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Show your Baby Boomer Clients how they can increase their choices in old age.

By
Real Estate Agent with Edina Realty

 

 As we age it becomes more and more important to be sure we've adquately planned for retirement. One of the most difficult aspects to plan for is health care. With rising prices, and increased longevity, there's no telling the kind of care we might need.  However, as with the rest of life, those that plan, will have options. Those that don't plan will get what's left over.

Basically, when we turn 65, there is a 60% chance that, at some point in our life, we will need some type and amount of long term care. So NOT planning for something with such a high probability of occurring (and the chance of it being financially catastrophic) is foolish; we would never take that kind of chance with our car insurance, home insurance or similar.

And even younger people need long term care; at present (again a prevalence figure not incidence), of the more than 13 million Americans receiving long term care in all settings, about 40% of them are working age adults 18-64 years old.

When you're working with clients from the Baby Boomer, Silent or G.I. generations, it's not a bad topic to talk with them about.  As they liquidate the assets from their home, do they have a plan in place to invest those assets?  Differentiate yourself by referring them to a financial planner, and giving them information about long term care insurance.

Long Term Care Insurance is NOT nursing home insurance. In fact, long term care insurance will provide options for you and your clients to have OTHER health care BEFORE considering out-of-home kinds of long term care.

There's a booklet, "Own Your Future"  published by the Department of Health and Human Services that is a great introduction to long term care insurance. Order it in bulk and make it available to your clients!

 

For more information about aging issues visit www.RealSageAdvice.com

 

R. B. "Bob" Mitchell - Loan Officer Raleigh/Durham
Bank of England (NMLS#418481) - Raleigh, NC
Bob Mitchell (NMLS#1046286)

I am currently dealing with having my mother in a nursing home.  The sad truth of the matter is that everything that she built during her working life is being wiped out by her stay.  I think that it's a sad state of affairs and one that our government needs to deal with.

To those of you who would say, "wait a minute....that means big government" or something to that effect, I say look at the current situation.  If you're wealthy there are all kinds of different ways to protect your assets, but the majority of us aren't wealthy and either don't know about or can't afford to hire attorney's to shelter us.

Ask anybody who works in the field, the current system doesn't work!

 

Bob Mitchell

ValueList 

May 15, 2007 04:24 AM
Lisa Dunn
Edina Realty - Minneapolis, MN
www.TwinCitySeller.com

Interesting comments.  Did your mom have long term care insurance?

I'm not sure that I advocate "protecting assets" to not have to pay our own health care bill.  I *do* think we are all individually responsible.  The sheer *cost* of health care is what is so astonishing. The nice thing about long term care insurance, is we don't have to be wealthy or do a lot of estate planning (which, if you don't have a lot of assets turns out to not be too expensive anyways).

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I hope, at least, she's getting good care.

As someone who works primarily with seniors, and have had *several* family members in the system, I agree with you, the current system does not work.

May 15, 2007 04:40 AM
Larry H Morris
Mortgage Solutions Financial - Portland, OR
Larry Morris, NMLS 150073
LTC is a phenomanal product. It can also be easily funded with a Reverse Mortgage. Us the equity in their home to help keep them in their home longer and then provide a quality nursing facility when they are no longer able to stay home. It gives both the parents and the kids freedom.
May 15, 2007 04:52 AM
Lisa Dunn
Edina Realty - Minneapolis, MN
www.TwinCitySeller.com
Larry- Wait a minute! the Long Term Care Insurance policy can be used TO KEEP THEM HOME!! That's the point. 
May 15, 2007 04:54 AM