http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:48:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A Power of Attorney is a valuable tool in your estate planning arsenal. This legal document allows you to grant authority to someone of your choosing to take action on your behalf. You can use a Power of Attorney to give someone the ability to pay your bills while you’re on ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/09/power-attorney-durable/ It’s never easy to have a loved one enter a nursing home, and to ensure they are receiving proper care, it’s important to stay involved.  Researching the facility before admission is the first step to finding the right nursing home for your loved one.  After admission, visitors should be vigilant ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/09/signs-nursing-home-neglect/ Are you saving for your future? Investing is a great way to make your savings money work harder for you, but how do you know if now is the right time to begin investing? You Have Your Debt under Control Do you have a mountain of debt? If so, it is best ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/ready-investing/ Medicaid is a state-run program funded with both Federal and State funds to provide health care benefits to those who meet the need-based eligibility requirements.  For senior citizens,  Colorado Medicaid benefits are normally used within the state’s Long Term Care Medicaid Program, which includes monthly benefits not only to help ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/medicaid-estate-recovery/ Creating an estate plan is a big decision, but deciding on who you want to share it with is equally important. Once you’ve created a plan, you should ideally share it with family members so that they know what to expect. A trust for example requires a trustee to oversee after ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/who-needs-to-know-about-your-estate-plan/ No one wants to think about a time when they might have to face a disability but the truth is, it could happen to any one of us, at any time. Experts estimate that about 60% of Americans will need some type of long-term care during their lifetime due to ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/plan-disability/ Just because you haven’t reached retirement age doesn’t mean it’s too early to begin planning your estate. Your estate plan will help resolve your debts and distribute your assets upon your death. And though we all hope to live a long and happy life, we also know that the future ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/estate-planning-30s/ With the cost of an average funeral topping $7,000, it is important to address both the expense and service preferences while preparing an estate plan.  It is best to do this within a letter to your loved ones that can be easily located upon your passing, as wills are not ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/funeral-plans/ One area of expertise for an estate planning attorney is probate, which is the legal process involving the administration of a deceased person's will or the estate of a deceased person without a will (known as dying intestate).  Probate is carried out within a Probate Court and varies by state.  In ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/probate/ If you have children under the age of 18, it's vital to have a Will that names a guardian just in case something happens to you.  This avoids the potentially costly and lengthy process of requiring various family members to go to court and have the court try to determine ... http://blog.coloradoestateplan.com/2010/08/guardians-responsibilities/