Oconee Estate Planning Blog

How Do I Get Brain Power?

The search for effective treatments and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders has been difficult. There are 33 investigational drugs that have made it to the final stage of experimental testing, and each has failed. Remarkably, doctors are treating Alzheimer’s symptoms with the same medications they have had since 2003.

AARP’s recent article entitled “7 Things to Do After 50 for a Healthier Brain” say that, as treatment research struggles, data on prevention is continuing to be complied and is very helpful. Many studies show that it’s possible to decrease the risk of dementia as we age with more than medication. Let’s look at seven habits that can boost your brain health in your 50s and beyond.

1. Keep your blood pressure under control. Things that promote heart health also promote brain health. However, heart and brain health are linked not only by lifestyle factors but also by genetics, cholesterol metabolism and the health and integrity of the cardiovascular system. Blood pressure management can be achieved with a well-balanced diet, exercise and medication.
2. Exercise regularly. In addition to increasing blood flow to the brain, exercise — particularly running — can be great for brain health. That’s because it generates the release of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF promotes the growth of the cells that send and receive signals from the brain (neurons). BDNF also increases the connections between neurons, and sustains them in the face of environmental and other challenges.
3. Eat a heart-healthy diet. This is a regimen that monitors cholesterol and promotes normal insulin activity. Both can decrease the risk of dementia. A Mediterranean-style diet is recommended. It’s full of vegetables, fish and heart-healthy fats. The MIND diet also combines the Mediterranean diet with the American Heart Association’s DASH diet. It is rich in neuroprotective foods (nuts, berries, green leafy vegetables, fish and olive oil).
4. Watch your weight. Obesity is a well-established risk factor for dementia. Neurons, like all cells, use glucose for their energy source. However, they are unable to take it up without normal insulin function. Excess body weight (especially in the belly), not exercising, smoking and short sleep make it more difficult for insulin to move into cells. This results in insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. People with that condition have roughly a 60% increased risk of developing dementia. Losing weight is the best way to prevent, or even reverse, insulin resistance.
5. Learn new things. Brains are meant to be active. Try things like crossword puzzles and sudoku for brain exercises, but make sure they’re challenging.
6. Get good sleep. Chronic short sleep — particularly in midlife — can damage the brain. Lack of sleep interferes with the brain’s nightly cleaning cycle, since in deep sleep, neurons produce less beta amyloid and tau (proteins at the heart of Alzheimer’s) and secrete more of them as waste. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is a temporary cessation of breath, followed by gasping, is a common problem. It’s been linked to cognitive impairment and structural changes in the brain. It is also linked to obesity, increasing age and poor muscle tone. These are some excellent reasons to lose weight and exercise.
7. Manage your stress. Stress isn’t just a state of mind—but a state of body. Stress exerts powerful physical changes in the brain and has direct adverse effects on health, including blood sugar, blood pressure and abdominal obesity. It’s also a very serious disruptor of sleep.

Reference: AARP (May 18, 2021) “7 Things to Do After 50 for a Healthier Brain”

Suggested Key Terms: Financial Abuse, Elder Care, Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Senior Health

Tell Me again Why Estate Planning Is So Important

The Legal Reader’s recent article entitled “The Importance of Estate Planning” explains that estate planning is not just for the rich.

If you don’t have a comprehensive estate plan, it could mean headaches for your family left to manage things after you die, and it can be expensive and have long-lasting impact.

Here are four reasons why estate planning is critical, and you need the help of an experienced estate planning attorney.

Estate plan beneficiaries. Middle-class families must plan in the event something happens to the bread earner. You might be only leaving behind one second home, but if you don’t decide who is to receive it, things might become complicated. The main purpose of estate planning is to allocate heirs to the assets. If you have no estate plan when you die, the court decides who gets the assets.

Protection for minor children. If you have small children, you must prepare for the worst. To be certain that your children receive proper care if they are orphaned, you must name their guardians in your last will. If you don’t, the court will do it!

It can save on taxes. Estate planning can protect your loved ones from the IRS. A critical aspect of estate planning is the process of transferring assets to the heirs to generate the smallest tax burden for them. Estate planning can minimize estate taxes and state inheritance taxes.

Avoid fighting and headaches in the family. No one wants fighting when a loved one dies. There might be siblings who might think they deserve much more than the other children. The other siblings might also believe that they should be given the charge for financial matters, despite the fact that they aren’t good with debts and finances. These types of disagreements can get ugly and lead to court. Estate planning will help in creating individualized plans.

Work with an experienced estate planning attorney and see how estate planning can help your specific situation.

Reference: The Legal Reader (May 10, 2021) “The Importance of Estate Planning”

Suggested Key Terms: Estate Planning Lawyer, Wills, Intestacy, Probate Court, Inheritance, Asset Protection, Guardianship, Probate Attorney, Estate Tax, Inheritance Tax

Do I Need an Estate Plan If I’m Not Married?

The County 17 recent article entitled “Even ‘Singles’ Need Estate Plans” says if you die intestate (i.e., without a last will and testament), your assets could be subject to the probate process. Translation? Your assets would be distributed by the court according to your state’s intestate succession laws. That means it’s done without any regard for your wishes. Even if you don’t have children, you may have nephews or nieces, or even children of cousins or friends, to whom you would like to leave some of your assets. This might include not just money but also cars, collectibles, or family memorabilia. However, if everything you own goes through probate, there is no guarantee that these people will get what you want them to have.

If you want to leave something to family members or close friends, you will need to make this instruction in your last will. You also may want to provide support to some charitable organizations. You can just name these charities in your last will, but there may be options that could provide you with more benefits.

One is a charitable remainder trust. With this, you would transfer appreciated assets, like stocks, mutual funds, or other securities, to an irrevocable trust. The trustee, whom you’ve named (you could serve as trustee yourself) can then sell the assets at full market value, avoiding the capital gains taxes you’d have to pay if you sold them yourself, outside a trust. If you itemize, you may be able to claim a charitable deduction on your taxes. With the proceeds, the trust can purchase income-producing assets and provide you with an income stream for the rest of your life. At death, the remaining trust assets will pass to the charities you have designated.

Aside from family members and charitable groups, there’s a third entity that’s critical to your estate plans: you. You should make arrangements to protect their interests, but, in the absence of an immediate family, as a single person, you need to be especially watchful of your financial and health care decisions. As a result, as part of your estate planning, you may want to include these two documents: durable power of attorney and a health care proxy.

A durable power of attorney lets you name a trusted individual to manage your finances, if you become incapacitated. This is especially important for anyone who doesn’t have a spouse. If you become incapacitated, your health care proxy (also known as a health care surrogate or medical power of attorney) lets you name another person to legally make health care decisions, if you are unable to do so.

Estate planning moves can be complex, so you’ll need help from an experienced estate planning attorney. While you may not have an immediate family, you still need to take steps to protect your legacy.

Reference: County 17 (May 24, 2021) “Even ‘Singles’ Need Estate Plans”

Suggested Key Terms: Estate Planning Lawyer, Wills, Intestacy, Probate Court, Inheritance, Charitable Remainder Trust Capacity, Irrevocable Trust, Power of Attorney, Healthcare Directive, Health Care Proxy, Health Care Surrogate, Medical Power of Attorney, Probate Attorney, Charitable Donation

Can I Retain Some Assets and Still Be Eligible for Medicaid?

Medicaid is a welfare program with strict income and wealth limits to qualify, explains Kiplinger’s recent article entitled “You Can Keep Some Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid. Here’s How.” This is a different program from Medicare, the national health insurance program for people 65 and over that largely doesn’t cover long-term care.

If you can afford your own care, you’ll have more options because all facilities don’t take Medicaid. Even so, couples with ample savings may deplete all their wealth for the other spouse to pay for a long stay in a nursing home. However, you can save some assets for a spouse and qualify for Medicaid using strategies from an Elder Law or Medicaid Planning Attorney.

You can allocate as much as $3,259.50 of your monthly income to a spouse, whose income isn’t considered, and still satisfy the Medicaid limit. Your assets must be $2,000 or less, with a spouse allowed to keep up to $130,380. However, cash, bank accounts, real estate other than a primary residence, and investments (including those in an IRA or 401(k)) count as assets. However, you can keep a personal residence, non-luxury personal belongings (like clothes and home appliances), one vehicle, engagement and wedding rings and a prepaid burial plot.

However, your spouse may not have enough to live on. You could boost a spouse’s income with a Medicaid-compliant annuity. These turn your savings into a stream of future retirement income for you and your spouse and don’t count as an asset. You can purchase an annuity at any time, but to be Medicaid compliant, the annuity payments must begin right away with the state named as the beneficiary after you and your spouse pass away.

Another option is a Miller Trust for yourself, which is an irrevocable trust that’s used exclusively to satisfy Medicaid’s income threshold. If your income from Social Security, pensions and other sources is higher than Medicaid’s limit but not enough to pay for nursing home care, the excess income can go into a Miller Trust. This allows you to qualify for Medicaid, while keeping some extra money in the trust for your own care. The funds can be used for items that Medicare doesn’t cover.

These strategies are designed to protect assets or income for couples; leaving an asset to other heirs is more difficult. Once you and your spouse pass away, the state government must recover Medicaid costs from your estate, when possible. This may be through a lien on your home, reimbursement from a Miller Trust, or seizing assets during the probate process, before they’re distributed to your family.

Note that any assets given away within five years of a Medicaid application date still count toward eligibility. Property transferred to heirs earlier than that is okay. One strategy is to create an irrevocable trust on behalf of your children and transfer property that way. You will lose control of the trust’s assets, so your heirs should be willing to help you out financially, if you need it.

Reference: Kiplinger (May 24, 2021) “You Can Keep Some Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid. Here’s How”

Suggested Key Terms: Elder Law Attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, Paying for a Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Planning, Medicaid Trust Planning, Medicaid Nursing Home Planning, Assisted Living, Nursing Home Care, Medicaid Planning Lawyer, Disability, Social Security, Pension, Elder Abuse, Irrevocable Trust, Probate Court, Financial Planning, Inheritance, Medicaid-Compliant Annuity, Miller Trust

Short-Cuts to Estate Planning can Lead to Costly Consequences

It seems like a simple way for the children to manage mom’s finances: add the grown children as owners to a bank account, brokerage account or make them joint owners of the home. However, these short-cut methods create all kinds of problems for the parent’s estate and the children themselves, says the article entitled “Estate planning: When you take the lazy way out, someone will pay the price” from Florida Today.

By adding an adult child as owner to the account, the child is being given 50% ownership. The same is true if the child is added to the title for the home as joint owner. If there is more than $30,000 in the account or if the asset is valued at more than $30,000, then the mother needs to file a gift tax return—even if no gift tax is due. If the gift tax return is not filed in a timely manner, there might be a gift tax due in the future.

There is also a carryover basis in the account or property when the adult child is added as an owner. If it’s a bank account, the primary issue is the gift tax return. However, if the asset is a brokerage account or the parent’s primary residence, then the child steps into the parent’s shoes for 50% of the amount they bought the property for originally.

Here is an example: let’s say a parent is in her 80s and you are seeing that she is starting to slow down. You decide to take an easy route and have her add you to her bank account, brokerage account and the deed (or title) to the family home. If she becomes incapacitated or dies, you’ll own everything and you can make all the necessary decisions, including selling the house and using the funds for funeral expenses. It sounds easy and inexpensive, doesn’t it? It may be easy, but it’s not inexpensive.

Sadly, your mom dies. You need some cash to pay her final medical bills, cover the house expenses and maybe a few of your own bills. You sell some stock. After all, you own the account. It’s then time to file a tax return for the year when you sold the stock. When reporting the stock sale, your basis in the stock is 50% step-up in value based on the value of the stock the day that your mom died, plus 50% of what she originally paid for the stock.

If your mom bought the stock for $100 twenty years ago, and the stock is now worth $10,500, when you were added to the account, you now step into her shoes for 50% of the stock—$50. You sold the stock after she died, so your basis in that stock is now $5,050—that’s $5,000 value of stock when she died plus $50: 50% of the original purchase. Your taxable gain is $5,450.

How do you avoid this? If the ownership of the brokerage account remained solely with your mother, but you were a Payable on Death (POD) or Transfer on Death (TOD) beneficiary, you would not have access to the account if your mom became incapacitated and had appointed you as her “attorney in fact” on her general durable power of attorney. What would be the result? You would get a step-up in basis on the asset after she died. The inherited stock would have a basis of $10,000 and the taxable gain would be $500, not $5,450.

A better alternative—talk with an estate planning attorney to create a will, a revocable trust, a general durable power of attorney and the other legal documents used to transfer assets and minimize taxes. The estate planning attorney will be able to create a way for you to get access or transfer the property without negative tax consequences.

Reference: Florida Today (May 20, 2021) , “Estate planning: When you take the lazy way out, someone will pay the price”

Suggested Key Terms: Estate Planning Attorney, Joint Owners, Taxable Gains, Will, Revocable Trust, Durable Power of Attorney, Step-Up in Basis, Assets, Payable on Death, POD, Transfer on Death, TOD, Incapacitated, Carryover Basis, Gift Tax Return

When Should an Estate Plan Be Reviewed?

If your parents don’t remember when they last reviewed their estate plan, then chances are it’s time for a review. Over the years, wishes, relationships and circumstances change, advises the recent article, “5 Reasons To Have Your Parents’ Estate Plan Reviewed,” from Forbes. An out-of-date estate plan may not achieve your parent’s wishes, or be declared invalid by the court. Having an estate planning attorney review the estate plan may save you money in the long run, not to mention the stress and worry created by an estate disaster. If you need reasons, here are five to consider.

Financial institutions are wary of dated documents. Banks and other financial institutions look twice at documents that are not recent. Trying to use a Power of Attorney that was created twenty years ago is bound to create problems. One person tried to use a document, but the bank insisted on getting an affidavit from the attorney who prepared it to be certain it was valid. While the son was trying to solve this, his mother died, and the account had to be probated. A “fresh” power of attorney would have solved the problem.

State laws change. Things that seem small become burdensome in a hurry. For example, if someone wants to leave a variety of personal effects to many different people, each and every one of the people listed would need to be located and notified. Many states now allow a separate writing to dispose of personal items, making the process far easier. However, if the will is out of date, you may be stuck with a house-sized task.

Legal document language changes. The SECURE Act changed many aspects of estate planning, particularly with regard to retirement accounts. If your parents have retirement accounts that are payable to a trust, the trust language must be changed to comply with the law. Not having these updates in the estate plan could result in an increase in income taxes or costly fees to fix the situation.

Estate tax laws change. In recent years, there have been many changes to federal tax laws. If your parents have not updated their estate plan within the last five years, they have missed many changes and many opportunities. It is likely that your parents’ assets have also changed over the years, and the documents need to reflect how the estate taxes will be paid. Are their assets titled so that there are enough funds in the estate or trust to cover the cost of any liability? Here’s another one—if all of the assets pass directly to beneficiaries via beneficiary designations, who is going to pay for the tax bills –and with what funds?

Older estate plans may contain wishes from decades ago. For one family, an old will led to a situation where a son did not inherit his father’s entire estate. His late sister’s children, who had been estranged from him for decades, received their mother’s share. If the father and son had reviewed the will earlier, a new will could have been created and signed that would have given the son what the father intended.

These types of problems are seen daily in your estate planning attorney’s office. Take the time to get a proper review of your parent’s estate plan, to prevent stress and unnecessary costs in the future.

Reference: Forbes (May 25, 2021) “5 Reasons To Have Your Parents’ Estate Plan Reviewed”

Suggested Key Terms: Estate Plan, SECURE Act, Power of Attorney, Estate Planning Attorney, Estranged, Retirement Accounts, Beneficiaries, Affidavit

New Rules for Burial at Arlington National Cemetery

In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director of Army National Military Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery, said she expects revisions to those rules in coming months, but would not say whether that would tighten or loosen the proposed eligibility restrictions.

Military Times’ recent article entitled “As space dwindles, final rules on burial eligibility for Arlington Cemetery expected this fall,” reports that new eligibility rules for Arlington Cemetery would exclude most non-combat veterans.

“We continue to explore all viable options to ensure Arlington National Cemetery continues to honor our nation’s heroes for generations to come,” she said. “It’s really an impossible problem for us. The eligible population is more than 22 million … currently today, we have less than 85,000 spaces.”

The proposed changes are aimed at extending the use of the cemetery for several more decades.

In 2019, Army officials suggested restricting all below-ground burial sites to combat heroes, battle casualties and a small pool of notable dignitaries. Other veterans would be eligible for placement of cremated remains in above-ground structures at the cemetery. However, many veteran groups were against this, saying it could upset numerous families’ end-of-life plans and risks the perception that certain military experiences are more valuable than others.

About 400,000 individuals are buried at Arlington now, and roughly 7,000 individuals are interred at the cemetery annually.  those numbers were reduced last year due to COVID restrictions.

The expansion plans are expected to add about 80,000 new burial spaces to the cemetery.

“Without changes to eligibility, Arlington National Cemetery will run out of space for new burials in the early 2040s or the mid-2060s with the construction of the Southern Expansion project, even for those service members who are killed in action or are recipients of the Medal of Honor.”

With the eligibility changes, officials estimate the site can remain an active cemetery for more than 150 years.

These proposed rule changes for Arlington wouldn’t change the veterans cemetery sites run by the Department of Veterans Affairs across the country.

Reference: Military Times (May 5, 2021) “As space dwindles, final rules on burial eligibility for Arlington Cemetery expected this fall”

Suggested Key Terms: Estate Planning, VA Benefits, Veterans, Military, Funeral Arrangements, Burial

What are the Early Signs of Dementia?

Dementia can diminish focus, the ability to pay attention, language skills, problem-solving and visual perception. It can make it hard for a senior to control his or her emotions and lead to personality changes, says AARP’s recent article entitled “7 Early Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore.”

The article provides some of the warning signs identified by dementia experts and mental health organizations:

• Difficulty with everyday tasks. Those with dementia may find it increasingly tough to do things, like keep track of monthly bills or follow a recipe while cooking. They also may find it hard to concentrate on tasks, take much longer to do them, or have difficulty completing them.
• Repetition. Asking a question, hearing the answer, then repeating the same question a few minutes later, or telling the same story about a recent event multiple times, are causes for concern.
• Communication issues. See if a senior has trouble joining in conversations or following along with them, stops abruptly in the middle of a thought, or struggles to think of words or the name of objects.
• Getting lost. Those with dementia may have difficulty with visual and spatial abilities.
• Changes in personality. A senior who starts acting unusually anxious, confused, fearful or suspicious; becomes upset easily; or loses interest in activities and appears depressed is cause for concern.
• Confusion about time and place. Those who forget where they are or can’t remember how they got there should raise a red flag. You should also be concerned if a person becomes disoriented about time (asking on a Friday if it is Monday or Tuesday).
• Troubling behavior. If a senior appears to have greater poor judgment when handling money or neglects grooming and cleanliness, it’s a concern.

Here are some of the methods that doctors use to diagnose dementia:

• Cognitive and neuropsychological tests assess language and math skills, memory, problem-solving and other kinds of mental functioning.
• Lab tests can help rule out non-dementia causes for the symptoms.
• Brain scans like a CT, MRI, or PET imaging can detect changes in brain structure and function. They can identify strokes, tumors and other problems that can cause dementia.
• Psychiatric evaluation can determine if a mental health condition is causing or impacting symptoms.
• Genetic tests are critical, especially if someone is showing symptoms before age 60. The early onset form of Alzheimer’s is strongly associated with a person’s genes.

Reference: AARP (May 4, 2021) “7 Early Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore”

Suggested Key Terms: Senior Health, Elder Care, Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease

Why Is Estate Planning So Important?

Big Easy Magazine’s recent article “Estate Planning Is Essential and Here’s Why” says that writing a last will isn’t limited to what happens to your house, car, company, or other assets after you die. It also states who will take care of your minor children, if they are orphaned.

Your instructions for burial and other smaller things can be included.

If you fail to provide specific instructions, the state intestacy laws will apply upon your death. Here is a glimpse of the consequences of not writing your last will:

• Your burial preferences may not be honored.
• Your properties may be managed by an individual you don’t necessarily trust. Without a named executor to your last will, some other family member may be asked to file taxes, make transfers and manage your estate.
• Family members may not get an inheritance. Under intestacy laws, same-sex relationships and common-law marriages may not be recognized. So, your partner may not get a portion of your estate.
• Your favorite charity may be left out. If you are committed to leaving a legacy, your charity, religious organization, or other organization of choice should be mentioned in the last will.
• The government will name the guardians for your minor children.

With a last will, you can designate a guardian for your children and avoid additional taxes. Ask an experienced estate planning attorney about developing a comprehensive estate plan.

Aside from this, estate planning can also save your loved ones considerable angst and money.

A detailed last will with your instructions will avoid complications and provide comfort, while your loved ones recover emotionally from their loss.

Reference: Big Easy Magazine (May 17, 2021) “Estate Planning Is Essential and Here’s Why”

Suggested Key Terms: Estate Planning Lawyer, Wills, Intestacy, Probate Court, Inheritance, Guardianship, Probate Attorney, Charitable Donation, Funeral Arrangements, Burial

Your Will and Estate Planning Checklist

Dying without a last will creates additional costs and eliminates any chance your wishes for loved ones will be followed after your death. Typically, people think about last wills when they marry or have children, and then do not think about last wills or estate plans until they retire. While a last will is important, there are other estate planning documents that are just as important, says the recent article “10 Steps to Writing a Will” from U.S. News & World Report.

Most assets, including retirement accounts and insurance policy proceeds, can be transferred to heirs outside of a will, if they have designated beneficiaries. However, the outcome of an estate may be more impacted by Power of Attorney for financial matters and Medical Power of Attorney documents.

Here are ten specific tasks that need to be completed for your last will to be effective. Remember, if the will does not comply with your state’s estate law, it can be declared invalid.

1. Find an estate planning attorney who is experienced with the laws of your state.
2. Select beneficiaries for your last will.
3. Check beneficiaries on non-probate assets to make sure they are current.
4. Decide who will be the executor of your last will.
5. Name a guardian for minor children, if yours are still young.
6. Make a letter describing possessions and who you want to receive them. Be very specific.

There are also tasks for your own care while you are living, in case of incapacity:

1. Name a person for the Power of Attorney role. They will be your representative for legal and financial matters, but only while you are living.
2. Name a person for the Medical Power of Attorney to make decisions on your behalf, if you cannot.
3. Create an Advance Directive, also known as a Living Will, to explain your wishes for medical care, particularly concerning end-of-life care.
4. Discuss these roles and their responsibilities with the people you have chosen, and make sure they are willing to serve.

Be realistic about the people you are naming to receive your property. If you have a child who is not good with managing money, a trust can be set up to distribute assets according to your wishes: by age or accomplishments, like finishing college, going to rehab, or maintaining a steady work history.

Do not forget to tell family members where they can find your last will and other estate documents. You should also talk with them about your digital assets. If accounts are protected by passwords or facial recognition, find out if the digital platform has a process for your executor to legally obtain access to your digital assets.

Finally, do not neglect updating your last will every three to four years or anytime you have a major life event. An estate plan is like a house: it needs regular maintenance. Old last wills can disinherit family members or lead to the wrong person being in charge of your estate. An experienced estate planning attorney will make the process easier and straightforward for you and your loved ones.

Reference: U.S. News & World Report (May 13, 2021) “10 Steps to Writing a Will”

Suggested Key Terms: Will, Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, Assets, Trust, Digital Assets, Estate Planning Attorney, Advance Directive, Living Will, Disinherit, Beneficiary Designations