try to shut them up. Ban them. Cancel them. Ridicule them. But like other natural events, the cascade cannot be stopped. Change is coming.

Is it a ridiculous idea to think we have reached a turning point? Do regular folks, the kind you go to church with, approve the current situation? Do you think America has been well served by so-called the best and brightest? America’s greatest strength has always been her people, the steady, reliable men and women who get things done. Should we let things slide further? Do you really want to see how far down we can go? Is this a bad time to say, “Enough!”?

Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In

Nursing home poverty. Long-term care expenses. Probate. Taxes. Family feuding. These are realities for most middle-class families, like it or not.

LifePlanning™ is the way families like yours preserve what they own to protect what they value. For over 30 years, making the rules work for thousands of families who play by the rules.

Are today’s challenges the ordinary, routine, normal sorts of challenges we have always faced? It feels as though it is increasingly difficult to do the right thing. But do fundamental truths ever change? Does ignoring reality make it go away?

Do you wish you could spend all day focused on the Medicaid, probate and tax rules and regulations that drives well-adjusted people crazy? Or would you like some payback for all the taxes you paid in. Some dignity and respect. Along with the madness.

Peace of mind and security are waiting for everyone who knows what work really is. Waiting for you. It is a choice. Despite what “everybody else” says.

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

NO POVERTY. NO CHARITY. NO WASTE.

It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.
Get Information Now. (800) 317-2812

Job 19:23-24
An Answer To Job’s Prayer?

NOTE: A professional journalist, a mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper (who wisely insisted on anonymity) made the mistake of sitting down to interview David about his new book, “How To Keep The Gold In The Golden Years.” Several hours later, Clark said he had enough material to write his own book. Would you like to know what they discussed? Read on…

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK: The following is a blatant attempt to get you to buy David’s new book. You have been warned. You will also be delighted if you actually buy the book.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK!

Why Do America’s Middle-class Seniors Go Broke?

New book reveals how they wring out your lifesavings and hang you out to dry. Your Family’s Personal Attorney offers middle-class savers surprising insights so you can ‘keep the gold in the golden years’

No one has to tell you that Middle-class America is under siege. Prices are skyrocketing. Government enforces strict obedience from some (you), none from others (not you). That’s fair! Right? Everybody blaming everybody else. Toxic politics. That’s fair! Right? Trillions for the politicians! And who pays? Look in the mirror. That’s fair! Right?

David grew up when families were big, every kid had a paper route, and you stayed out until the streetlights came on. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kiwanis, YWCA. You worked because that is what good people did. And you saved. For the future. Education. You went to church, and you believed. “Do unto others…” “Let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no’ be no.” David might be a lot like you.

From paper route to restaurant jobs to autobody repair. Army scholarship to Notre Dame. Boston University Law School. Captain, Army JAG Corps. Jumping out of airplanes, working at the Pentagon. Georgetown University Law. Big law firm time. Solo practice. 40 years practicing law. Radio show host. Newspaper opinion writer. Never forgetting where he started, who he is.

Guided by respect and love for America’s overlooked Middle-Class families. Seeing and solving regular folks’ problems. Maybe other lawyers and professionals just don’t get it. Can’t see? or Don’t care? Does it make a difference? Forty years working for you. Fighting Nursing Home Poverty. You earned the American Dream. You do not have to surrender.

They told him, “You cannot combine authentic humor and serious scholarship.” David said, “Hold my beer!” Read the book. Find out for yourself. Thousands already know. David’s “Elder Law Reporter” appears in almost all weekly newspapers. For some, it is the only reason to keep their subscription. Others clip their favorites. Some have a complete collection! For almost 20 years, his two-hour call-in radio show has been a beacon of wit and wisdom. Humor and insight, a powerful combination.

Growing his law practice throughout Michigan, David is an attorney who has focused on securing the future for middle-class families. By preserving their hard-earned money, they can choose how to live. And they can give advice! Having heard “You ought to write a book!” thousands of times, David is now sharing the mindset that illustrates and explains how to win by bucking the herd mentality to retirement planning.

David L. Carrier and his team of 50 attorneys, paralegals, accountants, and specialists, deliver elder law and estate planning results from offices in Grand Rapids, Holland, Norton Shores and Portage. Combing the archives, compiling true stories and real solutions from years of newsletters, blogs, and newspaper columns. David lays bare the truth that the system works against average individuals who work hard and follow the rules.

“How to Keep the Gold in the Golden Years: Protect Your Family Against Nursing Home Poverty,” is a fast-paced, entertaining read that will change the way you think about retirement and long-term care forever. Through real-life scenarios and accurate accounts demonstrating the widening gap between the experience of people who should be aging with grace and comfort and hard reality of nursing home poverty on bare government assistance. You have already done the hard work, but is it hard to believe that bad advice leads to poor results? See how those who plan properly have ensured that their lifesavings and estates serve themselves and their families. Not big-spending, self-important politicians and government bureaucrats.

“Middle-class families spend all of their lives working hard, saving more than they spend, paying down the house, hanging on to the family heirlooms,” said Carrier during a recent phone interview. “And then they go broke from long-term care bills. The inheritance is gone from that, or because their estates weren’t handled the right way, the taxman gets it all. It’s not right. It’s a shame, but that’s the way the middle-class has been getting screwed for a long time.”

Is there anyone who doesn’t like a free sample? One chapter, which is available to read for free, details how two women, close friends from high school, with similar lives made different choices. Drastically, tragically, different results. Carrier lays out the scenario, writing:

“Both couples were doing fine. Their homes were paid off and worth about $175,000. With $200,000 in savings and $75,000 of life insurance, they felt secure. Not to mention having prepaid their funerals. Each couple had three kids and three grandchildren. They even like the in-laws!

“You have friends like these women. Middle-class people who enrich the world. Generous spirits. Authentic kindness. Get it done attitude. Nice homes, colorful gardens. Debt free. Comfortable cash cushion (not that the kids would know). Coupon clipping and natural thrift. No extravagant or expensive habits. Except spoiling their grandchildren. But what is going on with Fred and Barney? Why does Fred put the car keys in the refrigerator? Barney gets so confused with the simplest things. And it is getting worse.”

One woman, Wilma, accepts reality and assistance. The program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, which she has paid for through her taxes, eases the strain. In contrast, her closest friend, Betty, rejects the very idea of help as nonsensical promises. But when then their men are stricken with Alzheimer’s, reality comes knocking on the door. Wilma’s husband, Fred, receives care from outside aides and the family keeps what is theirs. Betty, meanwhile, bears the burden of care for Barney, wearing herself out. Building a rickety financial house of cards that eventually collapses. Dooming herself and her unfortunate husband.

“Betty ran the race. Betty fought the good fight. At the ultimate cost to herself, she did what she believed was necessary. Rapidly pouring out the savings and accomplishments of a lifetime. All gone in the blink of an eye. Is there anything more tragic than needless suffering? When a good person refuses the helping hand, it is more than sadness. When refusal leads to catastrophe, it is more than regret.

“Wilma too ran the race, fought the good fight. Wilma had been there for Fred to the ultimate end. Hospice at the house. Familiar PACE folks who supplied the hospital bed, Hoyer lift and other necessary equipment and services. Given fair warning, the kids made it in from out of town. It was sad, heartbreaking. But not tragic. Surrounded by family and friends. Secure. At peace. What did the lord have in store for her now? Wilma did not know. But she looked forward to finding out.

“Most people, reading this article, will choose Betty’s path. Most people, faced with long-term care costs, close their eyes. Reject reality. Hope for the best. As lifesavings evaporate like a snowflake on a hot griddle.”

After 40 years practicing law, is it ridiculous to think that Carrier might have discovered the path that preserves what you own and protects what you value? That is the difference between Wilma and Betty. Forty years of experience have gone into the LifePlan™ system. Constant development that incorporates many strategies and delivers on three key goals: Keeping savings intact, paying for the continuing care, and getting beneficiaries what they deserve. Impossible? Maybe. Maybe not.

Carrier’s single-minded focus has resulted in:
• 50,000+ families attending Carrier LifePlan™ workshops.
• 15,000+ families trusting their security and their future to the LifePlan™ approach.
• $800,000,000+ dollars protected from lawsuits and long-term care.
• 2,000+ loved ones receiving the skilled nursing benefits they earned without going broke or accepting mediocre levels of care.

Carrier says that following the herd seems like the safe bet, but that when the herd has been stampeding off the cliff, for decades… well, maybe it would not be such a bad idea to consider an alternative path.

If most folks are losing, does that make losing a good idea? “I’ve got the plan for your family, and it’s been battle-tested to defend your ability to live as you want, not as you’re told. Haven’t you earned that right? I think so!”

FREE WORKSHOPS: Learn more about David Carrier’s LifePlan™ strategy!

The LifePlan™ secures families’ futures and gives middle-class Michigan the winning game plan. Carrier offers free sixty-minute workshops that start to answer the most frequently asked questions, including:
• Should I believe that it is impossible to protect my health, home lifesavings, family and legacy?
• Why is an outdated will worse than no plan at all?
• Do I want strangers making financial and medical decisions for me? Do I want to shut out my family and friends?
• How can I control the care I get (and do not get) in a medical emergency?
• Should I sacrifice my kids’ inheritance to accident, illness, divorce, bankruptcy, or their own poor choices?
• Are you against (legitimately) avoiding heavy taxes under the new IRA “reform” and “stimulus rescue” boondoggles?

Planning is critical for peace of mind not only for yourself, but also your family, Carrier said. Once you are in control and secure. A clearly structured LifePlan™ saves families and relationships from exploding during emotional times.

Carrier says too many people spend their lives focused on dying. Is it a good idea to be preoccupied with what happens to your wealth when you’re dead and gone? David stresses that you should live for you and your spouse first. Is your vision, your fondest wish, to enjoy exciting life experiences, volunteer work, helping with the grandkids’ tuition, or just relaxing at your cozy country cottage or cabin? Have you given up on the idea that you can achieve your personal goals working with your family’s personal attorney and the LifePlan™ Team?

“You can get in complete control of your future instead of having no control at all,” he said.

Get Information Now. (800) 317-2812
How badly would it hurt you to buy the book?

https://booklaunch.davidcarrierlaw.com/

Let Your ‘Yes’ Be ‘Yes’, Let Your ‘No’ Be ‘No’. Anything Else Comes From The Evil One
— Matthew 5:37

The Facts Concerning The Recent Carnival Of Crime…

In June 1876, The Atlantic Monthly published a short story by Mark Twain: “The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut.” Twain portrays the narrator’s conscience as a shriveled, moldy gnome who delights in torturing the man with feelings of guilt and remorse. The narrator eventually seizes his conscience and rips it to shreds. Having destroyed his sense of right and wrong, he proclaims, “You behold before you a man whose life-conflict is done, whose soul is at peace; a man whose WITHOUT A CONSCIENCE!” Joyously, he engages in the Carnival of Crime. Including 38 murders and arson of a neighbor’s house. Not to mention “swindl[ing] a widow and some orphans out of their last cow, which is a very good one, though not thoroughbred, I believe.”

Today, 145 years later, some people have taken Mark Twain’s “Carnival” story as a challenge, not a warning. Our schools, colleges and universities have spawned a sprawling empire of injury. Poseur intellectualistic charlatans preach a depraved gospel of grievance, greed, and entitlement. Popular media proudly and industriously spread the resentment poison. Weak, wishy- washy, gutless and vain, community and church “leaders” cower from conflict. Truth sacrificed on the altar of cheap vaporous popularity. They lie. Say things they know are not true. Shrink from honesty, run from the light. A nest of vipers, they camouflage evil with a deceptive veneer.

Have you forgotten the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel? Abandoned, starving children find a wondrous house made of delicious bread, cakes, and candy. Unfortunately, the Gingerbread House is a snare to attract and trap innocent children. Hidden inside, the evil witch lurks to catch, roast, and devour them. Through luck, bravery, and intelligence, the clever kids boldly destroy the witch. They escape the enticing fraud. Welcomed home to the modest woodcutter’s cottage, they live happily ever after. No magical Gingerbread House with sham promises concealing ultimate destruction. Ordinary life, ordinary joy.

Is it ridiculous to think that our society may have fallen into the Gingerbread House trap? Is it unexpected that a materialistic culture promising everything to everybody all the time might lead to frustration, envy, and selfish anger?

Did you miss the news that roving bands of shoplifting punks have forced San Francisco drug stores to close? Did you fail to notice that well-dressed, well-fed smash and grab gangs looted luxury handbags and jewelry from mall stores? Then escaped in their own cars. Their own cars.

Are we talking about hungry folks forced to steal a crust of bread? Are these street urchins with rags on their backs, who have worn holes in their shoes walking to school?
When asked for charity, hard-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge replied, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” But. That was a couple hundred years ago.

Today, we will spend over 750,000 tax dollars to provide Bob Crachit with 2 bedrooms of “affordable” housing. In San Francisco. The rest of California is a bit cheaper. (In fact, it is much more, that chart is from 2 years ago!) “Feeding America”, one of many food charities, runs 60,000 food pantries. There are 8 major federal food
programs. And countless state relief agencies. Billions of dollars are spent annually. How far are you, right now, from a food pantry?

Grocery stores do not get the smash and grab treatment.

What is going on? Bandits do not steal to eat. Or for nice clothes. Or for automobiles. Or TVs. Or cell phones. They already have all that stuff. For free. These scroungers steal luxury goods. Luxury. Only the best. Fancy leather wallets and handbags. Ridiculous watches. Gaudy jewelry. Would you buy any of this stuff? We cannot afford it, so we would have to save a long time. And think even longer. What is this entitlement, get- mine sickness? Who has the cure?

Is Ignoring The Problem The Best Solution?
Will It Go Away If We Shut Our Eyes?
Shall We Pretend Everything Is All Just Fine?

Should you keep ignoring the problem? Is now a bad time to wake up and smell the coffee? Are you opposed to making our world, your neighborhood, a better place? Is it ridiculous to believe in basic values like, trust, loyalty, courtesy, kindness, thrift, and bravery? Are we fools to be helpful, friendly, cheerful, and reverential? Are you against an America that works for everyone because everyone capable of working works? Have you given up on the American Dream? Have you given up on your own ambition to live your life well and to be a blessing to your family?

It Is Possible To Hate Without Loving.
But Is It Possible To Love Without Hating?

Like you, I find that statement difficult to believe. Nevertheless, we must embrace all truth, whether comfortable and gratifying, or awkward and embarrassing. On reflection, it seems obvious and inescapable that there are some people who do not love, but merely hate. It also seems to me that the people who take the risk of love, also accept the responsibility of hate. So, in the interests of restoring some balance:

I hate cheating, but I love competition and fair play.
I hate money grubbers, but I love financial independence.
I hate government handouts, but I love getting something back for all the tax dollars I have paid in.
I hate getting old, but I love getting up in the morning.
I hate freeloaders, but I love cooperating with other hard-working people to achieve mutual goals.
I hate noisy, grasping, bossy, phony, hypocritical politicians, but I love public- spirited citizens willing to accept office and serve the rest of us.
I hate stupid rules and regulations imposed by ignorant idiots masquerading as super experts, but I love commonsense laws that make life better for everyone.
I hate grinding poverty, but I love the chance to work hard and make the world a better place.
I hate mean people, but I love charitable folks, giving generously of themselves, their time and treasure.
I hate blamers, whiners, complainers, Gloomy Gus and Debbie Downer, who sit on their lazy keisters hypnotized by TV and finding fault with everything that happened over the last thousand years of human history, but I love cheerful men and women who GIT R DONE!

I hate slovenly slugs who won’t make their own bed, wash the dishes, fold the laundry or practice basic personal hygiene, but I love doers, workers, laborers, and peasants (because near as we can figure, all my ancestors were serfs and “of the land”) (except for a few mercenaries).

I hate bitter resentful infantile complainers who won’t raise a finger to help but will happily raise a brick to throw at police officers, court houses and through windows, but I love younger people facing challenges and meeting needs with grace and dignity.

I hate long-term care that evaporates lifesavings, robs dignity and fails to meet real needs, but I love supportive skilled home care that assists folks in their own homes, lets them enjoy the rewards of their working years, and allows leftovers for the kids.

I hate nursing home poverty, but I love planning that secures lifesavings while meeting real needs. Care that you have already paid for. With your tax dollars. Over your working life.

What do you hate? What do you love? It is up to you.

Wherefore, By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
— Matthew 7:17-20

Is Nursing Home Poverty inevitable? I’m letting you know that you do not have to lose your home, cottage, business, lifesavings, independence, security. Do you choose to give up everything you have earned? Is it ridiculous to think that someone who has been working on issues like this, for people like you, might have figured out a few things? Does it make sense to rely on “My lawyer/financial advisor/ accountant/tax person/banker/best friend/fill- in-the-blank” when none of them have ever pursued a Medicaid application? Let alone succeeded with over 2000.

Well, here you are. What do you think? Is it wise to choose failure? Will you have more choices with less money? Will your spouse be better off with fewer assets?

It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.
Get Information Now. Call (800) 317-2812

Gratitude Is Not Only The Greatest Of The Virtues,
But The Parent Of All Of The Others

— Cicero

A Noble Person Is Mindful And Thankful Of The Favors He Receives From Others

— Buddha

Best Of Times, Worst Of Times

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday:

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, … to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

— Abraham Lincoln, 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

So, I guess 1863 must have been a pretty good year, right? Of course, some may remember a certain unpleasantness. Such as 51,000 men killed or wounded at Gettysburg on a few sunny days in July. And then there was the Battle of Chickamauga in September. Only 35,000 killed or wounded under the changing leaves. Even fewer died or were wounded in early May at the Battle of Chancellorsville: a mere 30,000 young men. Dead or maimed. And the year started out the same way, with 25,000 men and boys dead or hurt at the Battle of Stone’s River (Murfreesboro) on New Year’s Day. And for every battle death, 9 or 10 more soldiers and sailors died of disease, over 300,000. And the war and slaughter would continue for another couple of years.

Would it help to give a little perspective? In 1863, there were only about 32 million Americans. Now we have over 332 million. That means, given today’s population, the casualty counts and death tolls would be more than 10 times as great.

2021 Gettysburg: 510,000.
2021 Chickamauga: 350,000.
2021 Chancellorsville: 300,000.
2021 Murfreesboro: 250,000.
With 3 million dead of disease. Think of that.

Yet in 1863, the gratitude was not ironic, or phony, or fake. These were the Americans who sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and meant it. Despite the great national upheaval. Death all around. Future unknown and unknowable. Still, it was America and Americans found time for genuine Thanksgiving.

In 2021, our leaders proclaim… what? Blame? Recrimination? Mandates? Does the solution to our problems really lie in borrowing trillions of dollars from our children and grandchildren?

In 1863, America was in torment. America’s best were busily killing and maiming one another. With new and improved weapons and tactics. Unprecedented and never to be repeated carnage. Why? For a new birth of freedom. To make good the promise of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. To atone. To keep the promise.

In 2021, America is in torment. But of a different kind. Yes, inflation is at a 30-year high. Gas prices up 50%. Home heating fuel up 100%. How is any of this good for working families? Who is celebrating?

Does anyone honestly believe riots and bombing small businesses and federal courthouses lead to freedom? Who truly thinks floods of reckless money printing will cure inflation? What fool advocates choking off America’s energy independence and relying on sheiks and commissars to save the planet from… anything? Why has encouragement of division, blaming, scapegoating, and poverty taken the place of grace, goodwill, gratitude, and appreciation? Can you believe that we are being led to peace or justice?

And Yet So Much To Be Grateful For

A deadly disease appears. Mobilization follows. Empty stocks of personal protection equipment are refilled in record time. Ventilators appear on automobile assembly lines. Researchers formulate new treatments and vaccines at (dare I say it?) warp speed. More and better solutions keep coming.

Small business has been decimated. Huge burdens imposed by shutdowns and capricious government orders. But still. There are more jobs at higher wages than ever before. Why isn’t this the best of times? Why are we not grateful? Who benefits from our division? Where is the profit in America’s decline?

Gratitude Is A Universal Value, An Eternal Good

Across cultures and religious traditions, from ancient times, people have given thanks. As Cicero, thousands of years ago, observed, all virtue begins with and flows from gratitude. Let’s not forget that. Ever.

The Blessed One said, ‘Now what is the level of a person of no integrity? A person of no integrity is ungrateful and unthankful. This ingratitude, this lack of thankfulness, is advocated by rude people. It is entirely on the level of people of no integrity. A person of integrity is grateful and thankful. This gratitude, this thankfulness, is advocated by civil people. It is entirely on the level of people of integrity.

— Buddha

Thankful People Are A Blessing To Themselves And Their Families

There is nothing inevitable about losing your home, cottage, business, lifesavings, independence, security. All of that is a choice. Despite what “everybody else” says. For thirty years, people have told me, “I’ve never heard of this before!” “If this is real, why haven’t I heard of this before?” “My lawyer/financial advisor/accountant/tax person/banker/best friend/fill-in-the-blank never said anything like this…”

Well, here you are. So now you know. No excuses. Now it is your turn. To ignore the message. Invite poverty. Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions about your life. And that of your loved one.

It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.
Get Information Now. (800) 317-2812

Your Estate Plan Is Doomed | Why Your Trust Will Fail | What Everybody Knows And No One Will Tell You

Why People Do Estate Planning

Nobody likes estate planning. Estate planning is like castor oil when you were a kid. You had to take it. It was supposed to be good for you. Not sure how or why. But it was unpleasant.

Like insurance, but worse. With insurance, you must have coverage. Just in case. Same with estate planning. You do not want to, you are not sure why you have to, but you must.

If you are like most folks, you do the estate planning because:

1. You have stuff now. House, money, investments.
2. You know you will die. At some point.
3. You think you will have some leftover stuff when you die.
4. You like some people. Spouse. Kids. Friends. Charities.
5. You do not want the government to get your stuff.
6. You want the people you like to get your stuff. Because why not?

Has anyone told you that you are likely to die without stuff? Without leftovers. Has anyone told you that long-term care will drain you dry? If there are no leftovers, why bother? Now you know. Consider yourself told.

Death Is Not The Problem

Some folks believe we will all pass over the Great Divide to the Other Side. Glorious! Other folks hold that sooner or later the organic metabolism that makes up your consciousness will cease and that will be that. Food for worms and nothing more. There are many variations on this basic theme.

Death is not your main problem. Those who survive you will figure out what to do with your remains. And whatever is left of your stuff. This can be done well or poorly. Mostly poorly.

Great families make great plans. Truth to tell, it is not that hard to do it right. But you are not going to see it anyway. Not really your primary problem.

Life Is The Problem

In the Army, I often heard (and often repeated) that, “There are no problems, just opportunities to excel!” Your life is your opportunity. And middle-class folks like you tend to make the most of the gift. That is great. You are independent. You did the work. You get to make choices. Until you cannot.

If you are like most people, you think that tomorrow will be like today. Pretty much. You handled things today. You will handle things tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. But that is not accurate. For most of us, at some point, we will not be able to carry on as we have. That is the castor-oil reality. And most estate planning has nothing, zero, zip, zilch to help you deal with this new, inevitable situation.

LifePlanning™ Is The Solution

LifePlanning™ is focused on you here and now. How do you maintain your independence? How can you stay in control and in charge for as long as humanly possible? Your freedom is what planning should be all about.

The Secret Truth: LifePlanning™ Is Like Hearing Aids

Why do folks buy hearing aids? Did you know that the #1 reason has nothing to do with chirping birds or adjusting the TV volume? The real reason is something no one will admit. It is kind of embarrassing. That is how you know it is true. Folks buy hearing aids because if you cannot hear, your kids will believe that you cannot think. And that is the first step to the kids “helping” you to give up your freedom. The first step to “we can’t trust mom and dad with the kids.”

The real reason for LifePlanning™ is to keep your edge. You do not need lectures. You do not need to hear how nice it is to live at Shady Acres. You do not need another Shady Acres brochure. You want to keep your home. And live there. And you might need some help with that. LifePlanning™ is how to get the help to keep your independence.

Your Trust Will Fail

You went the extra mile. Spent the extra dollars. Got the big binder. Got a trust. Everything is all good now, right? Not so fast.

Everybody knows that trusts fail. Almost all the time. Your financial advisor, insurance agent, banker, accountant. They all know that you will not re-title your assets to the trust. Sure, you will get some stuff in there. Maybe. Most folks have very little in the trust. One survey says 96% of trusts do not avoid probate.

The Institute for Continuing Legal Education gives out certificates to attorneys who want to practice estate planning. Including trust planning. Lawyers who want to be certified must take a whole raft of courses to get that piece of paper. When asked recently about the problem of trusts that do not avoid probate, the instructor was clear. “That is what the pour over will is for. No problem.”

Think about this. The instructor is a highly qualified and experienced estate planning attorney. Partner in a huge, prestigious multi-state law firm. This person is teaching would-be estate planning attorneys that going through probate is no big deal. Did you think that the whole point of the trust was to avoid probate? Whoops. Besides, probate is not that bad… they say…

Your LifePlan™ Will Not Fail

LifePlanning™ means your funding coach works with you to get the job done. To help make sure that your assets are safely in the appropriate trust. It is not easy. It takes time. Two months on average. But there are no shortcuts. No easy way out. And everyone knows it.

LifePlanning™ Is The Solution

LifePlanning™ is the way you keep your stuff. And at the same time, qualify for the government benefits you have earned. Focused on you here and now. By acting early, rather than waiting until the last minute, you will qualify for benefits that may mean you never need residential long-term care. Let’s face it, who can afford the $9000-$12,000 to $15,000 per month costs of skilled nursing? Even a little at home care is ruinously expensive at $30 – $50 per hour.

LifePlanning™ gets you what you have earned. Assistance to stay at home. Health care that keeps you healthy, active, engaged with your grandkids. Free to be your best self.

LifePlanning™ Prevents Tragedy

Nothing is more tragic than one spouse dying while caring for the other. The other spouse now faces institutional care. Which their spouse sacrificed everything to avoid. And that is what happens 40-50% of the time. LifePlanning™ supports the caregiver as well as the disabled spouse. Getting necessary benefits. Staying home. Maximizing potential. Living life to the full.

I Don’t Want Government Help!

Middle-class folks are independent do-it-yourself types. Government hand-out? Perish the thought! Understandable. But.

Government demands taxes. You pay taxes. You never thought you would see any of that money again, right? No return on that investment. This is a return on that investment. Unusual times.

That is the LifePlan™ approach to estate planning and elder law. You paid in, why shouldn’t you be paid back? If you need it. When you need it? Learn more. You can do this.

Secure Your Independence Today… Get Started

COVID flaring up again. Isolation for holidays. Merry Christmas? What are we waiting for? Isn’t today is the best time to plan? Begin by calling the LifePlan™ Hotline: 800-317-2812.

Get Information You Need: Your Life, You Choose!

COVID has not gone away. New challenges arise daily. The risks to your freedom to choose, to your ability to keep what you have earned and built have not gone away. And neither have we. It is your stuff… protect it. And yourself. With complete control. LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever life brings.

How can LifePlanning™ protect your middle-class life savings? How to get this information?

Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Why wait until it is too late?

GET ANSWERS NOW… CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
(800) 317-2812

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