Ignore These Graphs, They Are Meaningless

Read the Print Version

Happy Talky Talky Happy Talk! Don’t Worry, Be Happy

HOW ARE MORTGAGE RATES LIKE MURDER RATES?

Ever wonder how mortgage rates are like murder rates? Me too! And we are in luck. You have paid so much in taxes; Washington bureaucrats track this stuff. Not joking.

Freddie Mac (not the guy with the hamburgers or cheesy macaroni) says home mortgage interest rates have almost tripled. USA, USA, USA!

freddie mac mortgage rates chart oct 2022

The American Stasi, Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, Praetorian Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer, reports that murder rates are surging. How did that happen?

Don’t believe me… believe your own lying eyes:

fbi crime data explorer rat of homicides by population

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer

What’s The Difference Between Oil And Murder Plus Mortgage Rates?

Why would the Leader of the Free World™ grovel to Petroleum Potentates? Why would Petroleum Potentates wipe the Leader of the Free World™’s nose in his stinky economic and geopolitical mess? Why would PPs listen to the L of the FW’s humiliating pleas, then do exactly the opposite? Because they can. But why? How?

Your tireless tax-paid government bureaucrats at the U.S. Energy Information Administration have the answer. In a single chart.

Follow the lines. “Ending Stocks of Crude Oil” in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) are at a 30-year low. Thirty. Year. Low. From historic highs to historic lows. In 2 years. Did somebody try to buy political favors with your energy security? Nah! Crazy talk. Conspiracy theory. I am sure there is a very good explanation. Very. Good.

What else is at historic lows? America’s regular stocks of crude oil. Lowest in 30 years for “Ending Stocks of Crude Oil”. Blame COVID. Or Russia. Or China. Or Ukraine. Or Evil Oil Companies. Or Garden Gnomes. Right? Could not possibly have anything to do with doddering grifters wrapping themselves in the flag and buying votes. Nah! So much crazy talk.

u.s. energy information administration stocks by type chart

And thank goodness for global warming! Our planet is so toasty, we don’t need petroleum products to heat our homes. Nowadays, winter is a thing of the past. A few old greybeards remember snow as a distant memory, but you’ve never seen any. And windmills juice up all our electric rent- a-cars. No problem. Don’t worry. Be happy. Now.

Murder Up! Mortgage Up! Oil Supply Down!
What are you going to do about it?

 

 

Lightning Letters Redux…

Like Sands Through The Hourglass… So Are The Letters Of Our Lives

(Not Edited For Spelling Or Punctuation Or Anything Else) (Warning: Not Legal Advice!)

Bad Ideas Come From Bad Information

How do I put my name on my mom’s property?
We are living with my mom to take care of her. She has dementia and may need to go into a home. Her will already states that I get everything as my sister and father passed away. I know if I try to put her into a home to help her, we will have to sell the house and we don’t want to lose it and be homeless.

The Short Answer Is: You don’t. Bad idea. Putting your name on mom’s property now would be a “divestment” for Medicaid purposes. If mom needs a Skilled Nursing Facility, she won’t get help, she’ll get a penalty period. And then she’ll get sued. And then they’ll sue you. And then you’ll lose the homestead. And that would be bad.

The Longer Answer Is: Plan to avoid probate. Mom can keep her homestead. You can live in and maintain it. Mom still gets her Skilled Nursing Facility benefits. Although Medicaid takes all her income except for $60/ month.

The Problem Will Be: House in mom’s name must go through probate at death. That’s bad: 1 – Mom gets Medicaid. 2 – Mom dies. 3 – Mom’s estate, including the house, gets probated. 4 – State of Michigan wants its Medicaid money back. State shows up in probate court. State gets the dough. 5 – You lose the house. 6 – You are homeless. Bad.

The Good Answer Is: Avoid probate with a Transfer- On-Death Deed, also known as the Ladybird Deed, Enhanced Life Estate Deed, or Deed pursuant to Michigan Land Title Standards Act 9.3.

A Potential Pitfall: Many folks use the TOD Deed to transfer the house to themselves directly. Now you go bankrupt or get sued or divorced or need long-term care and pfffft goes the house. Waste of Golden Opportunity for long-term security. You are getting the house for free. Mom’s care is also free (except she paid for it through years of income tax). Do Not Cheap Out Now. Spend a couple bucks and secure the house forever. And ever. Amen. (Yes, this strategy uses a trust. Get over it.)

Is Blood Thicker Than Water? And How Could You Tell?

Trust vs Heirs?

Dear attorney, there is an elder lady, who wants to put her niece to Trust and wants this niece to be an owner of this house when she dies. At the same time this lady has 2 sons, who might want to claim to get this property after their mother passes away. In that situation, in case her sons claim this property as blood heirs, what would prevail: trust or rights of her sons as blood relatives? What if they launch a court process, are there any theoretical chances to get the property in possession of her sons? Thank you in advance!

The Short Answer Is: Elder Lady Auntie gets to do with her stuff what she wants. Suggest using a trust to keep it out of probate. Quicker, faster, better. Less opportunity for uncles to complain. Trust wins over Blood! But.

The Longer Answer Is: Why is Elder Lady Auntie sweet on Nice Niece to the point of disinheriting her flesh-and-blood? Millions of reasons. But. Do you want uncles (father?) claiming that Nice Niece “unduly influenced” Elder Lady Auntie? I betcha NN is helping care for ELA. I betcha they are very close. I betcha ELA’s powers of attorney/will/trust/patient advocate name NN as ELA’s fiduciary. Danger is real, not a “theoretical chance.”

The Problem: NN’s close relationship with ELA means NN automatically unduly influenced ELA to give House to NN. (This is known as shifting the burden of proof.) Now NN must prove NN did NOT unduly influence ELA. Which is impossible now that ELA has died. NN loses house. Uncles win. Angels weep.

The Good Answer Is: Employ experienced counsel. Do it correctly. Wise, foresighted counsel will anticipate the undue influence claim. And defend against any such challenge. And a bunch of other stuff that can go haywire.

 

 

Why Don’t You Deserve A Little Payback For All The Taxes You Paid In?

Why Do You Want To Spend Your Last Nickel On Long-Term Care?

Why Shouldn’t The Government Spend Your Money For You?

Why Does Traditional Estate Planning Fail? All the time

Traditional estate planning is concerned with avoiding probate, saving taxes, and dumping your leftover stuff on your beneficiaries. After you die. Nobody cares what happens to you while you are alive. How does that help anyone? Stupid.

Traditional estate planning fails because the overwhelming majority of us will need long-term skilled care. 70% of us. For an average of 3 years. And we will go broke paying for it.

Is it surprising that thousands of recreation properties: cottages, cabins, hunting land, are lost to pay for long-term care? Why is your estate planner hurting you and your family? It is evil intent? Or stupidity?

LifePlanning™ defeats Nursing Home Poverty. Keep your stuff. Get the care you have already paid for. Good for you. Good for your family. Good example for society,
When my mother suffered from the dementia which led to her death, over 10 years ago, their estate plan preserved their lifesavings. Mom’s months in the nursing home did not mean Dad’s impoverishment. Dad spent the last years with security and peace of mind.

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.

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

Letters Lightning Round

Read the Print Version

News You Can Use, Without All The Yakety-Yak

If You Liked It, Why Didn’t You Put A Ring On It?

QUESTION: Evicting common law spouse from my home? Can I be forced to modify my house for his mobility and care?

Common law spouse decided to have his daughter handle all of his financial and medical care. Prior to this I was an authorized signing agent which I was used for utility’s, groceries and various joint accounts. His daughter will only give authorization for $200 towards electric, purchase his food and handle his medical needs. He has major medical issues. Eventually him will required the use a wheelchair. I myself have been diagnosed with early stages of Dementia and COPD. And limits my abilities as well. No other contribution are made. Intimidating tactics such as demanding $50,000 for him to leave. Or sale my home and give him half. Repeated threats by he and his daughter regarding him leaving. On a daily bases harassing me about the money he claims he is owed to him. Can I legally evict him? Can I be forced to sell my home which was fully paid for 2yrs prior to him moving in? Can I be required to modify my home for his mobility needs?

Throw The Bum Out, And His Little Dog, Too

1. There is no “common law” marriage in Michigan. Show Freddie the Freeloader the door with instructions on use. If he won’t go willingly, evict him. And his pernicious progeny (that means his devil daughter). What an ungrateful wretch!
2. “Repeated threats by he and his daughter regarding him leaving.”
Correct Response To Threats: “Don’t let the door hit you on the keister on your way out!”
3. Specific Questions – Precise Answers
a. “Can I legally evict him?” Yes. Follow the rules exactly. You don’t want to do this part twice.
Or three times.
b. “Can I be forced to sell my home which was fully paid for 2yrs prior to him moving in?”
No. Hell no!
c. “Can I be required to modify my home for his mobility needs?” Nope.

NOTE: Common Law Marriage is recognized by Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia. In these localities, if you hold yourself out as married, you are married. It is not a matter of how long you have been together.

So, say “boy/girlfriend,” “significant other,” or “Poopsie”. Do not say, “Husband,” “Wife,” or “Spouse.” And keep your finances separate.

But I Ain’t Got No Money, Honey!

QUESTION: Can I walk away from my mom’s business and home without doing anything once she dies?
My mother has become increasingly irresponsible with money. She is super intelligent, and she has no dementia. She is 86 and still runs her business but it is highly dysfunctional and I’m not sure it makes a lot of money. She gets lots of loans and has taken all her money from a reverse mortgage on her house. She won’t listen to reason. She is secretive about her finances, and she is controlling. I believe she gets these loans knowing she will probably die before she has to pay them all back. I don’t even know how I would be able to unwind any of this to even pay the debts off after to trying to sell her business.

I’m considering just walking away and not doing a thing after she dies as long as I could do this without any legal ramifications for myself.

Where Were You When The S—t Hit The Fan?

1. You are not liable for mom’s debts. Now or after she dies.
2. You might be liable for mom’s debts if she gave stuff to you so that she would be unable to repay. This is the Doctrine of Fraudulent Transfer or Fraudulent Conveyance.
a. Accept nothing from mom for which you did not pay.
b. Maintain books and records to show you supported yourself.
c. Keep your distance. When the proverbial S hits the fan, you do not want to get splattered.
3. At mom’s disability or death, refuse to act as attorney-in-fact, guardian, or conservator. Walk away. Let a public, court-appointed guardian or conservator try to unscramble these eggs.
4. Parents must accept their children’s choices. Children must accept their parent’s choices. And not be ruined in the process.
5. Consult with counsel to erect a legal firewall between you and the dumpster fire that will be your mom’s financial legacy.
6. Love your mom. And don’t be a victim.

NOTE: Nursing homes, lenders, and creditors of all stripes are responding to the deepening recession by aggressively pursuing non-traditional sources of payment. Meaning they’re coming after family, friends, the postman, anybody they can find who may have benefitted from the borrowing. It is not the mom- and-pop law firms doing this sort of collection work. Debt collection law firms are highly organized, technically savvy, and using legal techniques that were once reserved for the “big” cases. They are not going away.

Daddy Dearest

QUESTION: How do I get a full-time aide for my father who refuses to pay for it?
My father is 96 with several co-morbidities. He is in hospice at home I am his full-time aide. I need a break from caring for him 24/7 for the last nine months. The hospice personnel say they can give me 5 days I need a month or more off. He has on-set dementia which I cannot get the Dr’s to sign off on. He can get violent and I am at my wits end with him. When he was normal he was abusive and now he is controlling and manipulating. I need to get away to take care of myself I am 75 yrs old. I thought I could help but this is way too much. He is difficult to manage. What can I do legally I have POA only medically not financially?

Loving, Devoted Child Or Enabling Co-Dependency?
The Parent Child Relationship Is Not A Suicide Pact

1. Get away. Don’t go back.
2. Make dad get a Probate Court- appointed guardian and conservator through:
a. Adult Protective Services
b. Hospice social worker or case manager
c. Local, neighborhood Elder Law Attorney
3. When spouses care for one another, the caregiver spouse dies first 40-50% of the time. Why? Because caring for a loved one is tough, tough stuff. And you are living the worst-case scenario: Dad has “several co-morbidities.” Plus “dementia.” And on a good day, dear old dad was “abusive.” Nowadays, he can “get violent,” “controlling,” and “manipulating.” Ay caramba! What to do?
4. You recognize that “this is way too much.” Remember what Lucy VanPelt said to Charlie Brown: “As they say on TV, the mere fact that you realize you need help indicates that you are not too far gone.”
5. Now’s the time to arrange for a professional guardian and conservator to take over. Paraphrasing 2 Timothy 4:7- 8: You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for you the crown of righteousness…
6. Love your dad. And don’t be a victim

 

 

How Long Do They Expect Us To Meekly Go Broke?

Social Security Doesn’t Demand Your Last Nickel
Medicare Doesn’t Touch Your Lifesavings
So Why Do You Have To Go Broke For Long-Term Care?

When Is Enough Enough?

Traditional estate planning is concerned with avoiding probate, saving taxes, and dumping your leftover stuff on your beneficiaries. After you die. Nobody cares what happens to you while you are alive. How does that help anyone? Stupid.

Traditional estate planning fails because the overwhelming majority of us will need long-term skilled care. 70% of us. For an average of 3 years. And we will go broke paying for it.

Is it surprising that thousands of recreation properties: cottages, cabins, hunting land, are lost to pay for long- term care? Why is your estate planner hurting you and your family? It is evil intent? Or stupidity?

LifePlanning™ defeats Nursing Home Poverty. Keep your stuff. Get the care you have already paid for. Good for you. Good for your family. Good example for society.

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

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.

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

U.S. Suffering An Economic Recession

Read the Print Version

Latest Federal Government Numbers Confirm. Let’s Stop Arguing, It’s Obvious

Bureau Of Economic Analysis Department Of Commerce

bureau of economic analysis recession chart

A picture is worth a thousand words. Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. Recovery is when grifting politicians lose theirs. This is the most predictable recession in history. Everybody knows that when America displays weakness, things get out of hand. In Europe. In the Middle East. No surprise. Everybody knows that when you print trillions of dollars, you get inflation. When you promise to wave a magic wand and make hundreds of billions of dollars in loans just… disappear, you demoralize everyone who played by the rules. And cause more inflation. We can all see that when prominent politicians try to criminalize other Americans, based on their political views, you get strife. And we all know that if there is no consequence to crime, we will all get a lot more crime.

Is it ridiculous to protect yourself and your family first? How can the government command respect when it fails in its most basic obligations: security, peace, safety? Is this a bad time to stop kidding ourselves? Is now too soon to restore some sanity? If not now, when? If not you, who?

Government Newspaper, Washington Post, Supports Government
Don’t Worry — Recession Is Good! — Be Happy
In Other News: Dog Bites Man

Once upon a time, newspapers and the government had a healthy rivalry.

Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman was clear. ““I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast.”

First Amendment Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was equally blunt. “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.”

Today of course, great, metropolitan newspapers, like the Washington Post, bravely toe the party line. Providing cover for clownish political poltroons who cannot remember what they are doing in the room or how to get off the stage…

Would it make you happy to know that devastating recessions have seven (7) silver linings? Your retirement has been gutted. Your shopping cart is empty. Your grandkids would not know what to do with a job if it bit them on the behind. Inflation is up. Gross Domestic

Product shrinks. Then, just as you were feeling a little stressed, the Washington Post pops up with a timely tale worthy of Shakespeare!

Forget about 7 Deadly Sins, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, or the Magnificent Seven… Here are:

7 Silver Linings To The Recession

1. Housing prices may finally come down to reasonable levels. Interest rates have skyrocketed for six straight weeks so you won’t be able to afford the monthly payment. And there’s No Money Left Behind after you pay for groceries, but lookit that low low price!

mortgage rates september 2022

2. Savings rates are up. Your inflated, wall- paper dollars don’t buy anything anymore. So, you may as well save ‘em!

3. I bonds interest rate might go even higher. I Series Savings Bonds adjust the interest rate for inflation. There’s been so much inflation, the interest rate is high as an elephant’s eye. Almost as high as inflation. Ha ha, you still lose.

I bond interest rates

4. The dollar is king. Inflation is high. Interest rates are high. The U.S. Dollar exchange rate is high. Now you can go visit the King. In England. So cheap! And you have plenty of time to go. Dollars are so expensive, no one can afford “Made In America” stuff. So you are out of a job. Cheerio!

english pound versus dollar chart

5. Unemployment is still relatively low. More kids living at home with Mom and Dad. And enjoying it. Fewer workers. Same jobs. Lower unemployment.

6. Your used car is worth more. Hope you like your old clunker! The average cost of a new car is $48,043. So you ain’t getting’ one! Thank you, Kelly Blue Book.

new vehicle prices chart

7. Student loan forgiveness is coming. Another Trillion Dollar giveaway from the working people of America to the pot-smoking, latte-sipping, firebomb-throwing misfits who turned college into an 8-year vacation. Why shouldn’t it be free?

Why Don’t You Deserve A Little Payback For All The Taxes You Paid In?
Why Do You Want To Spend Your Last Nickel On Long-Term Care?
Why Shouldn’t The Government Spend Your Money For You?

Traditional estate planning is concerned with avoiding probate, saving taxes, and dumping your leftover stuff on your beneficiaries. After you die. Nobody cares what happens to you while you are alive. How does that help anyone? Stupid.

Traditional estate planning fails because the overwhelming majority of us will need long-term skilled care. 70% of us. For an average of 3 years. And we will go broke paying for it.

Is it surprising that thousands of recreation properties: cottages, cabins, hunting land, are lost to pay for long-term care? Why is your estate planner hurting you and your family? It is evil intent? Or stupidity?

LifePlanning™ defeats Nursing Home Poverty. Keep your stuff. Get the care you have already paid for. Good for you. Good for your family. Good example for society,

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

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.

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

Going Postal!

Read the Print Version

Like Seriously, This Really Happened, Not Making It Up!
(Not Edited For Spelling Or Punctuation Or Anything Else) (Warning: Not Legal Advice!)

SEVERAL YEARS AT BERNIE’S?

QUESTION: What is it called when one deprives another notification of their parent’s death so to deprive them of their share of benefit?
I just found out that both of my parents have died, but years ago. After hoodwinking and railroading them, my mega millionaire sibling had taken measures to cut me off from them, before they’d died. It has been horrendous for me. Even just to find out that my parents had passed was bad enough, but that the way and how they’d died never would have happened if I’d not been cut out of their lives as I had been, after taking great and particular care of them myself, beforehand.

Short Answer: “Horrendous”? More like “Preposterous”! Mom and Dad die years ago. But until evil sibling got involved, you provided “great and particular care” that would inevitably have prolonged their lives. For years. But you, the “great and particular” caregiver, never wondered why all those Christmas and birthday cards kept getting returned? Are there no telephones? Did they live on Gilligan’s Island? Did you? I have “smell test” issues with this one… A little too self-serving, methinks

Long Answer: On the other hand, it is not unusual to see relatives who isolate and sequester disabled loved ones away from other family members. Sometimes the child acts from the best of generous, honorable motives: offering a refuge of peace for the loved one, away from family feuding, squabbling, and raw emotional outbursts. Sometimes domineering impulses, seasoned with jealousy, and spiced with greed motivate the selfish child to restrict access.

Unless there is objective abuse, usually, working out the currents of control are left to the family. Courts and judges have no interest or expertise in resolving the emotional debris of decades, and in some cases, generations. Judging from the unceasing torrent of self-help books on the subject, it does not seem that anyone else has any “great or particular” success with these heartfelt matters either. We must all do the best we can. “It’s a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart.” Joel Cohen.

Longer Answer: But this question is not all about “hearts and flowers” is it? Oh no! Our correspondent is particularly concerned that the mega millionaire sibling acted “so to deprive them of their share of benefit”. And by benefit, our correspondent means money. Or property. Or other stuff. So, what about that?
When stuff is at stake, courts do get involved. It is what they do best!

UNDUE INFLUENCE!
“Undue Influence.” is the legal theory. Here is how it works. Four (4) scenarios. Mom has money. Mom also has 2 children, A and B.

Scenario #1 No Undue Influence
1. Mom likes Child A better. And always has.
2. For years, without change, Mom’s will or trust leaves all her stuff to Child A.
3. Mom lives and acts independently.
4. Mom up and dies.
5. Child A gets everything. Child B is sick as mud.
6. Child B can go pound sand.

Scenario #2 Challenger Must Prove There WAS Undue Influence
1. Mom likes Child A better. And always has.
2. Recently, Mom, changed her will or trust to leave all her stuff to Child A.
3. Mom lives and acts independently.
4. Mom up and dies.
5. Child A gets everything. Child B is sick as mud. Child B sues.
6. Child B must prove that Child A unduly influenced Mom. An almost impossible task.
7. Child B can go pound sand.

Scenario #3 Defender Must Prove There WAS NOT Undue Influence – Formal Fiduciary
1. Mom likes Child A better. And always has.
2. Mom appoints Child A as her Trustee and Agent. In writing.
3. Mom changes her will or trust to leave all her stuff to Child A.
4. Mom up and dies.
5. Child A gets everything. Child B is sick as mud. Child B sues.
6. Now it is Child A who must prove that Child A DID NOT unduly influence Mom. An almost impossible task.
7. Child B gets a half-share. Child A can go pound sand.

Scenario #4 Defender Must Prove There WAS NOT Undue Influence – Informal Fiduciary
1. Mom likes Child A better. And always has.
2. Mom moves in with Child A. Child A helps with all Mom’s decisions. Child A prevents others from visiting Mom. Mom is totally dependent on Child A.
3. Child A is not Mom’s Trustee and Agent.
4. Mom changes her will or trust to leave all her stuff to Child A.
5. Mom up and dies.
6. Child A gets everything. Child B is sick as mud. Child B sues.
7. Now it is Child A who must prove that Child A DID NOT unduly influence Mom. An almost impossible task.
8. Child B gets a half-share. Child A can go pound sand.

Key Take-aways With Undue Influence: If you must prove it, you lose it. Also, if the beloved parent has appointed you formally, in writing, as their trusted agent/advisor/trustee, then you must prove you did nothing to “unduly influence” the beloved parent. The same rule applies, even if there is nothing in writing, if the beloved parent is dependent on you.

So, if you are caring for mom, dad, auntie, grampa, and providing for all their needs, or they “honored” you with the responsibility of trustee or agent, you MUST establish, by affidavit, deposition, or otherwise, that the beloved relative was acting independently. If you do not, you will lose.

KID’S NAME ON DEED IS NO-GOOD, AWFUL, VERY BAD

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PUT AN ADULT CHILDS NAME ON CONDO OWNERSHIP WITH ELERLY PARENT.
Mom is elderly.. She is of sound mind and has mentioned to me that she would like to get my name on her condo.. what does that entail?
Is that what joint tenancy is? What will alleviate issues upon death – in other words avoid probate…. My guess is she needs to hire an attorney. What paperwork should I have her gather together.

Short Answer: “Best Way”? How about “No Way”!

Long Answer: Folks like to put their kids’ names on deeds, stock certificates, bank accounts, investments, and anything else they can think of. There is simply no good reason to put your kid’s name on this stuff. If you only want to avoid probate (dumb!), use a revocable living trust. If you want to avoid probate and nursing home poverty, and have time, use a LifePlanning™ Trust. If you don’t have time, use a trust plus a transfer-on-death deed (in Michigan and a few other states).

The Thing: Here’s the thing, most “estate planning” attorneys cheerfully admit that they have no clue as to what is going on with long-term care. Most so-called “elder law” attorneys should admit the same thing. It is tough to discern good advice when it comes to planning for long-term care. That means you have a tough job, but it is doable.

Ask the following questions:
1. How many Medicaid divestment trusts have you drafted for clients?
2. What happens after I sign the documents?
a. Do you have a mandatory process to get my stuff into the trusts?
b. Do I get my original trust documents?
c. How do you verify that my stuff has been retitled to my trusts?
3. How many Medicaid programs are available for long-term care?
4. Can I get help with skilled care at home? How much will that cost?
5. How many Medicaid applications have you personally prepared and filed for clients?
6. What is the PACE program?
7. What is Medicaid waiver?
8. What is the Initial Asset Assessment? When does it happen?

There are lots more questions to ask, but by this time, most attorneys will be shaming you for wanting to preserve your lifesavings. They think it is ridiculous that you should get some pay back on the tax dollars you paid in. They think you should go broke. They think your spouse or family should be happy with crumbs. Do you think they are on your side? Let’s not be too harsh… maybe they just don’t know any better. It’s more than possible, it’s likely.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

My older friend wanted me to come stay with him to due to personal and cancer reasons. he asked my ladyfriend to become his caretaker and he would cover her living expenses. She ended up paying for everything food etc….. he even spent checks he was suposed to give her…. He passed away almost a year and a half of her caring for him like an angel being maid nurse cook, but she wants to know how long she has to pack up.

Short Answer: As long as you can drag out the eviction process.

Long Answer: You and your lady friend the angel have nothing in writing from your deceased “older friend”. Probate law will not allow you to make any claim for payment or even reimbursement for the “food ect”. Plus your friend embezzled the checks the angel was supposed to receive!! That all stinks. But in this world of ours, the reward for generosity is often resentment and selfishness. Look around. You know I’m right.

Longer Answer: They cannot make you leave the house without going through the formal eviction process. In some places, COVID rules may still prohibit evictions. It’s worth finding out. Legally, you are a holdover tenant or tenant at sufferance. The new owners of the house cannot simply put you on the street. They must give you 30 days’ notice, Termination of Tenancy. You can leave at that point or make them go to court for an Order of Eviction, after a Summary Proceeding.

Why not make them go through the whole darn process? Unless they agree to reimburse you for the grocery money. And a few bucks on top?

Moral of the Story: You are not a bad person for wanting to get a written agreement to pay you money in exchange for services. You are a smart person, with a good heart, who does not want to be played for a chump. So get it in writing!

Medicaid Observation: The payments you get under the agreement will not be acceptable to Medicaid and will be treated as gifts with penalties to the “older friend.” So what? If the friend needs you to give the money back, do so (if you are able). Then do a promissory note with interest so that eventually you will get every nickel to which you are entitled. And not a penny more.

Lawyer Sales Pitch: Don’t try to do this yourself. You have to pay for the privilege of working diligently for 18 months and when it is all said and done, you will get evicted. Is it possible that all this could have been avoided? Maybe with a little legal counsel? Maybe?

 

 

I’m As Mad As Hell And I’m Not Going To Take This Anymore!
— Howard Beale, Network, 1976

How Did It All Go So Wrong, So Quickly?

We’re Not Gonna Take It, No, We Ain’t Gonna Take It, We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore!
— Dee Snider, Twisted Sister, 1984

Traditional estate planning is concerned with avoiding probate, saving taxes, and dumping your leftover stuff on your beneficiaries. After you die. Nobody cares what happens to you while you are alive. How does that help anyone? Stupid.

Traditional estate planning fails because the overwhelming majority of us will need long-term skilled care. 70% of us. For an average of 3 years. And we will go broke paying for it.

Is it surprising that thousands of recreation properties: cottages, cabins, hunting land, are lost to pay for long- term care? Why is your estate planner hurting you and your family? It is evil intent? Or stupidity?

LifePlanning™ defeats Nursing Home Poverty. Keep your stuff. Get the care you have already paid for. Good for you. Good for your family. Good example for society,

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

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.

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

22 Months Of “Bad Luck” Explained

Read the Print Version

Baffled, Bemused, Bebothered, Bewildered? Photographic Proof From Library Of Congress

Disastrous Afghanistan Skedaddle
afghanistan withdrawal train wreck

Historic Inflation, Consumer And Wholesale
inflation and economy train wreck

Recession
recession and economy train wreck

Russia Ukraine Diplomacy
russia ukraine diplomacy train wreck

China Taiwan Diplomacy
china taiwan diplomacy train wreck

Infant Formula Fiasco
baby formula fiasco train wreck

Iran Nuclear Surrender
iran nuclear surrender train wreck

Trillion Dollar Rich-Kid Student Loan Giveaway
student loan forgiveness train wreck

Falling Off Stationary Bicycle
biden bike fall train wreck

2 Trillion Dollar Spending Spree
“American Rescue Plan” “Inflation Reduction Act”
inflation reduction act train wreck

And All The Rest… Add Your Favorite Here
government train wrecks

Except As Noted, All Images Credit To Library Of Congress

 

 

Government Empties Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Shuts Down U.S. Oil And Gas Production

Funnels Hundreds Of Billions To Corrupt Climate Cronies

How Did Americans Travel Before They Had Horses?
early american travel horse and wagons

They Had Trucks
american travel pickup trucks

How Did Americans Read Before They Had Candles?
early american light by candles

They Had Electric Lights
early american electric light lamp

Credit: Wikimedia
Images Credit To Library Of Congress

 

 

New Numbers: Inflation Train Wreck Continues

(Still Not Making This Stuff Up)

producer price index ppi august 2022

Want to know how bad it is? Ask the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Forget the hype, the spin, the Washington fandango. Here’s what they admit!

Good News! Social Security payments increasing!

Not nearly so much as your Medicare premiums and the cost of everything else. So you will fall farther behind. But hey! Social Security payments are up. Hurrah.

consumer price index cpi august 2022

 

 

Is It A Bad Idea To Get Some Payback On Your Taxes?

Vaporized Like A Snowflake On A Hot Griddle

Is It Fun To See Your Lifesavings Imploding At $12,000 Per Month?

America is getting older. So are you.

There are fewer young people. More older people.

Older people need care. Older people need younger people to provide that care. But there are fewer younger people.

Demand for care is up. Supply of caregivers is down. Prices for care are skyrocketing.

Everyone knows someone who has gone broke. Not from the casino. Not from credit card debt. Not from too many toys. Someone who has gone broke from long-term care.

Basic at home care: $30+/hour. Nursing care at home: $60+hour.
Basic Assisted Living: $6000/month
Basic Nursing Home: $10,000-12,000-15,000+/ month

Everyone knows that care is expensive and getting worse.

Simple steps taken now will preserve your lifesavings, home, dignity and provide well for your surviving spouse.

But some foolish folks ignore their own lives. Whistling past the graveyard. Focus on death… who gets my stuff? No care for their surviving spouse.

Is it wrong to get some payback for the tax dollars that you have paid in?

Are you opposed to making the rest of your life the best it can be?

Is it fair to burden your spouse, family, or friends when help is right there for the asking?

Has your success in life come from burying your head in the sand?

Why hasn’t your estate planner, lawyer, financial advisor informed you? Why have you been misinformed?

Is Now A Bad Time To Explore Lifeplanning™?

Thousands and thousands of local families have already experienced the benefits. Do you deserve nursing home poverty? Do you wish to leave nothing for your family? Is it a ridiculous idea that you should get the care you have already paid for?

IS NOW A BAD TIME FOR A REAL SOLUTION?

No one has all the answers but is this the wrong time to start asking questions?

Is finding the best care easy? Is getting lost in the overwhelming flood of claims and promises a good idea? Are you opposed to straight answers?

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 others. Why not you?

NO POVERTY. NO CHARITY. NO WASTE.
It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.

Get Information Now. (800) 317-2812

Ukrainian President Heaps Harsh Rhetoric On Russian Murderers, War Criminals

Photo by Max Kukurudziak, Unsplash

Read the print version

Radio Free Ukraine Imperfect Intercept, Steaming Hatred For Murderous Invaders & Robbers

English Translation Of President’s Secret Speech

Garbled fragments of a secret, short-wave Ukrainian broadcast were intercepted and roughly translated into English. Who can doubt the bitter, unrelenting hatred and contempt of the Ukrainian president for his adversaries?

Garish, unworldly red light from the flames of a Russian-bombed children’s hospital cast the only light. Flanked by his personal bodyguard, the Ukrainian president savagely lashed out at Russian invaders and their crime boss. Extreme language justified by thousands of vicious Russian murders, widespread destruction, and despicable war crimes.

Execrable Excerpts From “Red Sermon” Begin Short-Wave Radio Intercept Translation

But as I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise. Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal.

Putin and the Russians represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.

Now, I want to be very clear— very clear up front: not every Communist, not even the majority of Russians, are Communist. Not every Communist embraces their extreme ideology.

But there is no question that the Communist party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Putin and the Russians, and that is a threat to this country.

These are hard things. Russians do not respect… do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people.

They’re working right now… to give power to partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers… Communist forces are determined to take this country backwards — backwards to a Ukraine where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy…

Russians promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.

Russians look at the mob that stormed Ukraine not as invaders who placed a dagger to the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots. Putin and the Russians are, quote, a “clear and present danger”.

And, folks, it is within our power, it’s in our hands — yours and mine — to stop the assault on Ukrainian democracy.

And now Ukraine must choose: to move forward or to move backwards? To build the future or obsess about the past? To be a nation of hope and unity and optimism, or a nation of fear, division, and of darkness?

Russians have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies.

History tells us that blind loyalty to a single leader and a willingness to engage in political violence is fatal to democracy. We’re all called to confront extremists who will put their own pursuit of power above all else.

We must be stronger, more determined, and more committed to saving Ukraine than Russians are to destroying Ukraine.

Today, there are dangers around us we cannot allow to prevail. [M]ore and more talk about violence as an acceptable political tool in this country. It’s not. It can never be an acceptable tool.

So I want to say this plain and simple: there is no place for political violence in Ukraine. Period. None. Ever.

We saw… brutal attacks. We’ve seen election officials… subjected to intimidation and death threats. And — can you believe it? — State agents just doing their job as directed, facing threats to their own lives from their own fellow citizens.

On top of that, there are public figures — today, yesterday, and the day before — predicting and all but calling for mass violence and rioting in the streets.

This is inflammatory. It’s dangerous. It’s against the rule of law. And we, the people, must say: this is not who we are.

We can’t allow violence to be normalized in this country. It’s wrong. We each have to reject political violence with — with all the moral clarity and conviction this nation can muster. Now.

We can’t let the integrity to be undermined, for that is a path to chaos.

Look, I know poli- — politics can be fierce and mean and nasty. Only if we, the people, see politics not as total war but mediation of our differences.

Democracy cannot survive when one side believes there are only two outcomes to an election: either they win or they were cheated. And that’s where Russians are today.

They don’t understand what every patriotic Ukrainian knows: you can’t love your country only when you win. It’s fundamental.

I will not stand by and watch — I will not — the will of the Ukrainian people be overturned by wild conspiracy theories and baseless, evidence-free claims of fraud.

I will not stand by and watch elections in this country stolen by people who simply refuse to accept that they lost.

I will not stand by and watch the most fundamental freedom in this country — the freedom to vote and have your vote counted — and — be taken from you and the Ukrainian people.

Look, as your president, I will defend our democracy with every fiber of my being, and I’m asking every Ukrainian to join me.

Throughout our history, Ukraine has often made the greatest progress coming out of some of our darkest moments, like you’re hearing in that bullhorn.

Russians look at Ukraine and see carnage and darkness and despair. They spread fear and lies –- lies told for profit and power.

The cynics and the critics tell us nothing can get done, but they are wrong.

It’s never easy. But we’re proving that in Ukraine, no matter how long the road, progress does come.

Proving that from darkness — the darkness of covid, of gun violence, of invasion — we can see the light.

The Russians believe that for them to succeed, everyone else has to fail. Notwithstanding those folks you hear on the other side there. Russian Communists are entitled to be outrageous. This is a democracy. But history and common sense — good manners is nothing they’ve ever suffered from.

But history and common sense tell us that opportunity, liberty, and justice for all are most likely to come to pass in a democracy.

We have never fully realized the aspirations of our founding, but every generation has opened those doors a little wider to include more people who have been excluded before.

My fellow Ukrainians, Ukraine is an idea. It gives hate no safe harbor. We need everyone to do their part. So speak up. Speak out. Get engaged. Fight, fight, fight.

End Short-Wave Radio Intercept Translation

 

 

Correction-Correction-Correction

Pals Pooh-Pooh Purported Presidential Plagiarism

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sad Blunder

Excusable error? Blushing blunder? Confounding confusion? We must apologize. We had heard that the Ukrainian President vented his spleen against pillaging Russian Communists as above. But the Ukrainian President showed some class and refused to spew such a piss-and-vinegar rant. Heaping abuse, however well-deserved, would make peace impossible. After all, at the end of the day, Russia and Ukraine are on the same continent.

But the venomous, vicious “Red Sermon” was not wasted. A pusillanimous presidential politician, renowned for polishing his prestige by purloining and plagiarizing other people’s positions, was prepared to publish this scandalous screed. With minor alterations. And his target? Foreign Invaders? Space Aliens? Dr. Evil? S.P.E.C.T.R.E.? Oh no… The victims of his invective were none of those. He bitterly condemned his own fellow countrymen. And women. And anyone else who dared decline, dissent, or demur. And you thought “Protest is Patriotic”. Ha. Ha. Not anymore.

Who is this bombastic blowhard? Unknown, for now. Top men are working on this mystery. Top. Men. In the meantime, consider: Who would wantonly wallow in this cesspool of depravity? Who could speak of his erstwhile friends and neighbors with such vituperation? Who would seek to sow such discord, disagreement, and disharmony? Who would snap the mystic chords of memory and drive off the better angels of our nature as a cheap political ploy? Who?

Deepest, sincere apologies to the Ukrainian President for inadvertently casting him in this role.

 

By The Way, Inflation Has Not Gone Away

Federal Bureau Of Labor Statistics – Most Recent Numbers

(We’re Not Making This Stuff Up)
producer price index final demand components july 2022

What do these graphs mean? Misery. Why? Because prices are continuing to increase at historic rates. Wholesale prices are up over 15%. Consumer prices are pushing 10%. Who do you believe? Preaching politicians or the cashier at the grocery store and gas station? Your taxes paid for public servants to compile these numbers. Maybe you should take a look at them.

You already get this. But maybe, perhaps some other folks would learn something? Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.

consumer price index chart july 2022

What Happened At Camp Lejeune?

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Nobody Expects Military Service To Be Safe, But Nobody Expects To Be Poisoned

I Wanna Be An Airborne Ranger I Wanna Live A Life Of Danger

Every veteran has stories. Lots of stories. Most of them true because you can’t make up stuff like that. Thirty years ago, veterans of World War II were in their 60s. They had saved the world from real fascists. Defeated the bad guys. Unleashed a torrent of peace and prosperity that transformed the planet. Thirty years ago, WWII vets were thinking about their own retirement and passing on their legacy. Some of them did estate planning. And they had stories. That they hardly ever told.

Most vets’ kids hadn’t heard their dads’ war stories. Too bad because it was not so long ago that we were surrounded by actual heroes. Guys who went out and did what was necessary. Most all came back. The American Way of War dazzled our enemies and allies. Americans would rather spend equipment and weaponry than our fathers’, sons’, brothers’, uncles’ lives. Americans prefer that equipment get smashed instead of American bodies. But war is war, and you don’t usually get to choose. The bad guys killed lots of people. The bad guys looked like they’d be killing lots more. The bad guys did not give up easily. So.

A gentle, soft-spoken, smiling gentleman worked at a farm stand in southwest Michigan. His sweet, good-natured wife baked. His name was John. He spent that day stacking huge round bales of hay with a forklift to make Halloween figures. He was a grunt in the Third Infantry Division, serving in France. On a weekend pass, he got to Paris. He ran into his brother, a pilot. Coincidence? Brother flew close air support in a P-47 Thunderbolt. The P-47 was enormous for a fighter. Heavily armored. Eight .50 caliber machine guns. Over a ton of bombs. 5-inch rockets. And whatever other frightfulness they could think of.

Pilot brother was worried about John. He flew

to blow up the stuff that could kill his brother. Thunderbolts almost always came back. Missing wings shot full of holes, but they came back. Unless a German 88 got ‘em in the belly. Infantrymen got shot, blown up, worn out. Pilot brother didn’t want John taking unnecessary chances. John thought his brother was relatively safe.

Both men were concerned about their wives. How would their wives get by if the husbands didn’t make it? They made a pact to look out for their sister-in-law, if necessary. The brothers had a fine weekend. Then back to their units.

Next week, Pilot brother flew over a German 8.8 cm Flak anti-aircraft/anti-tank gun. Got it in the belly. Didn’t come back. A little later, John got a “Dear John” letter. From his soon-to-be ex-wife.

John fought his way to Berlin. Then back to southwest Michigan. Went through with the divorce. Kept his promise to his brother. After a couple of years, they got married. And spent the next 50 years together. Smiling, baking, and occasionally stacking round bales of hay.

A machinist mate on the Yorktown fleet aircraft carrier served at the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Yorktown got so beat up, repairs at Pearl Harbor would take months. He was looking forward to a little R&R along with the work. But 3 days of 24-hour emergency repairs later, the Yorktown was back in the fight at Midway. When the battle seemed to be over, he went up to the flight deck to get some air. Spotted black smoke from a snorkeling Japanese submarine’s diesel engine. Watched as the Japanese torpedoes came at the Yorktown. Went swimming when the Yorktown sank. Picked up by a guard destroyer. And was on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay for the surrender.

Wake Island is not far from Pearl Harbor. Indefensible, it was assaulted by the Japanese a few days after the attack on Pearl. The Marines managed to sink a couple of Japanese destroyers and a sub. About 1000 Japanese died, but the island fell within weeks. All survivors were tortured. The Marines on Wake were killed randomly, for any reason or no reason at all. 98 American civilians were machinegunned in a single incident. Few survived. Sailors were treated a little better. One POW went from Wake to China, the Philippines, various atolls, and finally the home islands. Starved for 4 years he recovered and eventually retired after a long Navy career. I made the mistake of suggesting he had “missed the war.” He did not see it that way.

Patton loudly claimed that on his way to kick Hitler’s ass, he would pee in the Rhine River. When the first pontoon bridge was across, Patton kept his promise. With thousands of soldier eyewitnesses. Some with cameras. Including a gentleman of my acquaintance.

My uncle Francis was executive officer on a PT boat. His commander decided that attaching limpet mines to Japanese destroyers would be a good idea. Captain reasoned that the PT boat was so low in the water, the destroyer’s guns couldn’t hit it. But somebody on the destroyer had a rifle. Shooting at the PT boat. Which was loaded with barrels of high-octane avgas on the deck (before diesels replaced the gas engines). When the boat blew up, most of the crew survived. Including my uncle who refused to ever serve with Captain Johnny Sioux again.

My father spent his Navy career at various naval air stations that trained pilots. Dad’s job was to photograph the remains (sometimes headless, always bloody or burnt) of unsuccessful pilot trainees.

My uncle John flew B-24 Liberators. Survived enough missions to rotate back to the States.

A fellow trustee on my township board was a gentleman with a limp. He acquired the limp escorting bombers to Japan in a P-51 Mustang. A bullet came through the bottom of his plane, was slowed by the parachute stowed under the seat. Clipped an inch out of his thigh bone. When the doctors set the bone, they used a device to allow the pieces to grow back together, so the wounded leg would not be too short. Unfortunately, they did it wrong and the leg was too long. So, he limped.

Another gentleman had not slept through the night since he was at Tarawa. According to his wife of 48 years.

As a ROTC cadet I was volunteered for Airborne School, Basic Parachutist training. But if a fellow cadet had not fallen off the “Slide for Life” and broken 3 vertebrae, I would not have had the chance. At Airborne School, as at any training facility, there were broken legs, ankles, arms, wrists, dislocated shoulders, and more cracked vertebrae. I only got a finger that bends a little funny. Plus, I got to jump out of perfectly good aircraft. For my country.

The point is that the men and women who enter military service accept that bad things happening is part of the deal. When you are training to kill people and break things, sometimes things get broken. Training must be tough. Realistic. Dangerous. Best to find out whether someone can hack it at Fort Benning than a foreign battlefield. That is OK. Nobody has a problem with it, least of all the soldiers, sailors, Marines, Coasties and others taking the risks.

But who wants to be poisoned by dry cleaning fluid that somehow got into the water supply at your training base? Nobody signed up for that. But it happened at Camp Lejeune.

Camp Lejeune: What They Are Doing About It

We Agreed To Get Blown Up By Bad Guys, We Did Not Agree To Be Poisoned By Negligence

It is really pretty simple. From 1953 through 1987, chemicals from the dry-cleaning plant seeped into the ground water. The wells that supplied drinking water throughout the facility were contaminated. There is no argument about these basic facts. There is no question of responsibility. Like the veterans who have suffered from exposure to Agent Orange. Like the veterans who have suffered from exposure to asbestos. The fight is over. The battle has been won. The powers-that-be have admitted responsibility. All we have to do now is find out who was on the receiving end. Who are the men and women whose lives have been damaged or destroyed by this?

We need to find you. We want to find you. Those who did this to you are ready, willing, and able to make amends. Well, at least to move in that direction.

Toxic chemicals that were found in the waters of Camp LeJeune are the following:
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• Perchloroethylene (PCE)
• Benzene
• Vinyl chloride

Those chemicals cause a wide range of diseases. Including cancer. Not just for the service personnel, but their families and unborn children.

Diseases include:

  • Multiple Cancers
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
  • Bladder cancer
  • Brain cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Central Nervous System cancer (CNS)
  • Cervical cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Hodgkins Lymphoma
  • Kidney cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Liver cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Rectal cancer

    • Other Diseases

  • Cardiac defect
  • Epilepsy
  • Fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis)
  • Female Infertility
  • Kidney damage
  • Immune disorders
  • Nerve damage
  • Miscarriage
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Neurobehavioral effects
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Renal toxicity/disease
  • Scleroderma

Everybody dies. Lots of folks get cancer. Bad things happen. People suffer. That is life. Deal with it. The luck of the draw. Sometimes your number comes up. You can’t beat fate.
But sometimes, it’s not just bad luck. Sometimes the folks who should be paying attention look the other way. Blow it off. Won’t upset the applecart. Do the easy thing instead of the right thing. And that’s what Lejeune is all about.

You signed up to get blown up, beat up, tortured, shot, stabbed, drowned, killed. By the bad guys. Not poisoned by your own leaders’ negligence or incompetence.

They acknowledge they ignored it. And admit that they should not have ignored it. And you should be paid for the damage they did to you. The hard part is done.

Now they are willing to make amends. With dollars. They took your health They can’t give it back. They can only give you a few bucks. Maybe more than a few. Money won’t fix it. But it is all that can be done.

If you were poisoned and suffered the diseases they caused, should you hold them accountable? Should you let them get away again? Should you allow them to escape their comeuppance? Get off scot-free? Why would you do that? Why not accept their apology?

Everyone knows most stuff like this gets swept under the carpet, ignored, rejected, forgotten. But not this time.

Unless you let them get away with what they did to you… or to your family member.

Is it a ridiculous idea to make a phone call? Is it too much to find out if you qualify?

Is making a phone call so hard?

You know how good it was to trust your chain-of-command. You also know how bad it is when that trust is betrayed. They can never “fix” what happened there for more than 34 years. But one phone call can start.

Is now a bad time to call?

Call (888) 954-3375
Talk to a Veteran-owned Law Firm

$300 Billion (Really A Trillion) Cottage Loan Forgiveness

Read the Print Version

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker Privileged To Pay

Fit-As-A-Fiddle First Financier Fabricates Forgiveness

Education is Essential to a strong society. Learning is Earning. Knowledge is Good. And what better way to acquire Learning and Knowledge than a Cottage Education? Swimming, boating, Jet-skiing. Everyone agrees that a Cottage Education guarantees lifetime success and happiness. All Americans deserve a Cottage Education if they are willing to go and put in the time. At the pool. Or massage therapy center.

But can All Americans afford a Cottage Education? Sadly, no. That is why there are federal-guaranteed Cottage Loans… to support young (and not so young) Americans in their Cottage dreams.

Over the years, to satisfy eager Cottage students, the federal government has raised Cottage Loan limits again and again. And whenever those loan limits go up, guess what! Crafty Cottage Presidents raise Cottage tuition and fees. Over and over. To keep up, Cottage students borrow and borrow and borrow some more. Like a hamster wheel. America’s Cottage Students now owe $1.6 Trillion in Cottage student debt. Talk about world-class!

Unfortunately, paying for all that Cottage Debt has become a real problem. Turns out America does not need so many engineers, scientists, industrialists, craftsmen, tool and die makers, machinists, plumbers, carpenters, skilled tradesmen, farmers, nurses, doctors, biologists and so on… All those Cottage degrees turned out to be worthless. What America really needs are a few good baristas, like at the coffee shop! Folks who can make swirly designs in coffee foam. Some sandwich artists would come in handy, too. Yet nary a one can be found…

Ask an electrical engineer for a latte? Forget it! Isn’t it clear? Cottage Student Loan relief is a national priority.

To Err Is Human, To Forgive $540,000,000,000 Is Divine

If ever oh ever a Wiz there was, the Wizard of Washington is one because… Because the Wizard will forgive $10,000 of Cottage Loan Debt for each student. Presto! No problem. Canceled. Disappeared! Wondrous! How does he do it? Not with any law. Not with any Act of Congress. All by himself! Because of the Wonderful Things He Does®!

Some say that the new Cottage Loan forgiveness plan will cost $300 billion. ($10,000 multiplied by 30 million Cottage Students). Nope. Some folks forgot that the Cottage Loan Gift is $20,000 for each Pell Grant giftee. Government guesses that there are 27 million Cottage Loan borrowers who could get $20,000 each. Math is hard, but let us give it a try, shall we? 27,000,000 X $20,000 = $540,000,000,000.

That’s $540 Billion. Whoops! They overlooked $240 billion. Must be the new math, eh?

Here’s A Thought: The new Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carrier costs about $10 billion each. Why don’t we just buy 54 brand-new aircraft carriers instead? Sure, parking might be a problem. Let’s just buy 30 of ‘em and use the extra money to buy airplanes and stuff. Or we could pay off other folks’ Cottage Loans. You choose.

Definitely-Not-Demented Delivers More On Demand

And by more, we mean moratorium. Cottage Student Loans have not been paid for years. Why not? “COVID.” And, “Shut Up!” they explained.

Anyway, the Wizard has promised that this one last extension until December 31, 2022, will be the last. Promise. No more. Ever. What’s the fuss anyhow? Only costs $52 Billion per year. That’s only 5 brand new, state-of-the- art Gerald R. Ford-class flattops. Only 5. So quit yer bitchin’! What’s $52 Billion among friends? Chump change.

Cottage Loan Trillion Dollar Giveaway – The Rest Of The Story

The Top Headline says that a Trillion Dollars of Cottage Loans will vanish. Perceptive readers will note that only $540 Billion has been accounted for. What about the rest… of the story?

The Big Deal is not the one-time COVID- era Mega-Billions Giveaway. The Big Deal is rewriting the permanent giveaway rules. Probably more than a trillion dollars. Nobody knows.

How It Used To Work:

1. Go to expensive Cottage. Borrow lots and lots of money.
2. Get job that pays less than $125,000 per year.
3. Pay 10% of income over $30,000 per year for Cottage Loans. Big, big Cottage Loan? Small, small payment? Who cares?
4. 20 years later. All is forgiven!

How It Will Work Now:

1. Go to expensive Cottage. Borrow lots and lots of money.
2. Get job that pays less than $125,000 per year.
3. Pay 5% of income over $30,000 per year for Cottage Loans. Big, big Cottage Loan? Small, small payment? Who cares?
4. 10 or 20 years later. All is forgiven!

Used to be a sweet deal. Now Cottage Loan borrowers only pay half as much. Half as long. Super sweet!

Who Benefits From Cottage Loan Giveaway?

  • 63% of Americans have no Cottage Degree.
  • 87% of Americans have no Advanced Cottage Degree.
  • 56% of Cottage Debt is owed by the 13% who went to Law School, Medical School, etc.
  • If you did not get a Cottage Education. Pay up, sucker!
  • If you worked hard to pay off your Cottage Debt. Sucker!
  • If you borrowed lots of money for your Cottage Education. Relax! The working stiffs are going to cover your bills. Enjoy!

Correction-Correction-Correction

Slight Typographical Error In Above Story

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sad Blunder

It appears that there we made a slight typographical error in the preceding story. We were given to understand that somebody in the federal government, contrary to law and common sense, was intending to give away more than a trillion taxpayer dollars to folks who borrowed money under federal Cottage Loan programs. This is not accurate. It turns out that there are no federal Cottage Loan programs (except for FEMA). Anyway, this unprecedented, unjustified, political payoff scheme had to do with College Loans. And, loans for Universities and Graduate Schools of Law, Business, Medicine, Engineering, etcetera. Surely an understandable, harmless, inadvertent, and worthy-of-forgiveness blunder. Our apologies.

 

 

What Is That Sizzling Sound? Vaporized Like A Snowflake On A Hot Griddle.

Your Lifesavings Imploding At $12,000 Per Month

America is getting older. So are you.

There are fewer young people. More older people.

Older people need care. Older people need younger people to provide that care. But there are fewer younger people.

Demand for care is up. Supply of caregivers is down. Prices for care are skyrocketing.

Everyone knows someone who has gone broke. Not from the casino. Not from credit card debt. Not from too many toys. Someone who has gone broke from long-term care.

Basic at home care: $30+/hour. Nursing care at home: $60+hour.
Basic Assisted Living: $6000/month
Basic Nursing Home: $10,000-12,000-15,000+/ month

Everyone knows that care is expensive and getting worse.

Simple steps taken now will preserve your lifesavings, home, dignity and provide well for your surviving spouse.

But some foolish folks ignore their own lives. Whistling past the graveyard. Focus on death… who gets my stuff? No care for their surviving spouse.

Is it wrong to get some payback for the tax dollars that you have paid in?

Are you opposed to making the rest of your life the best it can be?

Is it fair to burden your spouse, family, or friends when help is right there for the asking?

Has your success in life come from burying your head in the sand?

Why hasn’t your estate planner, lawyer, financial advisor informed you? Why have you been misinformed?

Is now a bad time to explore LifePlanning™? Thousands and thousands of local families have already experienced the benefits. Do you deserve nursing home poverty? Do you wish to leave nothing for your family? Is it a ridiculous idea that you should get the care you have already paid for?

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

No one has all the answers but is this the wrong time to start asking questions?

Is finding the best care is easy? Is getting lost in the overwhelming flood of claims and promises a good idea? Are you opposed to straight answers?

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 others. Why not you?

Vaporized Like A Snowflake On A Hot Griddle

Read the Print Version

What Is That Sizzling Sound?

Traditional estate planning is concerned with avoiding probate, saving taxes, and dumping your leftover stuff on your beneficiaries. After you die. Nobody cares what happens to you while you are alive. How does that help anyone? Stupid.

Traditional estate planning fails because the overwhelming majority of us will need long- term skilled care. 70% of us. For an average of 3 years. And we will go broke paying for it.

Is it surprising that thousands of recreation properties: cottages, cabins, hunting land, are lost to pay for long-term care? Why is your estate planner hurting you and your family? It is evil intent? Or stupidity?

LifePlanning™ defeats Nursing Home Poverty. Keep your stuff. Get the care you have already paid for. Good for you. Good for your family. Good example for society.

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

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.

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

What You Did Not Know About The Inflation Reduction Act

Read the Print Version

$750 Billion Is Hi-Test Gasoline On The Inflation Bonfire

Inflation Is Baked In The Cake – You Knew That
Destruction Of 60 Million Independent Contractor Businesses– See That Coming?

America dodged a several trillion-dollar bullet when the Build Back Better plan was rejected. Did rampant inflation caused by trillions in spending already approved by Congress play a role? We can only hope. Now we have the IRA, which everyone agrees will do nothing to reduce inflation. Seven hundred fifty billion of new spending. For a football stadium full of IRS agents. Enforcing new rules that they are pretending are the old rules. But they are not.

Government does not like independent contractors, freelancers, small businesses, gig workers, or others who do not operate within highly regulated industry structures. Nontraditional workers are too hard to find, tax, and regulate. Everything a bureaucrat hates.

Independent workers, who are small businesses unto themselves, are about 35% of American workers, in whole or part. That’s about 60 million Americans. Sixty million small businesses. And that is about to change. Why do you think they want another 87,000 IRS agents? To go after rich people? Ho ho ho. And hah!

Americans like working independently. Especially younger Americans. For flexibility. To be your own boss. Other good, American-type reasons.

And if you are worried about the younger generation… and who isn’t? You might find some hope in the fact that they seem even more dedicated to personal responsibility in their employment.

It is too soon to tell how bad all this will be. But it will be bad. Very bad. Just look at California which implemented this scheme in 2020. Why is the supply chain so screwed up? Could whacking 70,000 owner/operator truckers with new taxes, fees, and regulations by reclassifying them as employees rather than independent businesses have some effect? Millions more are suffering. From yoga instructors to hairdressers. Entrepreneurs who rent space for their business are now employees.

The American Dream is under assault as never before. From inflation to stifling regulation, to inviting low-cost labor competition by abandoning our borders. Middle class Americans must fight back. Your children want the independence of their own business. We must work together to keep that dream a reality.