With our current economic challenges, those of us looking forward to retirement need to be well-informed about our financial needs in coming years. And not only pre-retirees, but individuals already in retirement need to be wise to the changing economic environment. The good news is there are trained professionals who keep abreast of changes in the current economy, changes in laws and changes in government programs for the elderly. Professionals in this field are equipped to handle everything from help with retirement savings accounts, investments advice, guidance on government programs, estate planning or even new funding options such as reverse mortgages. For those already retired, taking time right now to deal with financial problems instead of waiting for a crisis to happen is well advised.

Many adult children are giving their all to keep their parents out of a nursing home, and they are doing it out of love, without any thought of compensation. This is very admirable, and often it consists of hours and hours of time spent doing housekeeping, monitoring medications, cooking meals, doing laundry, and giving companionship. For millions of such care giving children, the last thing they would think about is getting paid for that time, and they would feel guilty just thinking about getting paid.

All you women readers will recognize that a man wrote this, because it mentions Valentine's Day, but is a week late. The month of February and Valentine's Day brings a celebration of love and stirs couples to rekindle feelings of romance and devotion. Not so different from young couples are aging seniors, celebrating memories of sweethearts and romance in days gone by. Sit a while with a senior couple and they will soon be telling you their romance story.

If you have one or both elderly parents still living, you undoubtedly have noticed some of the inevitable declines in health and ability to manage everyday activities. You may be the child living nearby who drives mom to her medical appointments. Or you may be getting increasingly frequent telephone calls about bills or prescriptions. Slowly, but surely, there is a role reversal taking place, and that can be difficult to accept by both of you, but as the need for help increases, and you take over more and more responsibility, look at it as a thank you for all the love and support you received throughout life.

The Brown family reunion has always been an event everyone looks forward to. Family visits, games, stories and everyone’s favorite foods are always on the agenda. On the top of the menu is Grandmas traditional Lemon Coconut Cake. This year, however, the cake tasted a little on the salty side, by at least a half cup. Though the cake was disappointing, of more concern was Grandma’s confusion with the recipe and the loved ones around her. Could something be wrong with grandma’s mental state?

A major concern of clients is “avoiding” Probate. So what is Probate? And what does it cost? Probate is a process, supervised by a Probate Court, whereby assets are transferred from a deceased person, to heirs, or if there is a will, to the beneficiaries named in the will. The single most important thing to realize, however, is that property that is owned jointly with right of survivorship, or such as an IRA that has a beneficiary, does not pass through Probate. It goes directly to the survivor, or to the named beneficiary.