For most of us, our ancestors and loved ones were buried in a cemetery. As burial space becomes increasingly more expensive, more people are choosing cremation. Sometimes cremains are buried in a cemetery plot or placed into a columbarium. Increasingly it is becoming more common to retain a loved one’s cremains. For some that can […]
General Information
Home for the holidays, time to have The Talk: get the new year off to a good start
As the family gathered for Christmas, I finally had The Talk with my Favorite Nephew who was home from college. This talk was about being smart and taking steps to protect himself. We sat down with his laptop and I started by asking if he’d ever checked his credit report. First, I sent him to […]
Thanksgiving: A Time for Family and For Remembering
As you and your loved ones gather this Thanksgiving, part of the conversation is likely to include those not sitting around the food laden table. Family unknown to some at the table. This year, consider joining the StoryCorps project called The Great Thanksgiving Listen to record the memories and lives of your elders. Memorialize their […]
Welcome to November
Welcome to November – National Family Caregiver Month and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. If you have been or know someone who has been a caregiver, we can agree that is a very challenging job. A job that is frequently unpaid and often never ending. In recognition of the millions of unpaid caregivers, there are […]
Family Cemeteries: Time marches on, and sometimes over, them
Family and historical cemeteries are often forgotten or even ignored. Most recently this has come to light in a Virginia matter. More than 250 years ago, Zachariah and Elizabeth Terrell Moorman purchased land in Lynchburg where they and their descendants lived. In 1972, Embra Moorman Tillotson sold the last parcel to Jerry Falwell’s Old Time […]
New CFPB Guidebooks to Handling Someone Else’s Money
When handling someone else’s money, it is important to know how to manage the money and property properly. Previously I’ve written about some very helpful guidelines published by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) for an agent under a power of attorney, conservator (guardian) appointed by the court, trustee, or a government fiduciary. The CFPB […]
New Book! Positioning Yourself for Referrals
My copy of “How to Capture and Keep Clients” was just delivered. Editor Jennifer Rose had asked me to contribute a chapter on Positioning Yourself for Referrals. It was a good exercise in looking back at what I’ve done along the way in building my practice and what I have seen others do to develop […]
Selecting a Nursing Home: What to Consider and What are the Ratings
Deciding which nursing home is appropriate for yourself or a loved one can be very challenging. Where does the search even begin? Remember too that nursing homes aren’t just long term care residences, they also provide short-term skilled nursing care such as after a hospitalization. Every day about 1.3 million people are cared for by […]
Taxpayer Identity Theft – Protect Yourself
For the second time this week someone I know has become the victim of identity theft. Again the person’s Social Security number was used fraudulently to file something with the IRS. As I write each year, taxpayer identity theft is an ever growing problem. The best preventive option is to file your tax returns as […]
Technology Changing and Improving Home Care for Sick and Frail Adults
As any caregiver can tell you, there’s never enough time in the day or help to get everything done. Many are turning to digital resources to help care for loved ones who are ill or for frail elders. These digital resources can be hardware, websites, apps, webinars, or videos on YouTube. This comprehensive piece from […]
Is Your Financial Advisor Legally Required to Act Only for Your Benefit?
When you seek guidance from a professional financial advisor, do you know to which standard your advisor must comply? Is it the lower “suitability” standard or the higher “fiduciary” standard? With the fiduciary standard, the registered investment adviser (RIA) is legally required to act for the sole benefit of and in the best interest of […]
Finding Family Members: Virtual Genealogy Fair
If you have looked for family members to add to your family tree, you’ve probably visited the National Archives. You don’t have to travel to DC to tap into the treasure trove inside that majestic building. Federal records can be accessed online at no cost from the comfort of your home. Later this month the […]
Elder Justice Initiative – Help for Victims, Loved Ones, and Other Professionals
Each year about 1 in 10 seniors age 60+ is abused. And yet, abuse of elders is significantly underreported, only about 1 in every 23 cases. A new Elder Justice resource came online this week. This US Department of Justice website targets abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly. One section is for victims and […]
Get A Car Insurance Discount, But You’ll Get Carded
Many complain that with turning 50 they started to get mail from AARP. Maybe the news that taking AARP Smart Driver™ Course can reduce the cost of car insurance will leave a more favorable impression. In Virginia, DC, and 32 other states, if you take the AARP course in a classroom, your insurance company is […]
Preventing Financial Exploitation in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
The good folks at the Consumer Financial Protection Board are at it again. This time they are warning about financial exploitation of residents in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. The CFPR has published a manual for operators and staff of nursing homes or assisted living facilities to protect vulnerable residents, those older and/or disabled. […]
Healthiest States for Seniors
Where does your state stand in the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report? Ranked as the healthiest states for seniors, overall Maryland was 10th and Virginia was 21st, DC was not ranked. Each state’s strengths and challenges are identified. The United Health Foundation Report focused on what determines the overall health outcomes for those 65 and […]
Tax Free Hurricane Preparedness
Tax Free Hurricane Preparedness Days in Virginia From Sunday, May 25, through Saturday, May 31, 2014, you can buy certain items tax free to prepare your home and business as hurricane season approaches. Some of the qualifying products are ice packs, batteries, radios, tarps, plastic sheeting, bungee cords, duct tape, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, […]
Emergency Preparedness
Because Spring will arrive one day, download a free Ready Virginia app now so you are prepared when a weather emergency strikes. You can use the template on these interactive apps to create a customized emergency plan for your family to share. They also includes National Weather Service watches and warnings, local emergency management disaster […]
Funeral Choices
As family and friends face the loss of a loved one, they are also often thrust into becoming instant funeral service consumers. The choices can be overwhelming and the costs significant. I talk with my clients about the gift of making pre-need arrangements – funeral, cremation, burial, etc. I describe pre-planning as a gift because […]
So You’re 18
This week I had the privilege of addressing the senior class of The GW Community School about the changes that accompany an 18th birthday. With this bright, engaging group we talked about the rights they now have as well as the responsibilities they face. I gave each senior a copy of “So You’re 18,” published […]
Checking Out Your Doctor
Frequently I am contacted because a prospective client is facing a pending medical procedure and wants to have a medical agent nominated and other estate planning issues addressed. As you consider a medical procedure, what do you really KNOW about your doctor other than she seems to make sense or he took his time in […]
Smoke Detectors & Alarming News
A colleague and his wife learned some alarming news just before midnight Friday. The firefighters who visited their home said that smoke detectors and fire alarms have a “best by” date. After a decade, it time to replace them. All of his eight alarms were made in 2001 and were well beyond their best by […]
Be Aware and Fight Tax Identity Theft
With the approaching tax season comes reminders to protect yourself against identity theft and tax return fraud. This week is Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken a leading role in fighting identity theft and making resources available to consumers such as how to protect your identity, your child’s identity, […]
Helping Others: Navy Yard Families
I was surprised today to be recognized for my pro bono work by the Fairfax Bar Association. I accepted a call to help the family of one of the Navy Yard shooting victims with legal questions regarding funerals, probate, insurance, claims, and other immediate needs. When I met with family members to work through the […]
Resources for the Aging and Elderly
During my tenure as a Congressional staff member, I was pleased to serve as the Director of Communications on the U. S. Senate Special Committee On Aging for U.S. Senator John Heinz, Ranking Member. The Aging Committee focuses on issues related to older Americans. Senator Heinz concentrated much of his efforts on fraud that targeted […]
Remembering Our Veterans and Preserving Their Heartfelt Letters
Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day. The formal day we recognize and honor all those who have served in our armed forces. In school, we learned about the wars, the big battles, and the great leaders. Much less is known about the individuals who served. In my family, my uncle Paul H. Zander, my father Leonard Matthews, […]
National Celebrate Pro Bono Week
This week is National Celebrate Pro Bono Week – a time set aside to recognize the contributions lawyers make in providing legal services at no or low cost to those of limited resources. As lawyers we are one of the very few professions, if not the only one, where our Model Rules of Professional Conduct […]
Business with a Personal Touch
My law practice is a business. It is how I feed my dog and pay my mortgage. I know that what I do is also personal for my clients. One of the ways I acknowledge the personal side is to send my clients birthday cards that I have custom designed to add some joy to […]
New Year, Fresh Start
The beginning of a new year is a time when many of us make a fresh start. As you start to pull things together for your tax return preparation, it is a good time to look at your financial record keeping. Were you organized last year in ways that made things simpler for you? If […]
