The bottom line is that LTC (long term care) insurance has come a long way.  There are new types of LTC insurance and even a PA Partnership Care Plan.  We encourage our clients to talk to an agent to determine if it is right for them.  Specifically, we like the riders that keep our clients in their home and in an assisting living facility as long as possible.I am not a financial advisor, nor am I licensed to sell insurance, nor can I receive any commission from anyone who does. Thus, I have no incentive to say that I think long-term care policies are important; the reasons may be different than what you might expect.  I always hear the push-back that long-term care insurance is very expensive, and that, in many cases, if you dont use it, you lose it. Since approximately 2009 Pennsylvania has become a part of something called a partnership care plan.Essentially, for example, if you have $200,000 of long-term care insurance that pays out, the state will allow you to exempt an additional $200,000 of assets at the time that you enter a nursing home, and still qualify for Medicaid. When the plan first came out, the concern was that the state would take over long-term care insurance, but so far that has not occurred.I believe the reason is because these are still traditional long-term care policies that, if you dont use it during your lifetime, you lose its value at your death.However, more recently long-term care insurance companies have come out with what is called a hybrid policy, which is a life insurance policy that has a rider for long-term care insurance. The main reason that I like long-term care policies, specifically the ones that have riders to provide for care in the home or in the personal care home, is because more and more, people want to live at home as they age and until they die.  In all of my years of practice, no one has ever told me that they want to go into a nursing home. I often hear that they want to stay home, or they want to stay in a personal care home, but unfortunately, it is too expensive, or the assets will become completely depleted.Although I understand that long-term care insurance or a long-term care hybrid policy may seem expensive now, trust me, the peace of mind that it will provide later when you or a loved one wants, and is able, to stay home or go to a personal care home, the money spent on the policy which allows you to do so is small compared to the out-of-pocket cost of that care, and, at least as importantly, your peace of mind.  Although we are fortunate in the state of Pennsylvania to be able to assist people in crisis, we are not as easily able to help people to stay in their homes or in a personal care home.  Do yourself and your family a favor, and if at all possible secure your long-term care insurance now for peace of mind later; the earlier the better.  If you want to talk about this or any other estate planning matter your wanting more information about, contact us!  

1. Do Your Research Dont just hire the first mover you come across. Look for online reviews and ratings from past customers. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the company. Look for mover associations and certifications that prove the company is legitimate.   2. Get a Written Estimate Always get a written estimate of the total cost before signing a contract. Dont rely on verbal agreements or estimates over the phone. Know exactly what youre paying for, including any additional fees or surcharges. Some scam movers will offer a low quote initially, only to hike up prices later by adding fees not mentioned in the contract. 3. Insurance & Coverage Ask if they carry insurance and find out what type of coverage, they offer in case something is damaged or lost during the move. Legitimate movers will carry insurance that covers damages that occur during transportation. Without it, youll be responsible for the costs of any damage.  4. Review the terms of Service Take your time to review the terms carefully and dont sign it until you understand everything. Read the fine print and ask for clarification on anything you dont understand. Look for the cancellation policy in case you need to change your moving date or cancel entirely. A legitimate mover will make sure you understand everything before you sign.  5. Get their Contact Information Get contact information for the company and their employees in case you need to follow up on anything during or after your move. Make sure to get a working phone number and email address for the company in case anything goes wrong. If you have any questions, contact the company directly rather than relying on a third party. Make sure the company provides accurate addresses to avoid fraudulent activities.  6. Make a List (or Request One) Make sure to make a list of the content in your home, especially your most treasured items. Or get a copy of the inventory list with all items being moved. Dont be afraid to ask for a copy of the list, even if the movers are in a hurry. Make sure the inventory list is detailed and accurate to prevent damage, missing or stolen goods.  7. Never Pay the Full Amount Upfront Legitimate movers wont ask for full payment before the move is complete. Theyll usually only ask for a deposit upfront (a 25% deposit is the standard). Instead, pay the deposit and only pay the full balance after the move is complete, and youve verified that all your items are there and in good condition.  For more information on how to protect your move, read our blog here!  Let WayForth help you with your next move by utilizing our personalized services. These include downsizing, space planning, packing and moving, unpacking, storage and settling into your new home. Contact our moving professionals today at 1.844.WAYFORTH. 

Using a storage service may not be at the top of your mind when youre trying to move to a new home, busy running your business or simply organizing after the holidays. People think of storage as a place to stash unwanted furniture or boxes filled with unused items. But storage can be a solution that allows you to have space to hold your possessions and gives you peace of mind.   Storage services offer you with a temporary place to keep your possessions safe and secure whether youre moving, remodeling or just need space.  Moving to a new home or doing renovations When youre getting ready to show your home to potential buyers, storage services can give you a place to hide those personal pieces such as family photos or extra furniture. You want your home to look open, spacious and inviting, so clearing out furniture and other items temporarily can help.  Organizing your business If you own a business, or work for a company that is moving or renovating their space, extra storage can be a real asset.   Ways WayForth can help you utilize storage: Items for a college student apartment or summer break Party decorations Inventory for your home business, including boxes of supplies Getting ready for an estate or garage sale  Want more information about our comprehensive moving solutions with WayForth, including storage options, downsizing and clear-out? Contact our moving professionals today at 817-697-4478 or go to our website to learn more! 

As estate planning and elder attorneys, we always encourage people to plan ahead in case something unforeseen were to happen.In some cases, we plan ahead and unfortunately, the people that we have named die before us. If this happens, it is essential to review your planning to determine whether or not you need to make any changes or whether or not your plan is sufficient as-is.When an individual tells me that their beneficiary has passed, that typically tells me that they have named that individual as a beneficiary on a non-probate asset, such as a life insurance policy, an annuity, a retirement account, a payable on death account, a transfer on death account, or in trust for an account. If this is the case, the first thing to do is to look to see if you provided for a contingent or successor beneficiary.If you did provide for a backup beneficiary, then the person that you have named as the contingent will be the person who receives your money if you were to die. If you did not provide for a contingent or backup beneficiary, then the money would go through your estate.Your estate means that if you have a Last Will and Testament the terms of that document would govern. Therefore, if the beneficiary that you have named is no longer alive and there is no contingent beneficiary, we will look to the Will to see who the beneficiary is under your Last Will and Testament. If it was the same person that was named in the non-probate asset, then we would look to see if the Will provides for a backup or any contingent beneficiaries.If the Will does not provide for anyone else to receive the asset and does not provide for a word such as "per stirpes" then we may have to look to the laws of intestate succession in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If it does say per stirpes, then that individuals children would inherit the monies that that individual was entitled to.If there is no designation such as per stirpes and the beneficiary is not alive, then we will look to the rules of intestate succession in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The state will provide under this statute an order of who would inherit first, second, third, etc. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would not be entitled to any of the money unless there are absolutely no beneficiaries or family members that are alive, which is very infrequent if not virtually impossible.If you are trying to determine who is going to take under the Pennsylvania intestate succession statute, I highly recommend that you seek professional advice for this hierarchy.  Seek out the advice of an attorney who specializes in estate planning and has extensive knowledge in estate administration, but also has done cases where there is no Will and the intestate succession statute has governed. While it sounds pretty simple, this is not a common occurrence.  So it would be essential to have somebody who has the experience to understand what is going to happen.  The bottom line is that if we plan properly to provide for contingent beneficiaries and make a backup plan in case they die, the fact that your heir died before you should not become a huge issue.I hope that this article also helps you understand the interplay and inner workings between probate and non-probate assets and how, if there is no contingent beneficiary named and the beneficiary of the non-probate asset is no longer around, it would then default to the estate of the individual.  The estate would be governed either by the terms under the Last Will and Testament or under the Pennsylvania intestate succession statute.If you would like to learn any more about this topic, please feel free to give us a call at 717-208-4546 or attend one of our upcoming workshops to learn more.