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"National Elder Law Month" By: Lisa Beatty, 5/4/2023
As we age, it becomes increasingly important to plan for the future. This is why every year, during the month of May, we celebrate National Elder Law Month. It’s a time to raise awareness about the legal issues that affect seniors and to encourage individuals to take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones. more
"Downsizing Should Not Be a Four-Letter Word" By: Lisa Beatty, 2/7/2023
My dad passed away on Valentine's Day in 2018 and I miss him every
day. Some days I curse at him too. Why, you ask?
Because even though he’s gone, he’s still permeating my life on a daily
basis, but not in a good way. You see,
my dad was a pretty cool guy. He was an
electrical engineer, an award-winning photographer, and a ham radio operator
for 60 years. He was a collector of
unique things like antique morse code keys and electronic test equipment. He had an entire room devoted to his
photography hobby. He had shelves of old
vacuum tubes and dozens of small storage boxes filled with little bitty parts,
all carefully labeled and alphabetically arranged. When he died, I didn’t know what to do with
any of it.
more
"September is National Better Breakfast Month" By: Lisa Beatty, 8/30/2022
September is National Better Breakfast Month. Yes, you read that right. So, who really cares? We all should! Eating a well-balanced diet is an important
part of staying healthy as we age.
Getting the proper nutrients and maintaining a healthy weight will help
us stay energized and lower our risk of developing chronic health problems or
being vulnerable to disease.
more
The Dog Days of Summer By: Lisa Beatty, 7/20/2022
I’ve always assumed that this term referred to the hottest part of the
summer – you know, the days so hot that even the dog doesn’t want to go
outside. But really, the reference to "dog
days” dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks and their beliefs about a
star in the constellation called Canis Major.
The Greeks thought of Canis Major as a dog chasing a hare named Lepus. The tip of the dog’s nose is the star called
Sirius, which became known as the "dog star.”
To the Greeks, the "dog days” typically occurred in late July when
Sirius rose just before the sun, corresponding with the hottest days of the
year.
more
Summer Fun Activities for Seniors! By: Lisa Beatty, 7/5/2022
Well,
it’s Michigan, and this summer, we’re either being drenched with monsoon-style
rains, or wilting in the heat and humidity. But Michigan does bestow some glorious days upon us in between, and
seniors and caregivers (especially caregivers!) can certainly get cabin fever
after being shut in for the rainy or sizzling days. So, when the sun is out and there’s a
beautiful Michigan breeze, what are some great activities for seniors and
caregivers to do?
more
"Emergency! What EMS Needs to Know" By: Lisa Beatty, 6/15/2022
I talk to seniors and their families about the importance of having strong foundational estate planning documents all the time. It’s essential to have a detailed, well-written, and current Financial Power of Attorney and Medical Power of Attorney in place to ensure that your wishes will be carried out if something happens and you can’t speak for yourself.
more
"National Elder Law Month" By: Lisa Beatty, 4/27/2022
In 1963, President
Kennedy declared May to be Senior Citizens Month as a way to honor those who
are 65 and older. Although the name was
modified a few years later to Older Americans Month by then-President Jimmy
Carter, the tradition has carried forward every year since its inception. Fittingly, May is also National Elder Law Month. With 10,000
Americans turning 65 every day and a projected 40 million Americans aged 65
years or older, this is certainly an underserved segment of the American
population. Baby Boomers are growing older and living longer, with fewer
resources available for long-term care. As you can see, the importance of
planning for one’s future needs is essential.
more
Watch Out for a New Health Insurance Phone Scam! By: Caroline Bielas, 11/24/2021
The pandemic has certainly been a boon for phone scammers. According to
a 2021 Harris Poll and Truecaller ID survey, nearly 1 in 3 Americans have
fallen victim to a phone scam in the last year, and 59.4 million Americans lost
money to a phone scam, costing a record-high average of $502 per person and a
total of $29.8 billion (yes, billion). more
Charging stations & Estate Plans – Part 2 By: Caroline Bielas, 8/16/2017
After seeing how cool the charging station was, I of course had to order
one for my home. I went on Amazon and
ordered one right away. I didn’t check
to see if it was the same one, it looked like it so I figured it was fine. When I took it out of the box and plugged it
in, I was baffled. There were no
charging cords for the different kinds of phones. I didn’t read the fine print to see that the
model that I had ordered didn’t come with cords, the cords were sold
separately. In order to make it work, I
had to place two more orders – one for iPhone cords and one for Android cords. I didn’t feel so great about my charging
station after placing those orders. Yes,
it does what I want it to do and it is helpful.
I just didn’t like feeling like I paid for one thing and then got
something that I had to pay more for to have it work the way I wanted. more
Charging stations & Estate Plans – Part 1 By: Caroline Bielas, 7/26/2017
Recently,
I discovered that my mom had bought a charging station for her house for guests
to use. What a great thing! Especially since either I or one of my kids usually
have the dreaded low battery flashing on our phones while at her house. The charging station
has cords for all of the different types of phones and tablets, how convenient! Anyone that has ever had to endure a long
car ride with kids who cannot use their phone or tablets because they killed
the battery knows how nice it is to have the opportunity to charge it before
leaving Grandma’s!
more
Estate Planning and The Holidays Part 2 By: Caroline Bielas, 1/2/2017
As 2017 quickly approaches, carve out some time to think about what you
would change about 2016 if you could.
2016 was a tumultuous year for our country and for many people. 2017 provides each one of us with the
opportunity to make things different. To
better ourselves and our communities.
Each of us has different talents and gifts, but we can all make our
little corner of the world better. How
will you improve yourself and your world in 2017? Will you be kinder? Will you join a gym? Will you listen more? Will you finally get your estate planning
done? Get your financial house in order? more
Estate Planning and The Holidays Part 1 By: Caroline Bielas, 12/21/2016
Isn’t it funny how the holidays can make us all feel like kids again? When it comes to holiday joy, the suspense of opening that special gift, or the warm feelings we get when surrounded by our loved ones – the holidays can be a big positive. When it comes to feelings of dread over seeing a certain family member, or guilt over not being able to visit our family members, or sibling rivalries resurfacing – the holidays can be a big negative. more
Dirty Deeds - Part 2 By: Caroline Bielas, 1/15/2014
Legal Services plans provide discounted or free legal services to their members. In our practice, we see many clients who have availed themselves of free or low-cost estate planning services through legal services plans. A recurring issue that we have seen in legal services planning and in older estate plans done by attorneys who do not specialize in estate plans is the "record it later” deeds. The attorney drafts the deed either transferring the home into the client’s trust or to children upon the client’s death, but tells the client not to have the deed recorded until "later”. Usually this means that the client’s heirs will record the deed after the client dies. more
Happy 2014 from Huron Valley Law Center By: Michael Hickox, 1/1/2014
Huron Valley Law Center (HVLC) wishes you and your staff the very best for 2014. HVLC looks forward to working together with you in 2014 to discover mutually beneficial business opportunities.
In addition, we currently have several informative public seminars on estate planning and related issues scheduled that may benefit your clients. If you or your clients are interested in attending any of these seminars, the following is a list of upcoming seminars for January and February: more
Dirty Deeds - Part 1 By: Caroline Bielas, 8/20/2013
Real property ownership is evidenced by deeds and property ownership transfers through deeds. That much is easy to understand. Drafting property deeds is easy too. One just looks up a quit claim deed form on the internet, enters property information, slaps on $1 consideration and it’s good to go! Right? Wrong! more
The Wealth Counselor - Three Simple Ways to Sell Complex Solutions By: Michael Hickox, 6/1/2013
When it comes to financial and wealth planning issues, more often than not, people go to a professional they trust. They may be working with a financial planner, CPA, agent, or banker, but when trust and estate concerns arise, clients need their trusted advisor to listen to their needs and to explain things clearly. Trust and estate concerns are often technical issues, and this can lead to three common mistakes on the part of the professional: more
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