It's a Dog's World... Especially for Seniors - Part 1

Hi! I'm Emily, the official "Office Greeter" at The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates. (Although, truth be told, I much prefer the title of "Goodwill Ambassador.")

I carry out my greeting duties with dedication and a warm wag (and a full-fledged lick if you bring me a treat!). Monday was "Bring Your Dog to Work Day." So it's a perfect time to talk about a serious matter...the role a dog can play in a senior's life.

If a dog is man's best friend...then we're blood-brothers to seniors. According to my Mom, Alice Reiter Feld, studies show that we can bring a sense of happiness and well-being to seniors. 

Unfortunately, millions of my healthy friends are put to death every year because they haven't found homes. But millions of seniors would love the companionship and unconditional love that we can give them.

The Pets For the Elderly Foundation is doing something about it.

Pets For the Elderly pays a portion of the fee when someone 60 or older adopts one of my canine brothers or sisters. They now have 52 participating shelters across America...including, happily, the Humane Society of Broward County (www.humanebroward.com). 

How can one of my furry friends help you?

* A loving companion can help a senior feel less isolated...especially if they live alone.

* Just as a dog benefits from his/her daily walks...so does a senior.

* Seniors who own dogs have a sense of purpose, and of feeling needed. (After all, we can't carry our own pooper-scoopers!).

* Owning a dog, according to researchers, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and lessens incidences of depression. 

So give it some thought. 

My Mom has been helping South Floridians plan for senior life for 34 years, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care plans, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA. She can help you, too.

So stop by our office. And if you happen to slip me a doggie-goodie when I perform my greeting duties...well, what Mom doesn't know won't hurt her!

The Fiscal Cliff Has Been Avoided - For Now - Part 1

It’s complicated. But, complicated or not, it’s going to affect everyone – especially Boomers and Seniors.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was actually passed by the Senate in 2013…at 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day. After speculation on New Year’s Day on whether Speaker Boehner would bring the bill to a vote - or if the House would add amendments likely be rejected by the Senate - the House eventually passed the bill at 10:45 p.m. And President Obama signed it the next day.

The bill addresses the Bush-era tax rates, estate and gift tax rates, Medicare reimbursement, and the sequester, among numerous other issues.

TAX RATES: The bill permanently extends current tax rates for individuals earning less than $400,000 and couples earning less than $450,000. Those earning more will see an increase from 35% to 39.6%. Wealthy folks will see an increase from 15% to 20% on capital gains and dividends. Individuals earning above $250,000, and married couples earning more than $300,000, will see a phase-out of the personal exemption.    

ESTATE TAX: The estate tax exemption will remain $5.12 million per person, but will be adjusted for inflation. The top rate will grow from 35% to 40%. Portability’s extended, as well, and the gift tax exemption will remain at $5 million.

PAYROLL TAX: This tax, which funds Social Security, has been at 4.2% since 2011, but will now revert back to the previous of 6.2%.

“DOC FIX”: This provision prevents the scheduled 27% reimbursement cuts to Medicare physicians this year.

OLDER AMERICAN FUNDING: Funding has been increased for the Older Americans Act and similar programs. This year only, Area Agencies on Aging will receive an additional $7.5 million, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers an additional $5 million.

The National Center for Benefits and Outreach Enrollment will receive an additional $5 million, and Medicare State Health Insurance Programs will receive an additional $7.5 million.

As I said…it’s complicated. But we can help.

At the Law offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we’ve been advising South Florida families on financial issues for 33 years. We’ve helped thousands of them, with proactive measures to see them through any legislative changes. And we help secure their futures, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We can help protect you and your family. We’re just a phone call away.

How Much is Enough? More Seniors Still Working in South Florida Than Ever Before

“How do I know if I have enough?”

As an Elder Law attorney who’s been practicing for 33 years, I hear this question every day.

Just look around you…in Publix, in Home Depot, in Wal-Mart, in restaurants, in movie theaters, in consulting businesses, in insurance, even in the medical profession. I’m not sure it’s entirely accurate to talk about the “graying” of the workforce anymore; it’s becoming more like the “whiting” of the workforce.

We’re not retiring at 65 with gold watches, like our parents did. Many of us are now working into our seventies, and even into our eighties. And many of us are planning on working until we can’t.

The reasons, of course, are well-known. The recession, the housing crash, “workforce adjustments,” etc., etc. And the fact that, as a result, most of us have lost the financial bedrock on which we were counting.

Combine the economic disruption with the fact that we’re now living longer than ever – and, of course, will require more money to get us through our longer lives – and you’ve got the perfect storm.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Broward County women have almost doubled their rate of working past 65. And Palm Beach County women have more than doubled their percentages. About 25% of South Florida men 65 and older are working…or looking for work. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the number of working Americans 65 and older has jumped 69 percent in just a decade.

And “younger” folks - middle-aged or even younger – are now living in fear that Social Security and Medicare won’t be around when they retire.

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, our clients ask us every day: How much is enough? And how will this affect my eligibility for Medicaid and other programs?

We know the answers – because we practice Elder Law. And we help our clients with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We can tell you how much is enough. And we’re just a phone call away. 

Beware: Scammers are Targeting Seniors

Small wonder that seniors are the biggest targets of frauds and scams.

They were born and grew up in a different world. Because of that - and because, by nature, seniors tend to be more trusting – every senior today has a red target on his/her back.

South Florida, of course, has the highest proportion of seniors in America. That’s why we lead the nation in identity theft and Medicare theft.

Many South Florida seniors receive e-mails stating they’ve won a prize, often in a contest they haven’t even entered. Others receive notice of free goods or services. To these types of e-mails, the experts all say the same thing. DON’T CLICK ON THE LINK!! If you didn’t enter the contest, you didn’t win anything. And if it sounds too good to be true – it is!

Another frequent tactic is to “notify” seniors that they’re eligible for free Medicare services. The only thing “free” about this is the opportunity for scammers to get their hands on your personal information, so they can bill the government for services they never provided.

Unfortunately, many seniors are embarrassed to report they’ve been the victim of a scam. And they don’t call the toll-free Medicare number, 866-357-6677 to report it.

One of my clients was recently targeted by one of the newly-popular schemes. She received a call from her “grandson,” saying he was stranded in England and needed her to wire money. However, this client had paid attention to what I had told her about scammers. And when she asked for her “grandson’s” last name…he hung up quickly.

At restaurants, pay with cash whenever possible. Giving credit cards to a server is never a good idea. And you should never use a debit card at a restaurant, either, because an unscrupulous employee can end up emptying your bank account.

When a senior is victimized by a scammer, it makes my blood boil. After all, at The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we’ve spent the past 33 years helping South Florida seniors keep what they’ve earned…with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We’ve helped thousands of people just like you. And if you’ve got questions about how to protect what you’ve earned…we’re just a phone call away.