How do you know if long term care insurance is worth it?
Short Youtube video here: https://bit.ly/3akBTVZ
This is a topic we discuss with our clients regularly. With an aging population comes increased options for retirement living, assisted living and nursing care options. Along with increased options come increased costs as well which can be exorbitant in some cases. If long-term care insurance has been on your mind, you’ll want to have a listen to our objective viewpoints as we consider if long-term care insurance is really worth it.
There are 3 different ways that people may fund their long-term care needs. They may self-insure, or use their savings. They buy long-term care insurance, or they may rely on government funding. Many of our listeners are in the sandwich generation, where they are both helping their kids and helping their parents at the same time. As they watch their parents age they begin to see the emotional and financial stress that can arise and it affects the way they think about aging. 70% of people will need some sort of long-term care. Usually, a stay in long-term care is only a couple of years but 1 in 10 men will require a stay of more than 5 years and 2 out of 10 women will stay more than 5 years in long-term care.
As you probably know, long-term care insurance only gets more expensive as you age. But you probably don’t want to buy into it too early, what if the insurance company goes out of business? We think the best time to buy long-term care insurance is in your mid-50s. Costs tend to jump about 6-8% each year that you wait. But even if you do buy early the premiums could increase. Often times the actuaries don’t fully understand the risk and end up raising premiums for current policyholders.
Generally speaking, people go into long-term care when they can no longer perform the activities of daily living or ADL. This includes going to the bathroom alone, eating, moving about the home, or they experience a decline in mental state. Often the long-term care insurance covers a maximum period of 6 years or less. There is a daily benefit amount that you can choose from. Often that benefit is between $100-$200 per day. Many long-term care insurance packages come with an inflation rider. Your premiums will be related to the variables that you choose.
Long-term care is not cheap. A private room with skilled nursing can cost $100K per year. Going down the scale, assisted living averages about $75K per year. And home health can be about $50K per year, but you do have to factor in household expenses as well.
A 65-year-old couple can buy a long-term care insurance policy for $4800 per year with basic benefits totaling $180K. If that same couple waits until 75 to purchase a policy that amount will increase to $8700. You also need to consider the fact that not everyone gets approved. The longer you wait to buy a policy the harder it is to get approved.
It’s important to have as much information as possible before making costly decisions. You need to understand all of the factors before you commit. We’re here to help you make informed choices. Listen in to hear all of the factors that you should examine when considering whether to buy long-term care insurance.
Does your place of employment offer an equity compensation plan? Are you one of the 76% of people who have not exercised their stock options or sold shares of their company stocks? Mike Eklund is back after a hiatus and he is jumping in with both feet. He dives deep into the nitty-gritty of equity compensation plans. Since this can be a complicated subject you may want to consult a financial professional before making any big decisions about what to do with your company stock options.
Watch corresponding Youtube video here.
Many companies offer equity compensation plans as a part of an overall hiring package. The main reason is to align the company and employees. If the stock price goes up then you make more money. These compensation plans can be a big draw when you are trying to decide where to work. There are 4 main types of plans offered by companies.
It is important to know how these types of plans differ and what their advantages are. What kind of equity compensation plan does your company offer?
The biggest question of owning stocks is when to sell. Don’t let the taxes wag the dog means don’t let taxes impact your investment decisions. So many people choose not to sell a position simply because they don’t want to pay taxes on it. It helps if you understand how the taxes work in each situation.
If you own stocks outright for over a year and sell then that is a long term gain and you will be subject to capital gains tax at the rate of 20% at most. If you own for less than a year then it is considered a short term stock and is subject to a higher tax rate of 37%. In this case, you’ll want to own for over a year for the best result.
If you own ESPP stocks then it is important to know whether you hold a qualifying or disqualifying disposition. A qualifying disposition is better. It is tied to how long you own the stock. You’ll want to own for at least a year before you sell.
Restricted stock is taxable when it is vested. Although restricted stocks are pretty straight forward your financial advisor can really help you with saving money in taxes.
ISOs can provide significant tax savings but they have many requirements. They are more tax advantageous than nonqualified stock options. You have more control over when the tax event occurs.
If you own a lot in company stocks you’ll want to lower your risk and make sure that you are protecting yourself from a potential downturn. You can use these tools to think about how to create a framework for making better investing decisions.
Listen in to hear how you can use a combination of these strategies to help you decide what to do when you own company stock.
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