LifePlanning™ is Estate Planning that Does Not Fail
You know that traditional “estate planning and elder law” approaches fail. Almost all the time. But we are resourceful. Traditional planning guarantees nursing home poverty. LifePlanning™ guarantees freedom and choice.
As you know, rich folks have it made. Poor folks get it for free. And we, the middle-class, foot the bill. Which is fine, I guess. Nothing new. Other people count on you. For your entire life. To actually do the job at work. Git-R-Done! Pay your taxes. Volunteer at church and the library. Pitch in for charity. Bring something home-made to the potluck. Smile and be agreeable. Go along and get along. Lend a hand. We are reasonable, cheerful, action oriented. We have a tough time understanding Debbie Downer and Gloomy Gus.
Saving Earnings is Not Greedy.
We are not greedy. All we ask is to keep some leftovers. Why am I Required to take a Minimum Distribution (and pay the income tax)? Grandkids need my help. Let me provide for my spouse… for myself. I want to pay a little bit forward. I worked for it, why can’t I do for me and mine? What is so wrong with that? Charity starts at home. Right?
Helping Family is Not Selfish.
We are not selfish. We understand that some people are unlucky. Bad things happen to good people. But we also recognize that some people are shortsighted. Some want the new boat/car/snowmobile/TV/cruise/whatever right now. Sacrificing future security for present pleasure. Some people are greedy and selfish. Some people do make bad decisions. And still, we will take care of them all. Fine. No problem.
They Are Trying To Hide The Elephant In The Room
Traditional planning rejects reality. It pretends that no one needs long-term care. Your estate planning attorney, financial advisor, insurance agent does not know or do not care that most people will use institutional care. Nursing Home. Assisted Living. Lifesavings are sacrificed first. Then the cottage. And so on. You are penalized for helping your grandkids. Dumping money at the casino is just fine. Hope you enjoyed scrimping and saving. Clipping coupons. Looking for sales. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
Funny thing about elephants. When you are in the same room, you cannot ignore them forever. Your “advisors” are trying. They throw a tablecloth over the long-term care elephant. And pretend it did not exist. But you can smell that elephant. You can hear it. And when the elephant does what elephants do, you will be covered in it.
You can try to ignore these issues. But when reality shows up, you are the one impoverished. You and your family are the ones to suffer.
We Just Want The Same Deal As The Unfortunate, The Greedy or The Selfish
Yank that tablecloth off the elephant. Look it in the eye. Face the facts. Long term care is a reality for most families. Long term care means spend-down. Financial ruin. When you are financially ruined, your tax dollars will pay for a basic level of care. That is Medicaid. All it costs is everything you have saved and built. And if they do not get your stuff while you are alive, Michigan is coming for it after you die. Through probate. Most states do not wait, but lien your stuff right now. When will Michigan decide to stop waiting? Nobody knows.
The Unfortunate, Greedy or Selfish do not have to spend down. Because they are Unfortunate or Greedy or Selfish, they do not have anything to spend down with…
LifePlanning™ gives you the same deal. Get the basic Medicaid level of care. Now. Without spend-down. Use your lifesavings to improve the basic level of care; to improve quality of life. Care for your spouse. Yourself. Maybe even a little something for the future.
You paid for Medicaid with every paycheck. Your tax dollars. You contributed. All we are asking for is the same rights as the folks who did not contribute. What’s so bad about that?
Your Current Plan Leads to Probate And Nursing Home Poverty. But Is LifePlanning™ Right For You? As I See It, You Have Three Options…
Right now, you currently have a plan that you are reasonably sure will not work. Won’t protect you, won’t protect your family. Maybe you have a traditional plan with a trust. From a lawyer, friend at church, downloaded from the computer. Maybe just a will. Maybe nothing at all. The documents are confusing. You are not confident that you know what they mean. For sure, there is no help if you or your spouse need long-term care. Your family has a date with probate court. Only question is “When?” Nursing home poverty looms in your future.
You have read about LifePlanning™ and you like what you have read. Still, you are not sure exactly what to do. As I see it, you have three options:
First Option: Same Old, Same Old
Look for an estate planning attorney. They still have Yellow Pages, don’t they? Research online. Ask your friends. Look at billboards on the highway. Call several and set up appointments. Go through the interviews. Ask questions, get fuzzy answers and pages of legal jargon. Work through that entire process to perhaps find yet another lawyer offering something similar to what you already have. Or maybe 4,5,6 lawyers offering the same old thing. Check out a few online internet services too! Sounds so easy… Then wind up back on square one. Still no peace of mind. No comprehensive plan. No security.
Second Option: Do Absolutely Nothing
Why does anyone plan their estate? Why bother spending all that time and money for a will or trust? Most people plan for peace of mind. Maybe you do not need that security. Stay exactly where you are. Getting exactly what you have always gotten. Acid indigestion. Insomnia. Migraines. Accept that what you have is as good as it gets. Suck it up, buttercup!
Third Option: Explore LifePlanning™
Give it a try. No need to give up your current plan. Just come to a LifePlan™ webinar or workshop. See what it is all about. What could you accomplish? Is it better than what you have now? Easy? Sixty minutes. At home. At one of our four locations. At your convenience. At your service!
Sure, the future is uncertain, but you are not helpless. LifePlanning™ means that your life’s work serves you. And your families or loved ones. LifePlanning™ never becomes obsolete.
Which Option Is Easiest For You?
Let’s see… Option 1: Track down a bunch of attorneys. Set appointments. Go to their offices. Get the third degree. Research their stuff. Try to pick… One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four…
Option 2: Sit Still and Take It!
Option 3: Sixty lively minutes of information you won’t hear anywhere else…
Which Option is easiest for you? Which is likely to help you on your path to security and peace of mind?
Why Not Get It Done In Twenty-One?
I fear 2020 was a year of wasted opportunity for regular families. Devastating. The good news is that 2021 is rebounding! More families planning than ever!
Get the information you want. In-person workshops and one-on-one meetings. Recorded and live-streaming webinars. Like you, we have never stopped serving. As you seek out new ways to accomplish your life’s work, we are on the same journey. By your side. Making the rules work for the people who play by the rules.
Sixty minutes to personal control. Because you earned it. Avoid Nursing Home Poverty. Thousands of middle-class families have learned and use these techniques. Why not yours?
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