Recent Posts:
New Survey Finds COVID-19 Confuses an Already Uncertain Retirement Outlook for Americans
To gauge how Americans are feeling about retirement, generally and in light of COVID-19, and to assess knowledge about life insurance and life settlements, Harbor Life Settlements conducted a nationwide survey of 1,700 U.S. adults across four generations. The data revealed a mix of attitudes, ranging from retirement confidence among certain groups to high levels of concern about the long-term financial impacts of COVID-19. There are also generational differences in how individuals plan to fund their retirement and in the retirement expenses savers are most worried about.
How to Care for a Terminally Ill Family Member
If someone you love has just received a terminal diagnosis, you are likely in shock and not sure what to do next. One productive place to focus your energy is on learning more about the diagnosis, to prepare for protecting your loved one’s quality of life and ensuring his or her final wishes are honored.
Financial Help for Seniors in Debt
Debt is one of those problems that gets worse when you ignore it. Commit now to the first step of creating a budget — it’s easy and free. Then, let the numbers guide you to your next move. Your options include aggressive monthly payments, consolidation to lower-rate debt, full payoff via a life settlement or home sale, or bankruptcy.
How much does cancer treatment cost?
Assuming you have no health insurance, you could easily spend six figures chemotherapy, surgical procedures, prescription medications, and doctors visits. Some sources estimate a cancer treatment plan involving chemotherapy can range from $100,000 to $300,000. Specific to breast cancer, a mastectomy or lumpectomy alone — often required before chemotherapy begins — can cost $15,000 to $50,000. In terms of average cancer treatment costs, AARP estimates that patients spend about $150,000 in total. Where your costs fall relative to that average depends on the type of cancer you have and your treatment needs.
New Survey Finds Knowledge Gaps May Be Costing Life Insurance Policyholders
More than two-thirds (70%) of Americans carry life insurance. Many of these policyholders are motivated by what life insurance policies do best: securing financial protections for surviving family members. But the life insurance industry has gotten increasingly complex over the last several decades. And while that complexity can benefit policyholders, it has the potential to alienate consumers — leaving them uncertain, first, about the type of life insurance they need, and, later, what they can do with their life insurance once they have it.
What Happens If You Don’t Probate a Will?
If you’ve been appointed as executor of someone’s estate, you’re tasked with filing the will and opening a probate case when that individual passes away. But what happens if you do not probate a will? Perhaps you’ve changed your mind about serving as executor or you simply have other, more pressing priorities to manage. You might wonder if you can skip a lengthy probate process and settle the deceased’s estate on your own. Unfortunately, the answer is usually no.
What happens if you don’t pay medical bills?
In 2019, a research study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concluded that 137.1 million Americans had experienced a “medical financial hardship” in the previous year. That’s a jaw-dropping number, and one to remember if you’re currently struggling to manage unpaid medical bills — this is not a challenge you face alone. Many others have or are experiencing the stress of high hospital debt, as well as the consequences of not dealing with that debt.
Your Top Questions About Social Security Answered
Social Security provides reliable income payments to millions of retirees. But the program can be easily misunderstood, thanks to some complex rules that govern how you qualify and what factors affect benefits for you and your family members. Before you build any Social Security assumptions into your retirement plan, make sure you have the facts straight. You can start with this list of nine common Social Security questions, answered.
What is Considered Income for VA Benefits?
Understanding your eligibility for VA medical benefits can be challenging. To start, there’s a complex qualification system that considers service-related factors as well as your income. And, not all eligible veterans receive the same set of benefits. Your benefits package, for example, may range from limited healthcare services with full copayments to a broader set of medical and related services with no copayments at all.