Category Archives: Financial Planning

7 Signs a Senior Needs Help with Financial Management

When you think about an older person maintaining his or her independence, you may think about the ability to drive or walk independently. Something you may not think about as often is the ability to manage finances independently. However, the mismanagement of finances due to physical or mental limitations can cause a host of problems.…

The Secure Aging staff has seen a recent flurry of interest in our paperwork organization services. I thought it might be a good time to talk about what we are seeing with many of our senior clients and provide some tips for managing huge volumes of paper. The event that has triggered much of this…

It is never too early to plan ahead and get things organized in the case of illness or passing, but is a trust the right choice for you? Defined by CNN, "a trust is a legal entity that lets you put conditions on how certain assets are distributed upon your death." To start, you need…

How Is Your Reverse Mortgage Impacted by Death of a Spouse?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there about reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgages can be an excellent solution for seniors who have equity in their homes and live on extremely limited incomes. This article is not intended to educate the reader on whether a reverse mortgage is the right choice for your particular…

Pension Plan Benefits after Death of a Spouse

Reporting Date of Death One form of retirement income is a pension from a prior employer. When the retiree dies, the former employer or the pension plan administrator should be notified immediately. The address and phone number of the pension plan administrator can often be found on the most recent check stub, on the…

Social Security Benefits after Death of a Spouse – Part I

Reporting Date of Death Social Security should be notified as soon as possible when a person dies. In most cases, the funeral home will report the person’s death to Social Security. Family members should give the funeral home the deceased person’s Social Security number if you want the funeral home to report the death for…