This week, we heard from the kids.  What do they want to know about our LTC insurance plans?  How will it help them if we have a plan to provide for our needs?  It's important to include our family when planning for what could easily be the most fragile and most expensive part of our lives.   Having a plan for when life doesn't go as planned shows our kids that we value our relationship with them and their families.  We don't want to burden them by placing them in a position to have to change their lives dramatically to care for us during our last chapters.  It's also important to let our kids know what we would want, and what their roles could be during an extended care situation after a stroke, or if Alzheimer's disease takes our memories.  Let me help you help your kids to help you better during thise times.  Contact me at

This week is a case study. My client Sandy doesn't know in which part of the country she plans to retire, so we designed a plan that will help her provide for herself in any of the regions she is considering.  It's important to imagine what life will be like in 20-30 years when we're planning for LTC needs.  And it's important to research projected future costs of care to understand the real risk we'll face.  In 25 years, home care and assisted living costs can easliy be $240,000 annually.  Having a dedicated, tax-free stream of income to pay for some or most  of these costs gives us permission to live out our retirement years without wondering if we will be able to provide for ourselves after a stroke or if Alzheimer's disease settles in. Ask me for guidance at

This week, Carmen asked if her LTC insurance plan that she bought in South Carolina can be accessed if she moves to another state or country.  It can, but when you are in the planning stages, we need to consider how state Partnership protection differs in different states as well as the cost of the type of care you would like in the state or country where you will reside during retirement.  Also, who will be helping you, and which insurance companies offer more flexible coverage options.  shows both today's costs and expected future costs of care in many cities across the U.S.  After viewing this, schedule a meeting with me to help you leverage your risk at

This week, Diane shares how LTC insurance can help us to remain independent and maintain our freedoms.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, "With freedom comes responsibility".  When we have a plan for when life doesn't go as planned, we give ourselves permission to live out our retirement years the way we choose.  We won't have to wonnder if we have enough money set aside to pay for extended long term care needs because we already have a bucket of tax-free money dedicated for that purpose.  Connect with Diane to customize a plan to protect your freedom, family, assets and choices.  Celebrate safely with family and loved one this weekend.  hit "Contact Us" to schedule a meeting

This week, Diane interviews Mary George with Best Years Senior Care.  Mary is a geriatric care manager and helps families find help, resources and care providers when a loved one can no longer provide for themselves.  Often, family members become overwhelmed when a parent is discharged from a care setting and needs to move home, where family members still have everyday obligations outside of the parent's needs.  How will you put all the pieces togethar?  Who can you trust to help make decisions when everything is confusing?  Mary works mostly in Hillsborough county, Florida, and she can refer you to others care managers in other areas. Visit or

With a long battle of dementia looming, Bonnie's family is pretty sure she doesn't have enough insurance to pay for as long as she needs.  They know that she has at least 3 years of benefits, and that buys them the time they need to plan for a transition to Medicaid if needed. They don't need to sell her house right away, and she can live there alone for now, with help from her LTC insurance and home caregivers.  They can be ready if she needs to move to assisted living or to her son's home.  The family has options, depending on how her health leads their decisions, and they can remain in control of her choices.

Bonnie bought LTC insurance over 20 years ago and thought it would be enough to cover her future needs. We discussed adding an inflation rider to keep up with costs, but she didn't want to pay the higher rate.  Today, when she needs help with dementia, her plan will pay for 5 hours of home care a day.  Compare that to my husband's mom's plan that paid for 10 hours per day and still wasn't as much as she wanted either.  If you take anything from this episode, I hope it's "Don't skimp!"  Your future self and your family need you to plan wisely.  Thank you to my husband, Paul Stoddart, for recording, editing and creating the music for the podcast

Sherry in Texas asked if there is a time limit to use the benefits once her LTC policy is activated.  That depends on how much insurance you own and how it is designed.  You can use the Genworth Cost of Care website to help determine how much insurance will work best to both compliment and protect your retirement savings.  You can find the chart at LTC insurance is like a coupon to reduce your out of pocket expenses for LTC needs.  The insurance pays first and then you'll use your income to pay the balance.   You and your family control how long the benefits will last based on your needs.  Contact us to design a plan that meets your specific needs.

This week, Diane and her guest, Dean Lambert with the Love Always Project share how talking about uncomfortable end of life topics long before a need to talk occurs, it's better for the whole family. Dean shares how the Project helps us change thoughts of death and dying into thoughts of life and living. Share your comments and experiences at

When life takes a turn, and our health prevents us from buying insurance to leverage our long term care expenses, everything is complicated for everyone we love.  It's so important to plan early and reduce the financial, physical and emotional stress for ourselves and our whole family.  Having a plan for when life doesn't go as planned is one of the best gifts you can give to those you love the most. The younger we are when purchasing LTC insurance, the more likely we will be approved for the benefits we want.  Congressional research gives us 7 steps to build a long term care plan and avoid Medicaid.  Ask me for help at [email protected]