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The Post-Star recently published a story with the provocative headline: “Old Age is Coming, and We Are Not Ready.” The article touches on some practical issues in New York state that have often been discussed in the wake of the national demographic shift that is already underway. As most know,…
The results of a comprehensive new research effort on Medicaid’s effects on low-income residents was just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The full summary of the article can be found online here. As discussed in the New York Times late last week, the project compared individuals who…
The reverberations of Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the city are far from finished. We will be cleaning up and adapting for many months–likely years–into the future. Considering the predictions of some, we may even have to deal with large storms of this magnitude on a far more consistent basis. It…
Forbes recently reported on a unique case that illustrates what happens when one fails to conduct any NY estate planning and does not have close heirs to take an inheritance via default intestacy rules. The article explained how a man named Roman Blum died in January of this year. A…
Last week we shared information about the revelations in the New York Times that efforts to curb New York Medicaid costs have been less than successful–mostly because of expanded enrollment in certain programs, like senior day care centers. These assistance centers are locations where frail and sometimes vulnerable elderly community…
Celebrity estate planning complications and feuds are often used to illustrate basic planning principles or common problems. Perhaps none of those examples are as well-known, especially for New Yorkers, as the sad case of the estate of Brooke Astor. The legendary socialite and philanthropist died several years ago. Since her…
A New York Times article this week took a look at the consequences of a Medicaid change engineered by Governor Cuomo in the hopes of saving money: switching to “managed-care” for NY Medicaid programs. The basic idea is straightforward: switch from paying providers a “fee for service” and instead make…
Residents are often warned to complete their estate planning–wills and trusts–before it is “too late.” Most assume that the planning is only “too late” if they die before getting it done. But that is a mistake. In many cases “too late” actually refers to losing the competency to create the…
From suspicious claims in an email to unsolicited letters, most of us assume we are not naive enough to fall victim to a financial scammer. This is a mistake. It takes only a moment of confusion or a lapse in judgement to provide a fraudster with the the tools they…
Do I have enough to retire? Countless New Yorkers ask their financial advisers, estate planning attorneys, and other professionals that very question each and every day. There is no one-size-fits-all response, as retirement is a personal matter based on individual expectations, goals, and perspective. Mountains of pages have been written…