Tag Archive for: elder law

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Just The Facts Ma’am. All Good Stuff Without Bad Fluff

Is The World Changing? What Can You Do To Succeed?

You yourself are getting older. You expect to live longer. And healthier. Than any generation ever. In the history of the world. And you are correct. Has there ever been a generation quite like this one? Higher expectations. Greater achievement. Self-confidence. Ambition. Generosity.

Thanks to you, America is getting older. We grew up in an era of large families. Today a large family is three. Many of your kids have no kids. Maybe one or two. How often do you see a family of five? Youngsters are a shrinking slice of the population pie.

As folks get older, they have greater needs. No surprise. Physical and mental capabilities decline. It happens. But not at age 60 or 70, anymore. However, when we get to our mid-80’s, about half of us are going to need a hand. Who will be there to lend the hand?

Nurses are sick. And tired. Sick and tired of nursing. Hundreds of thousands have left the profession. Despite high pay. And bonuses. Other caregivers are under stress too. Good help is hard to find. My father had 8 kids (and a long-suffering son-in-law). Willing and able to spend 2-to-4 week turns with our active, ornery, mentally alert, Dad. For the last two years of his 96 years on this planet. How many of us have that many kids? How many are able? How many are willing? Who will fill the gap? How will those caregivers be paid?

Prices are going up. Way up. Way way up. No one should be fooled by the three-card monte scam being run out of Washington, D.C. Inflation is not just gasoline. Inflation is not just “transitory.” Or the Russians’ fault. Or the “supply chain.” Inflation destroys savings. Your savings. You thought you had enough to pay the caregivers. Maybe you should think again?

Is this tiresome and boring? After all, everybody knows these things. You know this is the truth. Go to the gas station or grocery store. Talk to your friends and neighbors, at church or the club. Why deny the evidence of your own eyes? And wallet?

Pathetic politicians and profiteering professionals pretend nothing has changed. Same old, same old. Their ideas failed when everything was easier. That’s all they’ve got. No new thinking. No response to the changing world.

Retreads. Like Russia hauling 60-year-old tanks out of cold storage to keep invading a country that is armed with modern weapons Anything to keep playing the old game. Blind stupidity: failed with our new stuff, so let’s fail again with our old stuff. Keep up the charade long enough to fleece another few suckers. Why does anyone fall for it?

Can’t we be brutally honest? Can’t we look around with clear eyes, good hearts, and a fierce determination to keep our independence, our right to choose our lives, and to make a better world for our families? Who says we must accept decline? Who says we must put up with this nonsense? Who says we must follow the well-trod path? Can’t we choose the “road less-taken”? You have forged your own way through this life with grace, compassion, and generosity, why stop now?

Just a few pebbles start a landslide. A little snowball launches an avalanche. Small changes in thinking about your future, acting and planning for your life to come, can change everything over time. Are you opposed to making the next 10, 20, 30 years the best they can be? Are you against securing your own future and that of your family? Do you believe that “Ignorance is Bliss”? Do you reject that “Knowledge is Power”?

No one would blame you for thinking this is all a lot of blather. But everything above is backed up by the facts. Laid out below. You don’t need clever talk. Just the facts. And here they are:

covid death spikes

You Are Going To Be Around A Lot Longer Than You Think

Doesn’t everybody know Americans are living longer? Murder rates are up, but that’s mostly 20 to 30-year-olds killing other 20 to 30-year-olds. COVID, the Elder Plague, did kill more older folks. From 2020 to 2021, an extra million Americans died. Blip.

However, the overall trend to longer life continues. And that means you. You are living longer. Good for you. Right? Why shouldn’t you plan to live until 80? 85? 90? Or more? Get used to it, you are living longer. And so are your friends and neighbors.

life expectancy graph

If people are living longer, will they need more resources? If you are living longer, will you need to make your own savings last longer? Or will you happily accept poverty? Or a government handout?

There Will Be A Lot More Older Folks In America And Fewer Young Ones

Everybody knows, as life expectancies increase, there are more and more older Americans. Despite the Elder Plague of COVID, which overwhelmingly killed older folks. And given the lower birth rate, not only will there be more seniors, but seniors will be a greater proportion of the population.

It is unusual, but sometimes government information confirms common sense.

older adult population

Isn’t it simple math: if older retired folks make up a larger and larger percentage, then younger, working people must be a smaller and smaller slice of the population pie?

You Are Not Getting Older, You Are Getting Better!
Up To A Point About Age 80, Then You Fall Off The Cliff…

Modern medical miracles are miraculous. But we all know that as we age, various things start to become troublesome. As lifetimes increase, there are more and more older Americans. Is it crazy to think that as there are more and more older Americans, there might be more and more disabled Americans? That’s what the numbers say.

disabilities by age and type chart

Where Have All The Nurses Gone?

Is anyone surprised that as more Americans need more nursing assistance, we will look to America’s nurses? But where have all the nurses gone? Even now, historically high wages, signing bonuses, premium pay, special benefits, and a smorgasbord of other goodies cannot keep nurses nursing.

Hundreds of thousands have dropped out of the profession in the last few years. Only 41% of practicing nurses are committed to remaining in service. 27% saying it was “very unlikely” they would quit. 14% flatly stated that they were “not leaving.” The rest range from “definitely leaving” to “somewhat unlikely” to depart.

When you need a nurse, who will be there? When you need a caregiver, who will answer the call? And how much will you have to pay? Can you?

nursing survey
Source: McKinsey November 2021 Frontline Workforce Survey

Inflation – Bad And Getting Worse. Much Worse

Gone to the gas station or grocery store recently? Then you already have the bad news on inflation. Prices going up, up, up. It is not an illusion. Hard at work spending your tax dollars, the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the following melancholy reminder that your consumer dollars are melting away like snowflakes on a hot griddle.

And that is bad. What is worse, is the next chart. Take a look!

consumer price index chart

What is worse than prices at the pump skyrocketing? Future prices streaking to the stratosphere, that’s what! Thanks to the geniuses in Washington, you are already paying lots more than last year for your stuff. About 8.5% more. What about next year?

The “Producer Price Index” shows what raw materials cost. How do you manufacture finished goods? You start with raw materials. Raw materials now cost 16.3% more than a year ago. Do you believe that inflation is going away? Do you believe that the geniuses have it all under control? Do you believe in the Easter Bunny, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Lost City of Atlantis?

producer price index

If everything is more expensive, will the costs of long-term care be more expensive? Is it ridiculous to think that ignoring the devastation of inflation will ruin your retirement?

Secure Your Future, Avoid Nursing Home Poverty

Too much brutal honesty? Don’t want to see with clear eyes, good hearts, and a fierce determination to keep your independence? Choose your own life? Make this a better world for your family?

Must you accept decline? Must you put up with this nonsense? Why should you follow mindless path? Why not choose the “road less- taken”? Having forged your own way through this life with grace, compassion, and generosity, why would you stop now?

Why are you opposed to making the next 10, 20, 30 years the best they can be? Why are you against securing your own future and that of your family? Why do you believe that “Ignorance is Bliss”? Why reject that “Knowledge is Power”?

Why not come to a LifePlan™ Workshop? What do you have to lose? Besides everything?

 


 

Letters, We Get Letters!

Lady Byng Trophy* Withdrawn Marquess Of Queensbury Rules** Repealed And Anonymous Emails Too!

What, Me Throw Stones? Challenge Accepted!

We like to think we are genteel, well-mannered, calm, “with the milk of human kindness by the quart in every vein.” Shattering this self-delusion, a dear anonymous email correspondent recently suggested that your Reporter must live in a stainless-steel abode. After all, was not The Reporter throwing too many stones for his own good? Probably meant as a gentle warning. Food for thought!

On the other hand, as John Bunyan observed in 1650: “He that is down needs fear no fall, He that is low no pride…” With a lively appreciation of The Reporter’s own faults, foibles, and failings (multitudinous!) therefore, we soldier on. Without fear or favor!

*Annually, the Lady Byng Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player best exhibiting “sportsmanship and gentlemanly behavior.”

**In 1867, the M of Q Rules for boxing were intended to reduce death and maiming of English pugilists. Mike Tyson unavailable for comment.

Avoid Probate, Save Taxes, Get To Kids?
Traditional Planning Is Death Planning
And When You Die Broke, Drained By Long-Term Care, Probate Is Irrelevant

Traditional estate planning is supposed to avoid probate, save taxes, and dump 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

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Like Driving Past A Car Wreck… Glad It Did Not Happen To You (Not Edited For Spelling Or Punctuation Or Anything Else) (Warning: Not Legal Advice!)

QUESTION: Can our disabled brothers legal guardian (also a family member and remainderman) terminate disabled brothers life estate?

Disabled brother is now in nursing home and will not return to family home which he has life estate in and is also in an irrevocable trust. There are many remaindermen, (large family) and all are in agreement to sell family home including our disabled brothers guardian. Another family member/remainderman wants to buy us out and move into home, hoping that we can all just sign off of house/ trust and quitclaim the property to her. Not sure if this is “allowable” or advisable. We also have concerns about potential “Medicaid recovery” if life estate is terminated while life estate holder is still alive.

Short Answer: Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice elder law without a firm grounding in the fundamentals. Imagine sorting out this fact pattern after the family house was sold, money distributed, Medicaid denied, recriminations on all sides, nursing home lawsuit against disabled brother, allegations of fraudulent transfer against siblings, and a family feud ripe with recriminations echoing through eternity. In other words, the usual case.
Is it crazy to think it is not too late? Is it impossible for sweet reason and angelic actions to save the day? Must this family suffer?
Long Answer: There are several threads here that need to be disentangled. Let us begin with brother’s life estate.

LIFE ESTATE
In Michigan, “life estate” means that the person can use and live on the property for their entire lifetime. A life estate is valuable. How valuable?

Back in the day, we used to have hearings with expert witnesses and do future value projections based on life expectancy and then present value regression analyses. But in today’s modern world, Michigan makes it easy to figure out how much a life estate is worth. Get a copy of the Bridges Eligibility Manual 400, Exhibit II – Life Estate and Life Lease Factor Table (BPB 2022-07) (available online!). This Table lists ages from birth to 109 years old. For each age, there is a 5-digit life estate factor. You look up the factor that corresponds to the age of the person. Multiply the factor by the value of the real estate. Voila! That is the value of the person’s life estate.

IMPORTANT POINT: Life Estate values have nothing to do with the actual health of the Life Estate holder. Life Estate Value is all about chronological age. Birth certificate and calendar. Healthy or on hospice? Irrelevant.

A few examples. Let us suppose the family home is worth $100,000.

At age 2, the life estate factor is .99017. So, a two- year old’s life estate is worth $99,017. ($100,000 X .99017)

At age 109, the life estate factor is .04545. That means that the 109-year-old’s life estate is worth $4,545. ($100,000 X .04545)

At age 70, the life estate factor is .60522. How much is a 70-year-old person’s life estate worth? Correct! $60,522. ($100,000 X .60522)

What this means is that “if life estate is terminated while life estate holder is still alive” the life estate holder must be paid the value of the life estate as determined by the BEM 400 Life Estate Factor Table. Easy!

Let’s consider the flip side… the remaindermen.

If 70-year-old disabled brother’s life estate is worth $60,522, what are all the remaindermen’s interests worth, collectively? Correct again! $39,478. ($100,000 – $60,522) Divided by the “many remaindermen” of a “large family.” Betcha didn’t see that coming!

DISABLED BROTHER’S GUARDIAN
Disabled brother has a guardian. Does that mea we are in probate court? Yes! Does that mean that any sale of the property must be approved by probate court? Yes! Does that mean that we will have to pay an attorney to help us ask the probate court for permission to sell? No! Like plumbing and electrical work on your home, probate can be a “Do-It-Yourself” adventure. Emphasis on “adventure.” Can you steer your automobile with your feet? Sure! But that does not make it a good idea. Like do-it-yourself electrical work, plumbing, or probate. Jes’ sayin’.

Probate is required even if disabled brother also has a conservator for management of his assets.

MEDICAID RECOVERY
Remember how disabled brother got the money from the sale of the family home? If disabled brother was already on Medicaid, getting the money will boot him off. Until the money is all “spent down.” Or until the money is stashed in a Medicaid payback trust. Or a charitable pooled income fund. Or somewhere else where the other family members will not benefit.

Are there worse ideas than selling the family home before disabled brother’s death? Sure! You could invade Ukraine, expecting a liberator’s welcome. You could dump trillions of dollars into the economy, expecting no inflation. Spit into the wind. Tug the mask off the ole Lone Ranger. Mess around with Jim. Bad ideas.

When disabled brother dies, his life estate is over. No compensation. No estate or Medicaid recovery. The remaindermen get the remainder. All the remainder. Yay!

But in the meantime… You want to keep the family house occupied. Vacant houses have a way of burning down. Vacant house insurance is hugely expensive. Plus you still have to pay the taxes. And utilities. Mow the grass. Plow the snow. Paint it.

Why not let sister move in now, provided she pays all expenses? Subject to a written agreement? Give her a right of first refusal (not an option) so she may purchase the place after disabled brother’s death?

There are other possibilities. Leasing/subleasing.

Etcetera. But do not accept the assertion that it must be sold pronto. The family has options.

IRREVOCABLE TRUST

What’s going on with this?

Somehow there is an irrevocable trust blended into the mix. It is not obvious how that trust is being used, if at all. There are several possibilities. But a review of the trust would be essential to knowing what is going on.

Question: Can my father’s caretaker accept his entire estate? Can she be sued for selling everything? He is still alive. My dad signed over his house to his caretaker before she put him into an assisted living home. She then quickly sold it. He has 2 living children. Do I have any recourse now?

Short Answer: No, you do not “have any recourse now”. Sadly, a properly executed deed has consequences which cannot be undone. Even a deed that reverses the prior transfer has real world consequences that cannot be ignored. What consequences? [WARNING: LAWYER ANSWER TO FOLLOW] It depends.

Longer Answer: Is it possible that the caregiver may be sued or prosecuted for financial abuse of the elderly? Is it possible that Father was incapacitated or mentally incompetent at the time he signed the deed? Could those be grounds to throw it out? What if Father was coerced into signing by undue influence, would those be grounds as well? Perchance. Maybe. Possibly. Mayhap. Hmmmmm, tugs at goatee…

How can you prove that Father was consistently and continually mentally incompetent? Or coerced? Were you there the whole time? When he signed? These are difficult cases. Difficult to forget about apparent injustice. Difficult to remedy the injustice. Difficult to know if there was any injustice at all. Difficult to reconcile when the “bad actor” is a family member.

Is it crazy to think that it might just possibly be helpful to have had some professional assistance in this sort of situation? Maybe possibly a few bucks and hours now to avoid big bucks and years of woe in the future? Asking for a friend…

Father, it seems, was mentally competent and had the legal ability to sign. Adults can choose. Poorly. With disastrous consequences.

You may not believe it, but some folks with signs of developing dementia are propped up by gangs of greedy grasping gargoyles intending to gorge on ill-gotten gains. Despicable devils who deny demonstrable incoherence, impulsiveness, and inconsistency. For their own putrescent purposes. How can such evil exploiters exist? Trust the evidence of your own eyes if you doubt it.

Actions have consequences.

Question #1: Can my durable POA withdraw from my IRA and sell my home if I become incapacitated?

Question #2: Can I specify what accounts he can access?

I have two stepchildren. I will probably make one of them my durable POA—but I don’t want them to be able to access certain accounts that I have… if I become incapitated-nor do I want them to sell my home. Hopefully, I would have enough in my bank account to cover medical bills.

Question #3: Can I specify in my will what accounts the POA would have access to withdraw from? I am concerned about abuses as I have heard some horror stories and I have no children of my own or close friends. Question #4: Would I be better off getting a bank to manage my affairs?

Answer #1: Powers of Attorney always depend on the authority you write into them. You can limit the ability of the Agent under the POA however you choose. Generally, to be effective, you want your Agent to be able to access your Individual Retirement Account and to deal with your home.

Answer #2: Yes, you can limit the Agent’s access to specific accounts.

Answer #3: Horror stories are real. Financial abuse of older folks is also all too common. The good news is that there are professional trustees and fiduciaries who will not steal your money. So if you do have some question about the stepchildren, do not appoint them as your trustees or executors or agents or patient advocates or any other position of responsibility.

Answer #4: You may “be better off getting a bank to manage [your] affairs.” Professional trustees vary widely in their commitment to service and delivering value. Your friendly neighborhood elder law attorney (should) have plenty of experience with a range of professional trustees and banks. Why not ask? However, do not use an attorney as your trustee. The trustee function is fundamentally different than the lawyer function, in my opinion. A focused, professional trustee will do that job with much greater efficiency and at less cost than the typical attorney. But you still need to take care that you have the right trustee, and your attorney can be very helpful in that regard.

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

Peace of mind and financial security are waiting for everyone who practices LifePlanning™. You know that peace only begins with financial security. Do you want to get lost in the overwhelming flood of claims and promises? Or would you like straight answers?

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?

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We Also Scream To Avoid Planning

Don’t worry, be happy
Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style
Ain’t got no gal to make you smile
Don’t worry, be happy
‘Cause when you worry your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don’t worry, be happy
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”

—Bobby McFerrin

Did Your Parents Raise A Sluggish Sloth Or A Competent Character?

When you get home at night, do you leave the lights off? Does the thrill of bumping into things, falling down the stairs, and stepping on awkward items appeal to your adventurous spirit? Do you favor a life of anxiety? Do you look forward to high blood pressure, poor digestion, experiencing that creepy feeling of dread? Are you opposed to happiness and contentment? Do you embrace chaos and upset? Or do you seek Peace of Mind®?

Would you be surprised to learn that there are two paths to Peace of Mind™? The first path involves effort, work, dedication, stick-to-it-iveness, dauntless spirit, reasonable focus on accomplishment. Path #1 is where you find volunteer firemen, blood donors, the folks you can count on.

More popular is Path #2. The second path requires ignoring your own obvious needs and the needs of those around you. Ignorance is Bliss! Stick your head in the sand. If you cannot see it, it cannot hurt you. Gee, I wonder if the crowds at those new marijuana dispensaries are on Path #1 or Path #2…

Unfortunately, you were brought up by folks who chose the first path. Work, love, dedication, achievement. All those uncomfortable things that get in the way of TV binge watching. Consuming YouTube cat videos. Absorbing bargains galore on the home shopping networks. Golly, your folks made it very difficult for you to live the sweet couch potato life.

How can you get beyond your inbred desire to deliver? Vanquish your drive to survive? Squash your sense of responsibility? Unraveling habits of a lifetime can be difficult, but, as they say, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but whether you can have your cake and eat it too!

Olympic athletes train for years to hone their skills to a razor edge of perfection. You have worked for years to reach your goals, raise your family, do a great job at work, and be a valued member of your church, community, team, euchre tournament. You are an Olympian of the American Dream. A Medal of middle-class Gold hangs from your neck. Your world celebrates!

But now the looming spectre of estate planning looms like a hideous hobgoblin. You feel an inner urge to get this done…see it through. Will power is not enough. Fanatical focus will fail. How can you run away from the dreadful demons of trusts, wills, and powers of attorney? Is resistance futile? Is an Estate Plan inevitable? How can you escape?

Super easy! Barely an inconvenience. With the following professional excuses, you can put off facing the facts almost indefinitely. You are welcome!

Warm Up To Provide Peak Performance

“Everyone Has The Will To Win But Very Few Have The Will To Prepare To Win.”

—Vince Lombardi

Olympians and professional football players getting ready for the “big game” share a secret. All elite athletes know that mental and physical preparation is key. Can you escape your future-planning responsibilities without focused training? Of course not!

Follow the protocol. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Hands on hips. Throw your head back. Suck your gut in. Stick your chest out. Draw and deep breath, then…

Loudly And Firmly Proclaim These Statements Three (3) Times:

  • Only Nerds Want To Retire Comfortably
  • Financial Security Is Bad. And Impossible
  • I Want To Die Broke, Splurging My Last Nickels
  • On Long-Term Care
  • I Look Forward To Nursing Home Poverty
  • My Spouse Can Look Out For Herself. Or Himself.
  • My Kids Don’t Need Money And Would Waste Any Inheritance Anyway

Excellent! And now for a cleansing breath… Your body tingles. Your mind expands. You have looked forward all week to this installment. The moment of truth has arrived. Excellent

Excuses. Decisive Defenses. And now, Effective Evasions to frustrate and deflect any attempt at making you look ahead.

LifePlanning™ Is Unnecessary And A Total Waste Of Time & Money Because:

Firetrucks have sirens because loud noises are great! Whoever is yelling must be winning…
So let’s get loud. As follows:
Number One: Raise your voice and strongly state: “LifePlanning™ is Stupid, Superfluous, and a…”
Number Two: Quickly follow with one of these Negative Nuggets:

#10 … Waste Of Time Because It Is Overkill!

All I want is a simple will! All these fancy schmancy papers would be great for Thurston Howell the 3rd or maybe multimillionaire Bruce Wayne. You have to understand, we are working folks who managed to save a little. Paid off the house. Contributed to the 401(k). And here you are dumping all this confusing paperwork on us. Sure, I like to go deer hunting, never miss it. But you’re trying to get me on an African safari shooting elephants! Fishing for bluegill, perch, bass, and the occasional muskie is the best. But you want me to chase down the great white whale Moby Dick. Sorry! It is all just too much. Simple is best. Mom and Dad had a will. Gramma and Grampa had a will. And that’s fine by me!

Totally agree! Simple is best. That’s why you simply put blocks of ice in the icebox to keep your perishables from perishing. Newfangled refrigerators, who needs ‘em? Simple is best. That’s why you have always refused to have flush toilets in your house… ever hear of an outhouse that backed up? Ever need a plunger in a privy? Of course not. Who needs all that confusion? Besides, it is good for the kids to pump the handle when they want water… and we even brought the handpump into the kitchen… in my day it was out in the yard.

Yes, simple is best. Mr. Ford made the Model T in every color anyone could desire: black. Who needs windows on the sides, anyway? Some poor deluded folks actually have windows that go up and down. And cars that blow warm air around in the winter. And cool air in the summertime. Gosh that is just too much! Simple is best. Next thing you know, you’ll want special belts or something to protect passengers in a crash. Or balloons that pop out of nowhere so you don’t go through the windshield. That stuff is not for you! Simple is best.

Folks next door got this talking picture box. Like the movies, but at home. Almost as big as the movies. Just awful how confusing it is. Simple is best. Our 1935 Zenith Stratosphere 1000Z radio receiving set burnt out its tubes a few years ago. But it still looks good and besides, I couldn’t find Little Orphan Annie on the dial anymore. Simple is best.

And do not get started on modern medicine! With their highfalutin’ cardiac bypasses, pacemakers, cataract eye operations and penicillin. Humph. Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound was good enough for Granny and it’s good enough for me. Simple is best.

So let your friends buy cars with wind-up windows, air conditioning, air bags, crumple zones and upholstery that survives little kids. You don’t need a garbage disposal. Or indoor plumbing. Or an electrical refrigerator that makes ice cubes. Cell phones, cable boxes, streaming TV services, big screen TVs, flat screen TVs, gas stoves, microwave ovens, running water. So complex! You are very simple.

Are you against airbags in your car if it means your spouse doesn’t fly through the windshield? Are you against LifePlanning™ if it means your spouse is not left in nursing home poverty? Does it matter if you are the one going through the windshield? Left in poverty?

Are you opposed to indoor plumbing and central heat? Are you opposed to doing what must be done to get benefits that you value?

Albert Einstein was a very smart fellow. And he did not like things that were too confusing or complicated. And this is what he said:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Simple is good. But is it still good if you lose your savings, house, cottage, independence?

#11 … Waste Of Time Because I Will Spend It All Anyway!

Do you know anyone who goes to the payday lender? Anyone who heads to the casino as soon as their Social Security money shows up? How many people do you know that, as soon as they pay off one installment contract, run right out and get into another one? Can you imagine buying groceries on a credit card? Can you imagine buying groceries on a credit card when you don’t pay off the balance each month? Can you imagine paying 26.5% interest on last night’s dinner?

Did you hate paying off the mortgage? Do you wonder how some people don’t seem to care how much money they owe? Some of your co-workers used to complain about how they always had more “month than money”. Did you ever think, “Hey knucklehead, maybe if you weren’t always buying the latest and greatest doo-dad, gee-gaw, or watchamacallit, you’d have more money than month.”? Did you ever think anything like that?

Since everyone always has saved enough money to pay for long-term care, there is no need for any government long-term care program. So Medicaid is bad and wrong. It is just like Social Security. Everyone always has saved enough money to pay for their retirement. There’s is no need for any government retirement income program.

But wait! Social Security is different! You paid in. With every paycheck, the government skimmed off 15+% FICA (employer and employee) to pay for Social Security. So getting some return on your Social Security taxes is OK!

Help me out here… Is Medicaid different? Did you ever get a paycheck where you didn’t pay federal and state income taxes on every nickel you earned? Does the government run Medicaid for free? Did you somehow skip out on paying for Medicaid? With every paycheck. And Social Security check too?

Why are you opposed to getting something back for all the dollars you paid in? It is OK to get Social Security because you paid taxes for it. But it is bad to get long-term care Medicaid because you paid taxes for it?

There are lots and lots of Medicaid programs – dozens of them. Most Medicaid programs provide for our fellow Americans who have very little. But there is a slice of Medicaid, middle-class Medicaid, that pays for long-term care. For all Americans. Even you.

For most Medicaid programs, you have to be broke. Middleclass Medicaid lets you keep your house, up to $700,000. And your stuff, no limit on value. And your “motorized vehicle”, also no limit.

So, Medicaid is bad and you hate it. You hate it so much that you will spend all your money. Then, sell the house and all your stuff, spend all that too. And then wind up on Medicaid anyway. Sounds like a plan to me! Good luck with that.

#12 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Won’t Work When I Need It!

Medicaid nursing homes, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and anyone else who provides Medicaid care are just the worst! If a facility accepts Medicaid, the place smells bad, the staff is rude, the management is poor, and the care is awful. God forbid that you or a loved one is ever condemned to a Medicaid facility or is forced to receive Medicaid services. Great excuse!

Gee, I wonder what percentage of skilled nursing facilities accept Medicaid? 10%? 30% 50%?

Actually every skilled nursing facility accepts Medicaid. All of them. 100%. Do you have enough money to pay $10,000 – $15,000 per month for skilled care? For an average of 3 years. With a good chance of 5 years? Is it ridiculous to think that nursing homes would like to get paid when you go broke? Are you opposed to caregivers getting paid? Do nursing homes get everything for free?

Not so fast! Everybody knows that there are very few “Medicaid beds”. You know, the ones that they seal with plastic. So the bedbugs cannot escape. Just a few Medicaid beds.

Funny thing, though. About 70-80% of long-term, skilled nursing facility residents are paid for by Medicaid. How did that happen? Maybe because all beds are Medicare-certified. And all Medicare beds can be paid with Medicaid dollars.

#13 … Waste Of Time Because Every Other Attorney Must Be Doing This!

Medicaid is for poor people (meaning people without any money or stuff). And you have money and stuff, so Medicaid is not for you! Logical! Makes sense!

Question: How long will you have any money or stuff if you are paying $10-15,000 per month for long-term care?

Are you opposed to not going broke? Is it ridiculous to think that you (or your loved one) might get better care if your lifesavings had not melted away like a snowflake on a hot griddle? Are you against paying for the extra services you want?

You get a shower a week in a long-term care facility. How often do you shower now? Are you against paying some of your hard-earned savings to get a shower more frequently?

If your long-term care “insurance” (also known as Medicaid) paid for the $10-15,000 cost of basic services, and, if your lifesavings were intact, would you choose to spend some of those savings to make your days more pleasant? Do you want to be poor? Is poverty more noble? Is it honorable to spend down a lifetime of work in a matter of months? Does it make sense to believe that the government knows best? Is it foolish to plan for your future?

#14 … Waste Of Time Because If This Worked, Every Other Attorney Would Be Doing This!

Yesterday I was looking in the mirror. I felt depressed. I said to my bride of 15 years, “Honey, when I look in the mirror I see an old, fat, bald guy, and it depresses me. Honey,” I said, “I need your help.”

“Oh?” said the love of my life, “How may I be of service?” “Honey,” I replied, “I need a compliment. Looking at this fat, old, bald guy in the mirror here is bringing me down. I really feel the need for some compassion, a compliment would sure make me feel better!”

“Well,” said my soulmate, “Your eyesight is damn near perfect!”

Since I have been wearing glasses since the 8th grade, my wife’s compliment was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt better immediately. So, when I ask you, “Is it ridiculous to think that you are not getting older, you are getting better?” Remember this little love tale of mine. And draw your own conclusions.

And the hits just keep on coming! More great excuses are on their way!

Here’s a sneak preview of the next fabulous five excuses to avoid planning:
#10 … Waste Of Time Because It Is Overkill!
#11 … Waste Of Time Because I Will Spend It All Anyway.!
#12 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Won’t Work When I Need It!
#13 … Waste Of Time Because Every Other Attorney Must Be Doing This!
#14 … Waste Of Time Because If This Worked, Every Other Attorney Would Be Doing This!

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

Perhaps you already have all the answers. Maybe this is no problem at all. Possibly you do not believe in the passage of time.

Your habits and values have earned you peace of mind and financial security. LifePlanning™ is the easy part. You worked for the peace that only comes with financial security. What is most important, legal documents? Avoiding probate, is that the best you can do? Is family about inheritance? Or are the deeper things most significant?

Is any of this 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

Download the Print Version

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!
We Also Scream To Avoid Planning

“We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.”
—Rudyard Kipling

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
—George Washington

Are You A Failure At Making Excuses?

Poor Rudyard Kipling. He is like you. Forty million reasons, but not a single excuse? Perhaps he lacked skill. Or talent. Not even a single excuse in a gigantic 40 million straw haystack of reasons? And you are in the same boat. Have you ever come up with an excuse that satisfied your spouse? Me neither.

George Washington, Founding Father, spoke with the voice of experience: “Better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” How could it be that George Washington, “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” failed so miserably at making excuses? And fail at excuses he did… How else could he learn that bad excuses are the worst? And when George failed to excuse failure, what did he do? Founder the United States. Revolutionary. Beat the British. Farmer. Inventor. Statesman. Stuff like that.

You have 40 million reasons to avoid LifePlanning™. But when your dearly beloved suggests planning ahead, your 40 million reasons to do something else strangely evaporate. Like mist in the morning sun. Dense fog one minute, clear day the next. What is this phenomenon? The answer is obvious!

It is not reasons that you lack, but excuses. And we are here to help. As a public service. No charge. Expert excuses, here for the reading. High quality, too. When it comes to shirking important responsibilities, ordinary, everyday dodges will not suffice. You need professional help.

Tip-Top Training And Practical Preparation In The Art Of Avoidance

Otter: No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part.
Bluto: And we’re just the guys to do it.
—Animal House, 1978

Four years at the University of Notre Dame, majoring in Philosophy and English. Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law.

Master of Laws, Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. Judicial clerk. Five years in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, mostly on the Army General Staff, at the Pentagon. Topped off by a couple years with BigLaw. Then 32 years of growth: from one guy answering the telephone all alone to a firm of 50 persnickity professionals. Need know-how? Get know-how. Now.

We don’t just solve problems, we observe how folks run away from problems, too! Flee from foul facts. Dismiss, diminish, deride loved ones’ concerns. Deny, discount, deflect their own painful predicaments. Years of daily experience with responsible, middle-class, hard-working men and women who would prefer to chew their arm off than submit to the terrible torture that is estate planning.

Who else has seen it all? Who else can help you escape? You are in good hands. You came to the right shop. It is not an easy job. And we’re just the guys to do it.

Loudly And Firmly Proclaim These Affirmations Three (3) Times:

  • Only Nerds Want To Retire Comfortably Financial Security Is Bad. And Impossible
  • I Want To Die Broke, Splurging My Last Nickels On Long-Term Care
  • I Look Forward To Nursing Home Poverty My Spouse Can Look Out For Herself. Or Himself.
  • My Kids Don’t Need Money And Would Waste Any Inheritance Anyway

Take a deep breath. Excellent! You have achieved the correct state of mind. Remember, last week we covered the first four Excellent Excuses. Let us get down to this week’s Decisive Defenses to avoid any attempt at making you look ahead.

LifePlanning™ Is Unnecessary And A Total Waste Of Time & Money Because

Don’t loudmouths always impress you? So always lead off with an audacious affirmation!

Number One: Raise your voice and daringly declare: “LifePlanning™ is Stupid, Superfluous, and a…”

Number Two: Quickly follow with one of these Negative Nuggets:

#5 … Waste Of Time Because I Only Have A House And An IRA!

Are you opposed to draining your Individual Retirement Account (or 401(k) or 403(b) or Thrift Savings Plan or other retirement account) for long-term care? Of course not! Money in a retirement plan account is just a number, it does not reflect years of working and saving, right? Besides, what would you do with that money anyway? Might as well shoot it out the door at $10,000 to $15,000 per month. And you might get lucky. Maybe you only need assisted living services that cost $5,000 to $10,000 per month. Happy Days! And home care services are only $25 per hour and up. Foolish to worry about preserving that retirement money for your spouse when the government knows so much better than you do about how to spend it.

And everybody says that the homestead is “PROTECTED” so nothing to worry about there! Of course, even without planning, the house will go through probate to your family. And when everybody was explaining how the house was “PROTECTED”, everybody also told you that if you need help (Medicaid) with long-term care, the state wants its money back. And when you go through probate, because you are too smart to waste money on planning, the state will collect its payback. From your house. Which maybe isn’t so “protected”, after all…

Of course your kids would never sell your house while you need care, right? That’s why you do not even have to think about having cash instead of a house anymore. Cash that must be “spent down.” That is not a problem because you can keep $2,000 of it. More Happy Days!

So don’t worry! There is no way you would be one of the 70% of folks who the federal government says will need skilled nursing long- term care services for an average of 3 years or one of the 20% who will need services for 5 years or more. And neither would your spouse. So you should not be concerned about $360,000 to $900,000 of skilled care costs. Never happen.

#6 … Waste Of Time Because I Hate Medicaid

Since everyone always has saved enough money to pay for long-term care, there is no need for any government long-term care program. So Medicaid is bad and wrong. It is just like Social Security.

Everyone always has saved enough money to pay for their retirement. There’s is no need for any government retirement income program.

But wait! Social Security is different! You paid in. With every paycheck, the government skimmed off 15.3% FICA (employer and employee) to pay for Social Security. So getting some return on your payroll taxes is OK!

Help me out here… Is Medicaid different? Did you ever get a paycheck where you didn’t pay federal and state income taxes on every nickel you earned? Does the government run Medicaid for free? Did you somehow skip out on paying for Medicaid? With every paycheck. And Social Security check too?

Why are you opposed to getting something back for all the dollars you paid in? It is OK to get Social Security because you paid taxes for it. But it is bad to get long-term care Medicaid because you paid taxes for it?

There are lots and lots of Medicaid programs – dozens of them. Most Medicaid programs provide for our fellow Americans who have very little.

But there is a slice of Medicaid, middle-class Medicaid, that pays for long-term care. For all Americans. Even you.

For most Medicaid programs, you have to be broke. Middle-class Medicaid lets you keep your house, up to $700,000. And your stuff, no limit on value. And your “motorized vehicle”, also no limit.

So, Medicaid is bad and you hate it. You hate it so much that you will spend all your money. Then, sell the house and all your stuff, spend all that too. And then wind up on Medicaid anyway. Sounds like a plan to me! Good luck with that.

#7 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Nursing Homes Are Lousy Nursing Homes!

Medicaid nursing homes, long term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and anyone else who provides Medicaid care are just the worst! If a facility accepts Medicaid, the place smells bad, the staff is rude, the management is poor, and the care is awful. God forbid that you or a loved one is ever condemned to a Medicaid facility or is forced to receive Medicaid services. Great excuse!

Gee, I wonder what percentage of skilled nursing facilities accept Medicaid? 10%? 30%? 50%?

Actually every skilled nursing facility accepts Medicaid. All of them. 100%. Do you have enough money to pay $10,000 – $15,000 per month for skilled care? For an average of 3 years. With a good chance of 5 years? Is it ridiculous to think that nursing homes would like to get paid when you go broke? Are you opposed to caregivers getting paid? Do nursing homes get everything for free?

Not so fast! Everybody knows that there are very few “Medicaid beds”. You know, the ones that they seal with plastic. So the bedbugs cannot escape. Just a few Medicaid beds.

Funny thing, though. About 70-80% of long-term, skilled nursing facility residents are paid for by Medicaid. How did that happen? Maybe because all beds are Medicare-certified. And all Medicare beds can be paid with Medicaid dollars.

#8 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Is For Poor People!

Medicaid is for poor people (meaning people without any money or stuff). And you have money and stuff, so Medicaid is not for you! Logical!

Makes sense!

Question: How long will you have any money or stuff if you are paying $10-15,000 per month for long-term care?

Are you opposed to not going broke? Is it ridiculous to think that you (or your loved one) might get better care if your life savings had not melted away like a snowflake on a hot griddle? Are you against paying for the extra services you want?

You get a shower a week in a long-term care facility. How often do you shower now? Are you against paying some of your hard-earned savings to get a shower more frequently?

If your long-term care “insurance” (also known as Medicaid) paid for the $10-15,000 cost of basic services, and, if your lifesavings were intact, would you choose to spend some of those savings to make your days more pleasant? Do you want to be poor? Is poverty more noble? Is it honorable to spend down a lifetime of work in a matter of months? Does it make sense to believe that the government knows best? Is it foolish to plan for your future?

#9 … Waste Of Time Because I Am Not Getting Older, I Am Getting Better!

Yesterday I was looking in the mirror. I felt depressed. I said to my bride of 15 years, “Honey, when I look in the mirror I see an old, fat, bald guy, and it depresses me. “Honey,” I said, “I need your help.”

“Oh?” said the love of my life, “How may I be of service?”

“Honey,” I replied, “I need a compliment. Looking at this fat, old, bald guy in the mirror here is bringing me down. I really feel the need for some compassion, a compliment would sure make me feel better!”

“Well,” said my soulmate, “Your eyesight is damn near perfect!”

Since I have been wearing glasses since the 8th grade, my wife’s compliment was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt better immediately. So, when I ask you, “Is it ridiculous to think that you are not getting older, you are getting better?” Remember this little love tale of mine. And draw your own conclusions.

And the hits just keep on coming! More great excuses are on their way!

Here’s A Sneak Preview Of The Next Fabulous Five Excuses To Avoid Planning:

#10 … Waste Of Time Because It Is Overkill!
#11 … Waste Of Time Because I Will Spend It All Anyway!
#12 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Won’t Work When I Need It!
#13 … Waste Of Time Because Every Other Attorney Must Be Doing This!
#14 … Waste Of Time Because If This Worked, Every Other Attorney Would Be Doing This!

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

Perhaps you already have all the answers. Maybe this is no problem at all. Possibly you do not believe in the passage of time.

Your habits and values have earned you peace of mind and financial security. LifePlanning™ is the easy part. You worked for the peace that only comes with financial security. What is most important, legal documents? Avoiding probate, is that the best you can do? Is family about inheritance? Or are the deeper things most significant?

Is any of this 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

Simple Questions… That Nobody Asks Until It Is Too Late.

Things Everybody Takes For Granted… But Shouldn’t

Would You Happily Put Your Kids In The Back Seat Of A Pinto?

Eyewitness: “the car exploded “like a large napalm bomb” when it was hit”

Why does anyone plan their estate? Why did you spend all that time and money for a will or trust? If you are like most people, you plan ahead for peace of mind. Sure, the future is uncertain, but we are not helpless. Estate planning and elder law can ensure that our life’s work will serve us. And our families or loved ones. Too bad most planning does not work that way.

What does everybody know about the Ford Pinto? It was a good-looking car. Economical! Popular in the 70’s. Millions sold. But it had an unfortunate tendency to explode on impact, engulfing its passengers in a gasoline fireball. With disastrous consequences for all concerned. Yikes!

I love my 1956 Chevrolet BelAir. Less than 26000 miles on the odometer. All original, from the canvas “carpet” to the radio with tubes rather than transistors. But the dashboard is painted steel, no padding. Seatbelts? Not in 1956. The steering column is solid metal. That ends in a point. Disturbing tendency to turn the driver into a shish kebab in a head-on collision. Airbags not invented yet. Whoops!

I do like to drive my BelAir… it is not a museum piece. But I drive it carefully. Cautiously. Defensively. With my kid in the backseat.

Today’s cars are loaded with airbags, mirrors, collision avoidance systems, backup cameras, beepers, buzzers, bells and whistles. New cars have airbags all over the place. Some slam on the brakes automatically. The Caddy even tightens your seatbelt before a crash. Nothing to worry about. Whew!

Your Estate Plan Is An Edsel

Most estate planning is like the Edsel. Obsolete from the get-go. Answering the wrong questions. And doing it poorly.

The Wrong Goals: Avoid Probate. Save Taxes. Get It to the Kids. These things all happen after you die. But you are not dead yet. Shouldn’t we be a little concerned with what happens before you die? Maybe taking care of you is the best way to take care of them.

How do you feel, loading your kids into the backseat of a 1975 Pinto? Taking them to school. Driving around town. Going to see grandma. Safe? Secure? Or are your eyes locked on that tiny rearview mirror. Fearfully scanning for danger?

Why Is LifePlanning™ Never Obsolete?

LifePlanning™ is not a Pinto. Or a 50’s Edsel. LifePlanning™ is focused on you. On the real concerns that affect you and your family. Incapacity. Dementia.

These dangers are real. Ignore them if you like. At your peril. That is what the Pinto folks did. With explosive results. You can take an outdated, obsolete approach. With an estate plan that has not evolved since the 1950’s. Resulting in Nursing Home Poverty. No choice for you. No legacy for the kids.

LifePlanning™ maximizes the things that are most important to you. We all have to go sometime, but why rush it? Why not remain alert? Independent? Engaged? Aware? In charge? Why shouldn’t your choices matter? Refuse to let others decide “what to do” with you! Reject dependence.

LifePlanning™ gets you the benefits you have earned, while preserving life savings. Not for the kids, but to supplement those earned benefits. Eight thousand dollars a month ($8,000/ month) for assisted living. Fifteen thousand ($15,000/month) for skilled care. Who can afford it? Medicaid is the way America pays for long-term care. Medicaid wants you broke. Medicaid is the government solution.

LifePlanning™ says OK! You earned the government solution. But since when was the government solution adequate? Why did you work? Take overtime? Save and invest? You do not have to settle. You can make your lifesavings work for you while receiving the benefits you earned.

Is A “Pinto” Plan “Good Enough” For Your Spouse And Family? For You? Why Don’t You Deserve “Cadillac” Planning? Is The “Cadillac” Plan Too Good For Your Spouse? Your Family? Why?

Thousands of middle-class families have used LifePlanning™ to get the peace of mind that comes from loading your family into the safest, most comfortable vehicle possible. Without thorough planning you will spend yourself into Nursing Home Poverty. You get what they feel like giving.

Not what you have earned. Not what you want. Not what you deserve. With a whimper, not a bang. Quieter than a flaming fireball of dramatic death, but just as devastating. To you. To your family. Are you really opposed to getting a small return on all the tax dollars you paid in?

Without LifePlanning™ , you are driving a Pinto. Do not have good answers to the questions. No one has your back. Maybe things will work out. Maybe you will get home today. Maybe. Why not be sure? Do you think security is a bad thing?

LifePlanning™ preserves your lifesavings. You never go broke. Your earnings serve you throughout your lifetime. And that means…
You stay home. Longer. You get the help you need, that your spouse needs. Clear-eyed. Relevant. Participating in your own care.

The Choice Is Yours. Does Quality Of Life Matter To You?

We Wasted 2021. See It Through in ‘22!

Last year, the number of regular folks planning their futures dropped. Significantly. Fewer people focused on planning ahead, LifePlanning™. I fear 2021 was a year of wasted opportunity for regular families. Devastating.

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. Now and as long as you wish. Because you earned it. Avoid Nursing Home Poverty. Thousands of middle-class families have learned and use these techniques. Why not yours?

Got Questions? Get Answers!
Get Answers Now… The Call That Changes Your Life…
(800) 317-2812

Come To An In-Person Workshop…
Livestream On-Line And Get Answers
To Your Particular Questions Whatever It Takes To Serve!

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

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.
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