Podcasts about solo agers

Elder abuse is more common than you think. And if you're Childfree or aging solo, you might be more vulnerable to it unless you have a plan in place.In this episode, Dr. Jay and Bri talk through the financial and emotional realities of elder abuse, how it shows up in real life, and what it means to protect yourself or your loved ones as you age. From hidden family manipulation to legal safeguards and community building, they walk through how to advocate for others and how to make sure someone's got your back when it's your turn.We'll cover:(00:00) Understanding Elder Abuse and Its Impact(02:02) Financial Abuse: Protecting Elders from Exploitation(12:03) Navigating Elder Care: The Role of Community and Support(15:47) Planning for the Future: Child-Free Legacy and Support SystemsMentioned in this Episode:From executor services to medical and financial power of attorney; we help you secure your future with confidence. Join the Childfree Trust Waitlist: https://childfreelegacy.comSchedule your Childfree Wealth Checkup: https://childfreewealth.com/schedule-a-checkup/Signup for the Childfree Wealth Newsletter: https://bit.ly/cwnewsletter2Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Dr. Sara Zeff GeberDOROT (New York based nonprofit for older adults): https://www.dorotusa.orgWant more insights like this? Sign up for our newsletter HERE and get advice tailored to your life. The Childfree Wealth Podcast, hosted by Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, is a financial and lifestyle podcast that explores the unique perspectives and concerns of childfree individuals and couples. Like the show? Leave us a rating & review! If you want to join the conversation, email us at media@childfreewealth.com, follow Childfree Wealth® on social media, or visit our website www.childfreewealth.com! Join our newsletter HERE. Schedule a meeting with a Childfree Wealth Specialist® HERE. Instagram: @childfreewealth Facebook: @childfreewealth LinkedIn: @childfree-wealth YouTube: @ChildfreeWealthPodcast Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Aging solo doesn't have to mean going it alone! In this insightful episode, Dr. Jay sits down with Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities for individuals without adult children.From the financial realities of solo aging (think $400,000 to $1 million over a lifetime), to the importance of choosing a trusted person for medical decisions - this episode is packed with practical advice. Dr. Geber shares creative solutions like PACE programs, community living options, and even "Golden Girls"–style arrangements to help you plan for a secure and fulfilling future.We'll also explore the risks of elder abuse, the power of early estate planning, and how staying socially connected can make all the difference. Whether you're in your 40s, 60s, or beyond, it's never too early (or too late!) to start thinking about your solo aging journey.Action Items:✅ Begin estate planning early and review documents regularly.✅ Explore community living options or PACE programs.✅ Have open conversations about your aging plan.Tune in for a conversation that's both eye-opening and empowering!Mentioned in the Episode:-Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers Book: https://sarazeffgeber.com/books/ -NewYork Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/business/retirement-single-alone-plan.html -PACE Program: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicaid-coordination/about/pace -Community Care at Home Program: https://www.wesleylife.org/blog/what-is-continuing-care-at-home Connect with Dr. Geber on LinkedIn here or through her website here.About our Guest: Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, is an author and keynote speaker.  Over the past 10 years, Sara has developed a niche specialty talking about the challenges of “Solo Agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone with no support from nearby family.  She believes Solo Agers have unique needs in later life that warrant greater foresight and a more robust approach to planning.Dr. Geber is the author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults (Mango Press, 2018) The Childfree Wealth Podcast, hosted by Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, is a financial and lifestyle podcast that explores the unique perspectives and concerns of childfree individuals and couples. Like the show? Leave us a rating & review! If you want to join the conversation, email us at media@childfreewealth.com, follow Childfree Wealth® on social media, or visit our website www.childfreewealth.com! Join our newsletter HERE. Schedule a meeting with a Childfree Wealth Specialist® HERE. Instagram: @childfreewealth Facebook: @childfreewealth LinkedIn: @childfree-wealth YouTube: @ChildfreeWealthPodcast Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Are you really prepared for solo aging? Have you thought about who will care for you as you get older? What about where you'll live, how you'll afford care, and who will manage your finances if you're unable to? Too many people wait until an emergency forces them to make these decisions, but planning ahead can give you control over your future and peace of mind. What if you could make choices now that ensure your later years are filled with security, independence, and dignity? In this episode of Financially Ever After, Stacy Francis is joined by Marni Blank, founder of Begin With The End, to discuss the essential steps solo agers (and everyone else!) should take to prepare for the future. From financial planning to housing choices to organizing your digital life, this conversation is full of critical insights. You'll hear them discuss: A powerful way to leave a legacy through handwritten letters and how this simple but meaningful act can create deep connections that last beyond a lifetime. Solo aging realities and why it's crucial to proactively plan for healthcare, housing, and financial needs before unexpected circumstances force rushed decisions. The importance of choice in aging and how making key decisions early allows you to maintain control, rather than having others step in when it may be too late. Where you will live as you age, whether staying in your home, moving to assisted living, or considering other options, and how to determine the right fit for your needs. Financial planning for long-term care, breaking down the true costs, what options exist, and why starting early can make all the difference in affording quality care. The digital side of aging, including organizing passwords, documents, and financial accounts so your loved ones aren't left struggling to access important information. Why waiting lists matter when choosing senior living communities and how long delays in availability could leave you scrambling for a less ideal option in an emergency. Resources Marni Blank on the Web | LinkedIn | Instagram | Email Free Plan Well Organizer Free Legacy Project Ideas Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) | Email FrancisFinancial.com Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

In this episode, Dr. Jay sits down with Dr. Jordan Grumet (Doc G) to explore his shift from full-time medicine to part-time hospice care—and the profound lessons he's learned about life's purpose along the way. Drawing from his upcoming book The Purpose Code (releasing January 7, 2025), Doc G breaks down the difference between “big P” purpose—goal-driven and ambitious—and “little P” purpose, which is about enjoying life's journey.Discover practical strategies to uncover your own purpose, from revisiting childhood joys to conducting life reviews. We also challenge the idea of financial independence as the ultimate life goal and explore why human connection is key to true happiness. Tune in for thought-provoking insights and actionable takeaways to guide you toward a more fulfilling life.Schedule your Childfree Wealth Checkup here: https://childfreewealth.com/schedule-meetingMentioned in this episode:-Purpose Code Book: https://jordangrumet.com/books/ -Orbiting the Giant Hairball: https://www.amazon.com/Orbiting-Giant-Hairball--Corporate-Surviving/dp/0670879835 -Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: https://sarazeffgeber.com/books/ About our Guest: Jordan Grumet, born in Evanston, Illinois in 1973, found the spark to become a doctor after a deeply personal event reshaped his life's trajectory. The unexpected loss of his father, an oncologist, ignited a passion within him to practice medicine and instilled a unique vantage point that later melded seamlessly with his financial expertise. This convergence of roles has spurred him to explore profound notions like wealth, abundance, and financial independence with a thoughtful and critical lens. Completing his studies at the University of Michigan, Jordan earned his medical degree from Northwestern University before embarking on a journey in Internal Medicine in Northbrook, Illinois. Presently, he serves as an associate medical director at Unity Hospice.With expertise in medicine and finance, Jordan launched the Earn & Invest podcast in 2018, earning a Plutus Award in 2019 and nominations in 2020 and 2021. He is the author of Taking Stock (2022) and The Purpose Code (2025), offering insights on financial independence, wealth, and purposeful living. Jordan's journey intertwines medical insight and financial wisdom, resonating deeply with those seeking a balanced, meaningful life.Connect with Doc G on Instagram: @earnaninvest or Facebook: @docgreen .#LifePurpose #FindYourPurpose #HumanConnection #MeaningfulLiving #PurposeOverMoney #Childfr The Childfree Wealth Podcast, hosted by Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, is a financial and lifestyle podcast that explores the unique perspectives and concerns of childfree individuals and couples. Like the show? Leave us a rating & review! If you want to join the conversation, email us at media@childfreewealth.com, follow Childfree Wealth® on social media, or visit our website www.childfreewealth.com! Join our newsletter HERE. Schedule a meeting with a Childfree Wealth Specialist® HERE. Instagram: @childfreewealth Facebook: @childfreewealth LinkedIn: @childfree-wealth YouTube: @ChildfreeWealthPodcast Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

#BRNAM #1783 | What “Solo Agers” Should Know about Planning for the Future | Sharona Hoffman, J.D., LL.M., S.J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com | #JustTheFacts. #Everyday. #AllInOnePlace.

Reminiscent of the ageist discourse around the “silver tsunami,” the concept of people aging without the support of children or a spouse – once referred to as “elder orphans” – is far too often discussed as a problem, and not a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a new phase of life with friends, neighbors, and other people who bring us joy. Sara Geber helped to popularize the term “solo agers” to describe this cohort of older people, and she joins the podcast today to discuss the ways that people without extended support networks can still thrive as they get older. The author of several books about preparing for retirement and life as a solo ager, Geber empowers people with all kinds of family and social ties to plan for a strong next phase of life. Explore Gaber's books: https://sarazeffgeber.com/books/ Learn more about co-housing: https://www.cohousing.org/

Dr. Jay is joined by Sheri Johnson to unpack the nuances between being childfree and childless, drawing from Sheri's personal experience of transitioning from a fertility journey to embracing a childfree lifestyle. Sheri shares her  journey of grappling with miscarriages, fertility challenges, and the pivotal decision that led her to redefine her path without children.Through heartfelt dialogue, they explore the societal pressures surrounding parenthood, challenging stereotypes, and societal expectations. Sheri offers valuable insights into untangling one's desires from external pressures, empowering listeners to navigate their unique journeys with authenticity and self-awareness.They delve into the intricate facets of self-worth, shedding light on the distinction between self-esteem and self-worth. They also discuss practical strategies for cultivating self-worth, emphasizing the importance of introspection, setting boundaries, and honoring one's authentic desires.Connect with Sheri using the links below:+ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sherijohnsoncoaching/+ Website sherijohnson.ca+ Worthiness Quiz https://sherijohnson.ca/quiz/Resources:+ Unlearning the Standard Life Plan with Katy Seppi+ Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Sarah Zeff Geber, PhD (Book Club)+ Portraits of Childfree Wealth by Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®+ The Worthy Project by Meadow DevoirThe Childfree Wealth Podcast, hosted by Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, is a financial and lifestyle podcast that explores the unique perspectives and concerns of childfree individuals and couples.Like the show? Leave us a rating & review. If you want to join the conversation, email us at podcast@childfreewealth.com, follow Childfree Wealth® on social media, or visit our website www.childfreewealth.com!Stay up to date with Childfree Wealth® by signing up for our newsletter here! Want to meet with a Childfree Wealth Specialist®? Schedule a free consultation call here!Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

​​The Childfree Wealth Podcast, hosted by Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, is a financial and lifestyle podcast that explores the unique perspectives and concerns of childfree individuals and couples. Join as they discuss Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Sara Zeff Geber, PhD.While Bri thinks the title is a bit misleading, and discusses the emphasis placed on couples. She challenges the notion that those in dual-income households will eventually be solo agers, noting the resource disparities between DINKS and true soloists. Dr. Jay gets caught in the introvert-extrovert battle when it comes to community building & the ethical dilemma of depending on friends to care for you. Throughout the book you'll find three common themes: community, health, & planning. While you may not be actively thinking about aging, Dr. Geber has also provided a variety of resources that can be helpful in preparing for the future.Resources from the book:Book: Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Sara Zeff Geber, PhDSara's WebsiteCourageous Aging: Your Best Years Ever Reimagined by Ken DruckA Longer Life is Lived with Company by Elizabeth Pope, NY Times, September 11, 201255+ Places (55+ Communities)The Co-Housing Association of AmericaSilvernestRead next month's book with us, Get Good with Money by Tiffany Aliche!Like the show? Leave us a rating & review. If you want to join the conversation, email us at podcast@childfreewealth.com, follow Childfree Wealth on social media, or visit our website www.childfreewealth.com!Stay up to date with Childfree Wealth by signing up for our newsletter here! If you're looking for financial help, we offer three services. Join our free 8 No-Baby Steps course to work through your finances on your own. Looking to manage your finances on your own? Enroll in Childfree Wealth Academy for $50 per month. For one-on-one planning, schedule a free consultation call.Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Based on feedback from you, the audience, we're pausing these episodes and will focus on writing instead: Our blog: https://anthonyspark.com/#blog Our books on https://amazon.com/author/anthonyspark Reviews always appreciated! Thank you for sharing all your amazing questions and stories, and thank you for listening!

​​The Childfree Wealth Podcast, hosted by Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, is a financial and lifestyle podcast that explores the unique perspectives and concerns of childfree individuals and couples. In this episode, Bri & Dr. Jay discuss key takeaways from The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.One of the primary takeaways is the hidden indicator of true wealth is freedom and flexibility. Managing your finances isn't just about the numbers; it's about what you can do with your money that truly matters. You'll be reminded that while you won't always be rational with money, it's okay to instead focus on being reasonable. As part of this you'll need to determine when enough is enough & come up with a way to manage your finances that lets you sleep at night.Listen in as they further discuss these key takeaways & come back next month for a review of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Sara Zeff Geber, PhD. If you have a book you'd like reviewed, let us know in the comments or email us at podcast@childfreewealth.com. Resources:The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel https://a.co/d/3joCFt4 I'll Make You Quit Your Job https://childfreewealth.buzzsprout.com/2002436/13585924 Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Sara Zeff Geber, PhD https://a.co/d/dlC4JhL Like the show? Leave us a rating & review. If you want to join the conversation, email us at podcast@childfreewealth.com, follow Childfree Wealth on social media, or visit our website www.childfreewealth.com!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreewealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeWealthLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfree-wealth/Join our newsletter here: https://childfreewealth.com/newsletter-signup Enroll in our FREE 8 No-Baby Steps course: https://childfreewealth.com/course/steps Schedule a free 1 hour consultation call: https://childfreewealth.com/schedule-meeting  Enroll in Childfree Wealth Academy for $50 per month: https://childfreewealth.com/subscription/self-directed-learning-and-financial-planning Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Episode 24: Carol Marak is a solo aging advisor and advocate. She is the founder of the Elder Orphan Facebook Group, which launched in 2016 and has almost 10,000 members. She also has a successful YouTube channel called Solo and Smart and a book titled SOLO AND SMART: The Roadmap for a Supportive and Secure Future.Carol attributes her seven years of family caregiving as to how she learned to plan for the future. Between her and her two sisters, caring for their ailing parents took up almost all of their time. With no children to rely on as her parents did, and knowing the amount of care that they needed, she knew she had to plan for her future and figure out what to do.Links:Carol's Book: SOLO AND SMART: The Roadmap for a Supportive and Secure FutureCarol's Facebook Group: Elder OrphansCarol's YouTube Chanell: Solo and SmartCarol's Website: CarolMarak.comWhat's Next?What are your questions about solo aging? Share your questions with us at info@seniorityauthority.org or find us on your favorite social media platform.Stay Connected:Cathleen ToomeyLinkedin:Cathleen ToomeyWebsite:Seniority AuthorityFacebook:Seniority AuthorityInstagram:seniorityauthoritySubscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher,Apple Podcasts,Google Podcasts andSpotify. 

This is a very common question that we get from Solo Agers. We'll review the pros and cons of making that decision. Reasons to sell your home before you die The biggest reason Solo Agers want to sell their home before they die is because they don't want to leave a mess for their loved ones. Otherwise, there may be a lot of cleaning, maintenance, and packing for the heirs to do. Additionally, the house may need renovations before it is in sellable condition.   Another reason is that Solo Agers may want to downsize anyway. Downsizing is a different topic, so we won't focus on that here. Reasons to leave selling your home to your executor after you die I often suggest that our Solo Agers live where they want and leave the task of selling the home to the executor after they pass.   Don't spend your final years cleaning, packing, staging, and moving if that's not what you want to do. It's probably not on your bucket list to clean out your garage before you die. Do those things you always wanted to do. Enjoy life!   If you still feel that obligation to put things in order for your heirs, please know that probate is a mess no matter what. Don't bother trying to leave it perfect. What if you clean out your home and you live longer than you expected? Now a new mess will accumulate. Even if you could know the exact date of your death, it still won't work out perfectly.   Another example of “helping” heirs is making treasure maps to your keys or passwords. Don't do it. You may move your keys or change your password and forget to update your treasure map. You don't need to spend your final days and years making your death convenient for everyone else.   If you are still worried about burdening your heirs or executor, you could hire a professional executor. This could be us, or a bank, or a fiduciary company. It is the job of the professional executor to handle the cleanout, renovations, etc. Because we do these things so often, it's not a big deal for us. And if something complex were to happen, then that's our job, too. That's what we get paid for. You can rest knowing that your professional executor is experienced and capable. You won't have to burden your heirs with the tasks, and you won't have to spend your final years worrying about what will happen after you die. Most Solo Agers are relieved when they learn that a professional executor can handle all of this. My book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” can help you decide which tasks (if any) you should worry about before you die.   I enjoy meeting more and more Solo Agers; it's a growing population. As I work with them, I also learn a lot of things that I can pass along to all of you. Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Does the thought of retirement keep you up at night? Not because of finances, but because you won't have children to help care for you or because you won't have a spouse or partner to be there for you?On this Queer Money episode, we're talking about retirement planning for solo- and child-free agers.Per a recommendation in the Queer Money Facebook group, we're joined today by Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers. From her years of research and speaking on the subject, Sara shares ideas for housing solutions, both domestic and abroad, how to stay mentally and physically healthy as long as possible and how to design a rewarding second, third or fourth act.Remember to hang on until the end to find out how to enter to win a free copy of Dr. Geber's book.For the resources and to connect with our guests, get the show notes at: https://queermoneypodcast.com/subscribe Follow us:Queer Money Instagram Queer Money YouTubeQueer Money TwitterQueer Money on TiktokDownload your FREE Queer Money Kickstarter a 9-step Guide to Kickstart Your Journey to Financial IndependenceMentioned in this episode:Queer Money KickstarterWhether you're starting your money journey or your exit plan to retirement, get the free Queer Money Kickstarter here to succeed with both.QM Kickstarter

I do serve as a professional trustee, not just executor, or our Solo Ager clients. We'll cover why our Solo Ager clients are looking for a professional trustee, why they don't use banks, and how much it costs to hire a professional trustee. Disputes between trustee and beneficiary Why are our Solo Ager clients looking for a professional trustee? The main reason is because of potential disputes between the trustee and the beneficiaries. Unfortunately, this kind of conflict is very common, even more so than between heirs and executors. A trust creates a much longer relationship: an estate lasts a year, worst case 2-3 years. Even with tax issues and selling the estate assets, there is at least a finite relationship where the heirs can see the finish line. The heirs and executor can probably learn to put up with each other, because they know that there is an end in sight. Whereas, a trust can last decades. It usually deals with the duration of someone's life. A trustee usually has to make more discretionary decisions than an executor. Often, trusts are written so that the trustee can decide how and when to distribute money to a beneficiary. For example, a trustee can make a “distribution for the health and education or comfort” of the beneficiary. This can get very awkward if heirs and trustee all know each other (siblings, friends, cousins, etc.), and the heirs have to prove to the trustee why they need the money. The heirs may not want to disclose certain health or financial issues to a trustee who is close with them. Even discussing the heirs' standard of living means that the trustee will know what the heirs spend their money on. There could be a lot of details that you wouldn't share with your family or friends otherwise. This is why having a professional trustee could make the situation easier. With an estate, the heirs are the people named in the will or the intestate heirs named by law if there is no will. A trust has multiple layers of beneficiaries. There are beneficiaries of the income of the trust and also beneficiaries who receive whatever is left when the trust maker dies. Those are very different incentives: the income beneficiaries want as much income generated and paid out to them as possible, whereas the beneficiaries at the end do not want the trust money to be spent or distributed so that they can still receive some. This can be a difficult balance even for professional trustees, so imagine how dicey it would be for a trustee who has a relationship with the heirs. Naming a bank as trustee Why not name a bank, trust company or other fiduciary company as trustee? Some of our Solo Agers have shared their experiences with us, and they tell us it often doesn't work well because of minimums or bureaucracy. Many of these institutions have minimum trust size requirements to qualify, or else they will just reject you. Surprisingly, these minimums can be quite high, because they only want to deal with people who have a lot of money. Even if your trust meets the minimum right now, make sure you have a sufficient amount to qualify by the time you actually need the bank to act as your trustee. For example, the bank's minimum requirements might increase at a rate that outpaces the growth of your trust assets. If that happens, your trust may no longer be eligible and your trust won't have a trustee anymore. Another example is when you need to use the trust money during your lifetime to pay the income beneficiaries or medical bills. Taking too much money out of the trust could also disqualify you from using the bank as your trustee. What about the bureaucracy? We've heard from many folks that it is a frustrating and lengthy process just to get approved by the bank. This doesn't necessarily relate to the minimum requirement; it just takes so long to get your application approved. You'd think it would be the other way around: a person entrusting an institution with their life savings should be vetting the banks! It feels more like asking the bank for a loan rather than asking them to be your fiduciary. On top of that, there is no guarantee you will talk to the same person each time. Whereas with a professional trustee, you know exactly who you hired. For these two reasons, many clients have reported that they just gave up trying to deal with the financial institutions. How much does it cost to hire a trustee? In most cases, there is no cost now, because most trusts are usually revocable or a testamentary trust. So, you won't need a professional trustee until you pass away. Since no one is doing the job now, there is no cost now. Once a trustee is needed, the cost for a professional trustee is the same as an amateur. Just as with an executor, the trustee fees are set by state law. If it costs the same to use a professional trustee as it does an amateur, it's a no-brainer to choose the experienced professional! It's a fair assumption to assume it costs more to hire a professional trustee, but fortunately, that is not the case. Thank you to our listeners who've submitted questions like this. It helps our Solo Agers to know that they're in good company. If you have not done so already, click the link below to receive a free E-copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Episode 29: Dr. Sara Zeff Geber is an author and the Founder of LifeEncore. Her book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults, was selected as a “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal. Sara also received the distinction of being named as one of the “2018 Influencers in Aging” by the PBS website, Next Avenue.  Links:Sara's website: https://sarazeffgeber.com/Sara's book:  Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers What's Next?What are your questions about solo aging? Share your questions with us at info@seniorityauthority.org or find us on your favorite social media platform. Stay Connected:Cathleen ToomeyLinkedin:Cathleen ToomeyWebsite:Seniority AuthorityFacebook:Seniority AuthorityInstagram:seniorityauthoritySubscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Physician-Assisted Dying has other names that might be familiar: death with dignity, aid in dying, assisted death, euthanasia, and assisted suicide Since we've received many inquiries from our Solo Agers, here some of your FAQs: Making arrangements from Switzerland Can my professional executor help make arrangements from Switzerland after I pass? Switzerland is often the go-to jurisdiction, but there may be others in the U.S. The medical facilities need to know who to notify upon death, and we have filled the role as the entity to be notified. You also need to make arrangements to send final personal effects (phone, wallet) after your passing. Again, we have been in that role before, and we have coordinated the receipt of the personal belongings. Live your last days to the fullest If you are scheduling a physician-assisted death, you have to weigh the balance between preparing and living your life to the fullest. We get calls from Solo Agers who are very focused on preparing and tying up any loose ends (cleaning out and selling their home). Our advice is to go ahead and take care of the low-stress items but leave the rest to us. It is our job to figure things out upon your passing, and it's very unlikely that you will think of everything that needs to be done anyway. There is a limit to how much you will be able to help us, no matter how hard you try. Most folks have not gone through probate enough to know what needs to be done, so it's better to let us handle it. Most people pass away unexpectedly and most things are generally unorganized anyway. Instead, do your best to enjoy your remaining time and complete that bucket list! To disclose or not to disclose Do I need to tell my executor that I plan to have a physician-assisted death? It's totally up to you; we've dealt with both. Telling us helps us be ready on the scheduled date. But if you prefer your privacy, it's no problem; we've done that too. Most deaths are unexpected, so we are used to it. Perhaps your loved ones don't know that your death was planned. As professional executors, we know how to handle the situation tactfully. Click the link below to check out my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” This topic is not covered specifically in my book, but it will help you learn more about probate in general. Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Our Solo Agers friends often ask this when they're ready to name me executor in their will. We support well-done DIY wills and anything that helps make your plan as frictionless as possible. Some kind of plan is almost always better than no plan! So, do you need a lawyer to make a will? No, we're not aware of any state that requires a lawyer to make your will. We do nonetheless recommend that our Solo Agers at least hire a lawyer to supervise the signing. Here's why: Signing ceremony technicalities A signing ceremony sounds like a long, drawn-out event, but it could last as little as 15 minutes. Still, there are many technicalities to follow, or else the will may be invalid. Just a few examples, the person making the will (the testator) has to make a proper declaration in the will. The pages of the will must also be stapled together, or else there is a potential for page-swapping. Lastly, to demonstrate that the testator is competent to sign a will, lawyers often chit-chat about current events with the testator. If testimony is ever needed to prove that the testator is competent, then the witnesses can refer back to that conversation. If any of the technicalities go wrong, then the will may be invalid. Yes, DIY services provide detailed instructions for drafting your will, but most people don't follow instructions to a T (or even read the instructions). It's easy to miss a step and invalidate the whole will. It's much easier to get an experienced attorney to supervise the signing. It's also cheaper than hiring an attorney to draft your entire estate plan. Lawyer-supervised presumptions In many states, the probate court will give the benefit of the doubt if the signing was supervised by a lawyer. For example, the court is more likely to accept a self-proving affidavit signed by your witnesses, instead of requiring the witnesses to appear in court to testify. Suppose you die 15 years later...tracking down the witnesses, getting them to agree to come to court, and having them accurately recollect your signing ceremony would be very hard. There is no guarantee that they will remember that day or even still be alive. Without the lawyer supervision and the self-proving affidavit, it may be harder for your executor to probate your estate. Best will witnesses DIY wills often use subpar witnesses. It's natural to want to ask family and friends to witness, because they are close to you. Using a witness who is named in the will or who could potentially inherit your estate creates a conflict of interest. Their testimony as a witness won't hold up well in court because they have beneficial interest. But, it's also not the best idea to grab a passer-by as a witness (UPS delivery person, doorman, bank teller). If you don't even know the witness, chances are it will be hard for your heirs to find them if ever needed. Sometimes the address they provide is the physical address where they signed! For these reasons, lawyers will provide their own experienced witnesses (paralegals, other staff, the lawyer's spouse, etc.). These people have witnessed wills many times before and can give good testimony if needed. If you decide to do your own will, at least have the signing supervised by an experienced attorney. For more answers to your estate planning questions, click the link below to receive your free electronic copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

A frictionless first estate plan is a great first step for Solo Agers with no plan at all. It helps Solo Agers clarify their thinking and decisions, all while having a basic plan in place in the meantime. Why Solo Agers need a frictionless first plan We've heard from many folks who are stressed because they have no plan whatsoever. In general, Solo Agers don't have the traditional heirs and family members available to fill the executor role, so it is important to have something in place. The reason why many Solo Agers don't have a plan is often because of analysis paralysis. While estate planning is a series of decisions, some people get stuck analyzing every detail. Of course, there is also the fear of making the wrong decisions and the consequences that come from that. The biggest fear is choosing the wrong fiduciaries. Why a frictionless plan? A frictionless plan is a version of your estate plan that is as low-cost and as low-headache as possible. When your estate plan is low-cost, psychologically it is easier to make decisions, because you realize that it's not a big deal to make changes if needed. People feel more at ease when spending a few hundred dollars versus a few thousand dollars to create a plan and make changes when needed. Low-cost solutions allow you to easily reverse or change your plan and not feel like it is set in stone. With a low-cost solution, the fear of making changes won't prevent you from having any plan at all. Example of a frictionless solo ager estate plan Our plan for a frictionless Solo Ager estates includes three steps: First, make a do-it-yourself will using one of the software programs that we've reviewed. One that we are currently recommending is Free Will. For basic wills, it gets the job done. https://anthonyspark.com/e187-3-best-free-diy-will-software/ Second, name a professional executor. If you feel comfortable with us, name us for now. It doesn't have to be your final decision; you can change the executor any time.  https://anthonyspark.com/professional-executor/ Third, have an attorney-supervised signing. This is the biggest (low) cost involved. The reason we recommend an attorney-supervised signing is because there are a lot of technicalities to having a legally binding will signing. If you mess up even one or two parts, all of your hard work becomes moot. In the New York area, you can hire an attorney and their staff to witness the signing of your self-prepared will for $200 or $300 (compared to the thousands of dollars to hire an attorney to draft your estate plan). The cost of an attorney-supervised signing could be even lower outside of the New York area.  https://anthonyspark.com/e273-diy-will-vs-lawyers-for-solo-agers/ We hope that by outlining these low-cost options, you will be confident in creating a bare-bones plan as a safety-net to get you started. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" To learn more about estate planning for Solo Agers, click the link below to get your free copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Since we do so many probates, we see what parts of your planning actually helped with probate (dos), and which ones didn't really matter (don't bothers). We are reviewing this info so that you don't spend too much of your valuable time on planning that won't help all that much. This is based on our annual executor check in calls, in which we hear from our clients who have well intended plans to gather information for us, should we need it. Which in most cases, we don't. We are trying to save you stress and make the estate planning process a little bit easier. Solo ager estate planning “dos” Good and proper storage of original documents is important. It's best to keep the original with your professional executor or other third party. Do not keep it yourself. This is for many reasons, such as access your home or apartment. Additionally, if a third party loses your will, probate could still move forward with a copy. However, if you lose it, it's presumed that you intentionally destroyed it. Same goes for a safe deposit box – it's hard to get access to this. It's not impossible, but it's very challenging. Update your emergency contacts and be sure your executor is among those listed. An emergency contact list should be given to someone who will know of your death. This could be a building manager, doorman, neighbor, primary care physician, etc. You want to make sure they know who to notify in the event of your passing, including of importance, your executor and next of kin. You should also review your beneficiary designations. We have talked before about why we don't like beneficiary designations, but if you have them, make sure up to date. Or better yet, get rid of them. You certainly want to make sure they represent your wishes, and not your wishes 10 or 20 years ago. “Don't bothers” for your solo ager estate plan Don't use treasure maps. We have received detailed letters and emails with where the will is, where their important documents are, and even where their spare keys are. More often than not, the location of these items will change by the time of your passing. It may take us longer to use the treasure map to find them than it would to simply look on our own. Plus, it would be a waste of time searching if they have been moved. It's not worth the amount of time you'd spend writing this type of “map.” We don't need contact lists. Typically, the lists we've seen include building managers, financial advisors, etc. These change often. We find when we make these calls, the people on the list no longer even work there. Speaking of lists, detailed lists of assets which include balances and very specific info is also not needed. High level information is good enough (such as the name of financial institution). Balances change daily, so by the time you write it down, it's likely changed. Sort of helpful There are a few things we would categorize as sort of helpful, but you don't need to spend time on these, if you don't want. Password lists are one example of a sort of helpful thing to do. A list is nice to have, but post-death access to online accounts is not permitted, even if we have your password and log in. We simply can't use those passwords. Email and social accounts may have some use to be able to access names and addresses, although again, we have rarely used these. Same with phone passwords. We seldom log into a decedent's phone, and if we do, it's only to find a contact name that we couldn't find elsewhere. A high level asset list is sort of helpful. It will give us a general sense of what you own to point us in the right direction. We would use this list along with the other items we collect (mail, past tax returns, bank statements, etc.) to be sure we aren't missing something. A list of contacts that are likely to not change is also sort of helpful. This includes next of kin, your primary care doctor, and possibly your CPA. It's good info to know, but likely, we would get the newest information from the documents we have gathered. Solo Ager Book If you don't already have my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” click the link below for a copy. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

If you're a solo ager and you must use a power of attorney (POA), make it as limited as possible. We received the following from a solo ager listener: “You state in your book that a financial power of attorney is not necessary if there's a solid living trust in place. (I don't feel the risk of abuse is a critical concern in my case). However, my lawyer says I need to name one.”- Lori This attorney refused to complete our listener's estate plan unless she included a financial power of attorney. Why I avoid POAs whenever possible Powers of attorney are very overpowered. It can be executed with just a simple notary with no witness requirements. But, for that basic execution, there is unlimited control over someone else's finances, house, etc. Powers of attorney are pretty unstructured. There are no guide rails in the law for how an agent under the POA is compensated or whether there should be an accounting proceeding. Besides, if you have a revocable living trust, then you have most of the benefits of a power of attorney. You would only need a POA if you are traveling abroad or incapacitated. You'd need someone to manage the funds on your behalf so you don't fall into arrears or foreclosure. I don't think the risk of having a financial power of attorney is worth covering those outlaying scenarios. If you ever read a standard power of attorney, you'll see that the agent has the power to do almost anything with your finances and property. A supreme example from the news headlines is of Brooke Astor, a famous New York philanthropist. Her son was able to siphon about $80 million from her estate with a simple POA, contrary to the rest of her estate plan. You might read the scenario above and say, well, I'd only give power of attorney to someone I trust. We've seen people who used to be the most trusted candidates go astray. Money does interesting things to people. This fear should not keep you from creating an estate plan, but keep in mind that you should minimize the use of a POA. Why would an estate planning lawyers insist you sign a POA The short answer is that I don't know why anyone would be that stubborn to make their client do things their way. It's like a doctor saying, “Get this surgery and you will be better. If you don't listen to me, then I won't be your doctor anymore.”  If they can't explain their reasons to your satisfaction and still insist, consider changing lawyers. Some attorneys have always done estate planning “packages”, and haven't changed with the times. It might be hard to leave an attorney that you've been working with for a long time and who you are otherwise comfortable with. But, if you can't get a decent answer to this pretty powerful question, it might be worth getting at least a second opinion. Ways to limit a power of attorney If you feel that you need a power of attorney, then ask the attorney to make it a limited one. There are two main ways to limit a POA: The first way is to get a springing POA instead of a general POA. A general POA is effective immediately upon signing. A springing POA is conditional; those powers only come into existence if certain conditions are met. Usually this means that you must be deemed incompetent by two physicians. The second way to limit a POA is to only choose specific powers for the agent to have. You don't want to check the box that says your agent under the POA has the power to gift all of your money. And you certainly don't want to check the last box that says, “All of the above.” Carefully choose only the powers that are needed to accomplish your goals. If it's not something you would do in your own capacity, don't give someone else the power to do it! Solo Ager If you don't already have my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” click the link below for a copy. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

A live & interactive discussion with Sara Zeff Geber, PhD The Nation's Foremost Authority on Solo Aging and author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, LIVE SMART AFTER 50!, and Not Your Mother's Retirement Dr. Geber is a recipient of the “2018 Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue. She believes Solo Agers have unique needs in later life that warrant greater foresight and a more robust approach to planning.

How do you find a trustworthy fiduciary to make end of life decisions for you if you're a solo ager? We get these questions often from our solo ager clients and followers: “What provisions may be made if someone has no healthcare proxy?“ “When there is no one to take care of you as you age and you become ill, how can you ever find a fiduciary you can trust?” We'll review the problem, the lack of options, and if/when we're able to help. Solo agers' problem This end-of-life fiduciary problem is very similar to the executor problem, but more intimate. Typically, solo agers do not have the traditional spouse or adult kids to fill the role. Some solo agers don't want to burden (or are not comfortable asking) more distant relatives or friends to fill the role. An end-of-life fiduciary is not just a money or estate administration role, but rather extremely personal medical role. This means asking someone to make important end-of-life decisions for you and even be present at your death bed. The bottom line is that you do NOT want a random court-appointed stranger to fill this role. A court-appointed fiduciary wouldn't know you or your wishes at all. Not many options With executors, you have the option of choosing professional executors , as well as banks, trust companies, and in some states, there are certified professional executors. There is a small, but developed industry around professional executorship. But there are far fewer options for someone to be your hired health care proxy/agent. In the case where a health care agent is hired, it is usually an attorney. This isn't always a great option either. One of our followers said that she talked to an attorney and didn't feel comfortable with her because all she talked about was the hourly fee. The attorney quoted over $800.00 just to "sign her up." Another said that the attorney “refused to have an initial meeting with me because she's a ‘busy person' and I'd have to hire her before she'd see me.” Obviously, an attorney won't provide these services for free, but the attorneys can be more tactful about it. For example, when we are asked to serve as a professional executor, we meet with the person to make sure we are a good fit. It's hard to imagine someone would want name a health care agent without meeting them first. How (and when) we‘ll be your health care proxy We do not accept this role capriciously. I won't do it unless I am your nominated executor/trustee or otherwise known you for at least several years. Again, I want to make sure we have a good working relationship. This includes annual calls and check-ins (which we have discussed in other episodes). I want to be sure that I have a directional sense of your personality and wishes before I commit to making medical decisions. When the end-of-life period comes, it is a stressful time both for the client and me. I need to feel confident I can faithfully carry out your wishes. My book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” can help you prepare for end-of-life decisions. Click the link below to receive a free copy. As always, keep your questions coming! Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Sherri Snelling, corporate gerontologist and “Caregiving Club On Air” podcast host, focuses this February episode on National Caregiver Day (Feb 17), Soulmates & Solo Agers for Valentine's Day (Feb 14), Heart Health Month & Go Red for Women (Feb 3). Our expert guest is Carina Edwards, CEO of Quil, a joint venture between Independence Health Group (Independence) and Comcast, to tell us about how technology is supporting the role of family caregiver for older adults living alone at home. For Valentine's Day Sherri shares statistics on men who are caregivers and reflects on her friendship with Dan Gasby and the late B. Smith – a caregiving love story. Sherri also shares recent research in Caregiver Wellness and a story about women and what to know about heart health. In Well Home Design News, Sherri talks about the challenges for solo agers and some of the innovations in Maine – where per capita there are more people over age 60 than anywhere else in the country. She also talks about tips from a recent article she wrote for Porch on what to know before you ask Mom or Dad to come live with you. As always, we end the episode with a Me Time Monday Wellness Hack – this one on the power of the color Red for heart health and for love.

E303 How to Choose an Executor Who Will Accept A common question from our Solo Agers is: does my executor have to accept? Because our Solo Agers spend a LOT of time carefully choosing who will be their executor, it would be terrible if that carefully chosen one decides to not even serve! Our Solo Agers understand the significance about who they choose, and they take it very seriously. We touched on this in Episode 221, but we'll dig a little deeper into the topic here. It's just a nominated executor The first thing to know is that this is just a nomination for an executor. When Solo Agers pick who they want as their executor, they should remember that it is not a contractually bound role. That chosen executor is not required to serve; he or she is just nominated for that position. It is up to them if they decide to serve at the time of your passing. There are many reasons why the nominated executor may not accept. They may have new health problems, or maybe they moved. In fact, many nominated executors don't even know they were appointed until the time comes. Is being executor too much work? There are some things to consider to be sure your executor will actually accept. Being an executor is difficult, and probate is a lengthy process. We discussed this in Episode 184, touching on the hours, months, and expertise required to fulfill the executor's duties. It almost ends up being a full-time job! Having this job hanging over the executor's head can easily stress them out. It is important to choose someone who is well-suited, meaning they have the legal or tax background and especially the time to devote to the task. Or you can just hire a professional executor. We have the staff and systems set up to deal with the challenges of executorship. Unfortunately, your nominated executor may agree to serve but won't realize it's too much work until they've already accepted. It is important that you do your research ahead of time so that you know what exactly you're asking of them. Is there enough compensation for your executor? An executor may decline if it's too much work for too little pay. In New York, executor compensation is set by state law, and it is a percentage of probate estate (meaning the assets that go through the executor's control). But it does NOT include non-probate assets such as accounts with beneficiary designations. If your estate includes creditors or tax issues, but there are only a few probate accounts to deal with the issues, your executor may decline to serve. Otherwise, your executor will be paid very little for dealing with all the headaches. No one wants to deal with that kind of mess and barely get paid. A solution may be to write a minimum executor compensation in your will, so that even if there are not enough probate assets, your executor could still be reasonably compensated. However, the statute is already set, so the executor may have to fight to get paid properly. Another solution is to make sure you have enough probate accounts by removing beneficiary designations from some of your accounts. However, your executor may not be able to accurately evaluate how much work is involved vs. how much compensation they will receive. Just because an estate is large does not necessarily mean that there are enough funds available to pay the executor properly. If it turns out to be too much work for too little pay, they may end up with unhappy memories of you. If you think your estate might present the issues discussed above, give us a call to talk through the pros and cons of hiring a professional executor or not. Solo Ager Book Below is the link to my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” which addresses the challenges of probate and executorship. And, as always, keep sending in your questions! Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Sometimes a revocable trust makes great sense for a solo ager estate plan. Generally, revocable trusts aren't so great in New York, because they can be hard to fully fund. The main goal of a revocable trust is to avoid probate. Since revocable trusts are hard to fully fund, the goal of avoiding probate is not usually met. Here are a few reasons a revocable trust may nonetheless work for a solo ager. Distant or disinherited heirs Solo agers tend to have distant or disinherited heirs. By definition, a solo ager is usually unmarried, without children, or those individuals are not in the picture. Naturally, this puts the solo ager in a situation where their heirs are distance (nieces, nephews, siblings, etc.). We had a recent client whose solo natural heir was a distant cousin. In this case, a trust makes sense to avoid probate. When the remaining heir is a first cousin, there are extra hurdles during the court process such as: hiring a genealogist to submit a genealogy report, having the Public Administrator (PA) review court dates, and it generally makes probate longer and more difficult. To be clear, this process not only applies when you leave something to that distant cousin. Rather, the probate process requires you to notify you natural “default” heirs under New York State law, which includes distant cousins. Even if you don't want to leave anything to the distant heir, the estate is still required to go through this process if the estate is probated. Similarly, if you have a disinherited family member, they have the opportunity to object to your will or wishes during the probate process. Having a trust still gives them the opportunity to object, but it is not as structured as probate. Under the probate process, the heirs must be served notice of the proposed will distributions, during which they have the right to object. When administering a trust, the heirs are not required to receive notice. Unless the heirs do some digging on their own, they may not actually object. As mentioned above, you must fully fund your trust in order to avoid these problems. Say you have an apartment, a few bank accounts, and a few brokerage accounts. If, for example, the apartment does not make it into the trust, you still have to go through probate even if the bank and brokerage accounts are in the trust. Even if only one asset goes through probate, you are at risk for a longer probate process (described above) and the potential issues with distant heirs. In lieu of guardianship A revocable trust can be useful in lieu of guardianship. Putting your assets into a trust can help avoid and maybe deter the dreaded court-appointed stranger. There are situations where court-appointed strangers/guardians might impose themselves on a solo ager with no advocates. They might get the court to agree that the solo ager is incompetent to manage assets (when in fact, the solo ager is able). Thus, the court-appointed guardian gains control over the solo ager's assets. The Netflix movie, “I Care a Lot,” is a dramatized version of how something like this could happen. If all of your assets are in a trust, and the trust is drafted properly, the court will not appoint a stranger or guardian to gain control of your assets. The trust states who will receive your assets, so there is little incentive for a person to try to get appointed as your guardian. For the goal of avoiding guardianship, partial funding of the trust if ok if you are able to get the majority of your assets into the trust. As long as the assets that don't make it into the trust are not enough of to lure a court-appointed stranger, then it should be fine. Again, it is a lot of work for someone to convince the court that you are incompetent. End of life planning (maybe) When you are terminally ill, you know that the end is near. This makes planning easier, because you know what your assets will be upon your passing. In contrast, planning at a younger age means that bank accounts will change or you may buy and sell houses. Knowing roughly when you might die makes it less likely that you will miss something during the trust funding process. But, even if you know that exact date and time that you will die, it's still hard to capture every asset. Also, if you are terminally ill, you may not want to spend your last moments planning your trust. Solo Ager Book Again, revocable trusts don't make a lot of sense for most situations in New York, but they do make sense for solo agers for the reasons listed above. If you want to learn more, check out my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” on Amazon. Or, if you fill out the form below, we're happy to send a free copy to you. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, considers the years beyond 65 as the ‘bonus years.' As a nationally recognized leader in planning for aging and retirement, in 2013 Sara began pursuing solo aging with a passion. The baby boomers--some 15 million--who do not have children and/or are single, Sara says, “are living without a safety net and a script for their future.” Sara offers guidance and hope in her 2018 book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A retirement and aging roadmap for single and childless adults.” She addresses key topics such as preparing for the future, enjoying life, investigating where to live, and planning for end-of-life choices. Sara advises that we face the realities of aging and explore all the options as we prepare to live our ‘bonus years' to the fullest.Connect with Sara:Email: sara@lifeencore.comWebsite:  https://sarazeffgeber.com/Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers is available on Amazon.

A few Solo Agers have asked if they can use beneficiary designations instead of a traditional estate plan. We'll explain some pros and cons of beneficiary designations, and why a professional executor may work better. Why traditional estate planning doesn't work for Solo Agers Most traditional estate plans are centered around a friend or family acting as your executor to manage probate. Solo Agers often don't have an assumed family member to serve in this role. Sometimes a Solo Ager has a friend or sibling, but for several reasons, it wouldn't work out for those loved ones to serve. For example, friends and siblings may be the same age or older than the Solo Ager. There also may not be the same level of trust that one would have with a spouse. Or maybe the relationships are estranged. For the reasons above, Solo Agers seek to avoid the need for an executor altogether. It's not hard to blame them. For example, we had a Solo Ager client (no kids, no family, no close friends) who could not get it through to other attorneys that she had no one to appoint. She became so frustrated with their standard advice that she wanted to avoid appointing an executor altogether. Why Solo Agers like the idea of beneficiary designations Beneficiary designations go directly to the heirs and “avoid probate.” This is common with life insurance and retirement plans. When someone dies, the beneficiary just fills out and submits claim forms. There is no need to go through probate for that particular asset. Sounds easy and great, right? But in most cases, using only beneficiary designations does not work. Sure, it would work for a particular account, but realistically, you are probably not avoiding probate altogether. In order to completely avoid probate, you need a 100% perfect beneficiary designation plan. This means you cannot leave any assets out of your plan (zero assets left in probate, zero lingering debts or taxes). This becomes highly unlikely. Any outstanding debts at the time of death need to be paid by the estate representative. Because of this, probate has to happen anyway to figure out pro-rata which accounts need to be reduced to pay your funeral bill or lingering medical bills, unsecured mortgage or credit card bills. If all assets go to named beneficiaries, then the IRS goes directly after your beneficiaries. Your heirs will be harassed until the taxes and debts are paid. No one wants that for their loved ones. Additionally, it's unlikely that someone will volunteer to act as your executor and deal with these issues. Why Solo Agers like the idea of a professional executor The main attraction is that you appoint someone (experienced) to handle everything. The worry is that it will be hard to find a professional executor and it will also be expensive to hire one. Regarding the cost, the executor's fee is set by state law. This fee is the same whether you hire your 19-year-old unemployed nephew, or the esteemed professional executor. It is more bang for your buck to go with the professional! How do you find a professional executor? First, you know that we can fill that role! Second, you can go to a bank and see if they have a trust officer who can serve (even if you don't have a trust). However, most banks have liquid minimum asset requirements of 2 million or more (meaning this cannot include your home). How do you name a person as your executor? You don't necessarily have to pay an estate attorney to draft your will. While it's usually a better idea to hire an attorney to draft the will (especially in complex situations), there are plenty of good estate planning software programs you can use yourself. If you find a professional executor, interview them before you commit to appointing them. To learn more about executors and estate planning, check out my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” For a free E-copy, click the link below. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Many of our Solo Agers wonder “how will my executor know I died?” (Especially if they've chosen me as their professional executor, as opposed to someone they see daily). Solo Agers tend to live alone, so this is a very understandable and common question. Notify in case of death In New York, many Solo Agers live in buildings with a doorman, which is very convenient. Many of these buildings have “Notify in Case of Death/Emergency” forms. The Solo Ager would put my name on the form and indicate that I am the executor. Also, your doorman or super will know if something is wrong when they don't see you coming and going anymore. Over time, they tend to recognize routines and changes to them. Some doctors have similar forms to add my name as attorney/executor. The doctor will know what to do from there. Perhaps you made pre-paid funeral arrangements, or you have chosen your funeral home. The funeral home should also have the same type of forms. Leave clues Aside from having official paperwork to notify the executor, you should also leave clues of who to contact in case of death. Make sure your executor is listed in your paper address book. Believe it or not, it's not always easy to get contact information from a person's cell phone. Another way is to put the executor/attorney's business card on the refrigerator. Hopefully it would be obvious to someone who comes into your home that they should call that attorney upon your passing. Once you have asked us to be your executor, we send you items on occasion, such as books and holiday cards. This is a less subtle way to let someone know who to contact. Maybe your neighbor comes in and finds that you have passed. If she sees the “How to Hire a Professional Executor Book” on your coffee table and a holiday card from us on the mantel, then hopefully she would put the clues together and call our office. Annual check-ins Once you hire us to be your professional executors, we call you for annual check-ins. These calls will naturally result in casual mentions among friends: “I was just taking to my executor…” So now your friends know that you have a professional executor, even if they don't know my name. That should trigger them to search for my name upon your passing. Asking friends to remember little details of your life is probably not realistic. So, a few clues are more likely to recall something you said earlier. Another reason these check-in calls are helpful is that the conversations give me an update on ongoing health issues. If there is a downward trend, I will know to monitor your situation a little more often. Worst case scenario, if you were to pass away a minute after we hang up from our annual call, I'll know within a year when it's time for our next call. It's not ideal, but it works. There's no perfect way of letting me know, but these are the most common scenarios. If you don't already have one, please click the link below to get a free copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

The Nation's Foremost Authority on Solo Aging… Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, PhD has developed a niche specialty as an expert in “Solo Aging.” She is an author, certified retirement coach, and professional speaker on retirement and aging. Through her books, public speaking and coaching, she guides people who have no children or who are aging alone to have a safe, fulfilling life in their retirement years. Dr. Geber is a recipient of the “2018 Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue. She believes Solo Agers have unique needs in later life that warrant greater foresight and a more robust approach to planning. Check us out: https://www.positivetalkradio.net/support/ https://kmmedia.pro/our-store Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/positivetalkradio Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/positivetalkradio/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@positivetalkradio?lang=en Twitter - https://twitter.com/positivetradio

How does receiving an inheritance change your own Solo Ager estate plan? A family inheritance will increase the size and complexity of your estate, so let's discuss what that means for Solo Agers. Increases the size of your estate How does this inheritance result in a more complex probate for you later on? The more you have, the higher the risk of conflict. This is because there is more at stake. If your niece and nephew were going to each receive $20,000; that's a nice chunk of change, but not worth hiring lawyers for. But if they are now going to receive six figures each, it gets more complicated. Also imagine if you plan to leave the niece $100,000 and the nephew $300,000; the niece could feel she'd have the funds to hire an attorney and make it worth the fight. Then there's taxes, and we're not just talking about estate tax. When you have more assets, you're more likely to have capital gains issues. Or, even ordinary income tax clearance issues on your final 1040. The higher your net worth, the more complicated or diverse are your assets. If you inherited a bunch of stock and bought/sold them to organize your estate, it could cause issues getting the tax clearance on your 1040 if you die shortly after. It also depends what you are inheriting. If your current estate is made up of bank, brokerage, and real estate, then it's probably pretty straightforward. But what if you inherit commercial real estate, a share of a small business, art, Bitcoin, etc.? Those are new assets that can add twists to your plans. Maybe the executor you appointed isn't equipped to deal with these types of assets. This leads to the next question: Do you now need a professional executor? As Solo Ager, you may have chosen a friend or distantly related family member as executor. Now that your estate is more complex than you originally planned, the more burdensome and difficult it is to administer the estate. You're now asking more from the executor than you did initially, and maybe it's time to consider hiring a professional executor. Reduce amounts to your heirs Receiving an inheritance could compel you to reduce the amount you give to your heirs. It seems counterintuitive; if you inherited more, why would you give less? For example, our client recently inherited a large amount of money from his father, who passed away. His initial estate plan was to give a good chunk to his niece and nephew (25% of his estate to each and 50% to charity). Since he received dad's inheritance, his estate is significantly larger. In our client's opinion, 25% of his now-large estate is a bit too generous for each of his heirs. On top of all this, the niece and nephew have already inherited from our client's deceased father, too! In this situation, our client felt it was appropriate to reduce the heirs' shares and bequeath those funds to others. Leave more to charity Along the same lines, you may decide to leave more to charity. If your estate is bigger, you have more options to give to good causes. You can give (more) to charity, since you have enough to leave good amounts to friends and family and still have funds left over. Now that you have more to leave to charity, there are different techniques and strategies available to you. For small estates, it's not worth the legal and accounting fees to set up certain plans. But now, the amount you're leaving to charity is large enough to cost-justify a trust or other planning tool that better suits your legacy and goals. We have Solo Agers who are grateful to have inherited from older family members, and they have told us how it's impacted their own estate plans. We wanted to share with you so that you can be prepared, too. If you have not already done so, please click the link below to get a free copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

On this week's episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, the guest is Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D., author of the book Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers. [Read more...] The post Seekers of Meaning 8/5/2022: Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, expert in Solo Aging appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

Many of our Solo Ager clients ask if I'll serve as their successor (not primary) executor. The short answer is yes. We discuss why solo agers ask for successor executors. Planning to be a future Solo Ager They may not be Solo Agers at the moment, but they are planning for when they will could become a Solo Ager. It's smart: planning two steps ahead. Married, no kids Mrs. M and her husband named each other as their executors in their wills, which is common. At some point, one of them will die first. The husband named his brother as his successor executor (in case Mrs. M predeceases him). Mrs. M doesn't have siblings or other close family members. She doesn't want her brother-in-law acting as her executor if her husband predeceases. Mrs. M needed a successor executor of her choosing. That is why she reached out to our office, and we are happy to work with her. Girlfriend, no kids, wants to disinherit Mr. C named his girlfriend as his executor, since he wants to disinherit his family members and leave everything to his girlfriend. He is also disinheriting his nieces and nephews (next-of-kin). If his girlfriend predeceases him, Mr. C is leaving his estate to charity. If his girlfriend predeceases him, Mr. C needs someone like a professional executor to handle everything, since there is no one else. Also, since Mr. C is disinheriting family, a professional executor is a good choice. Along those lines, even if his girlfriend is alive, she may not want to accept her role of executor. She probably won't want to deal with a messy contest and engage in a court battle with the heirs. The girlfriend has the option to decline and let a professional executor to step-in to handle the mess. She will still get the inheritance check at the end, but she wouldn't have to deal with the heirs. Mr. C set up the will to give her options: she can serve as executor if she's ok with the situation, or she can let the professional executor take over. Sometimes we get calls asking us to act as successor executors, and we are happy to help. If you want to learn more about Solo Ager situations, click the link below for a free copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Our solo ager clients often ask “who should draft my will? Should I do it myself or hire a lawyer?” Default: hire a reputable estate planning lawyer The benefit is that you will have peace of mind that your will is done correctly, as opposed to using a computer program. Software is pretty good, but a human (in this case, an experienced attorney) will spot problems that a DIY will can miss. A drawback is that hiring an experienced attorney can be costly, especially compared to using computer software. Make sure to find any attorney who specializes in estate planning, not the guy who does DUIs and wills only on the side. (No offense to either subset of the profession, but these are just completely different skillsets). DIY will tips Will preparation software is a fine option these days, because it is much more developed than it was even five or ten years ago. Watch our previous episode where we reviewed some DIY options. You may want to use a software program if you think you'll make revisions quite often. Each revision with an attorney can be expensive. Simply changing a name can cost more than you'd think. Even if you just want to swap out “Joe” for “Bob” in your will, the attorney still has a duty to look over your entire estate plan and each document to make sure they are accurate and confirm that your situation hasn't changed. If you decide to draft the will yourself, please consider hiring a lawyer to at least supervise signing ceremony. This will ensure that the will is signed correctly, including the affidavits and the witnesses. You'd be surprised at the problems that can arise if the will isn't signed properly. You can usually find a local experienced estate planning attorney who can supervise the signing for a fraction of the estate planning cost. In this case, the attorney will not review your will for errors, but will simply supervise the signing process. Keep in mind that even if you've drafted a perfect will yourself, it is all for nothing if you fail the technicalities of the signing ceremony. It sounds like signing should be something simple, but we've even seen inexperienced attorneys mess it up. Can my professional executor draft my will? Sure, a professional executor can draft your will. I used to do a lot of estate plans, but now I'm 100% focused on being best executor possible for you. Being a professional executor is time consuming, and it doesn't leave a lot of room to be good at extra jobs on the side. Personally, I don't have the software, fancy paper, or setup any more to draft wills. I would be doing it from scratch, and that's not an ideal situation. However, I am happy to do a non-legal advice review of your draft plan to check for any glaring red flags. It's a good idea to have a review to point out obvious mistakes that could blow up your whole estate plan. If you want learn how probate works for Solo Agers, check out the link to my free book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Over fifty, retiring, and childless by choice? Are you among the fifteen million Americans over fifty and childless by choice? Solo aging gracefully and a happy retirement can be yours!American Baby Boomers are aging, and fifteen million of them never had children. Who will take care of them? Unprecedented in U.S. history, this demographic will create challenges for these individuals as well as for society. This makes retirement planning for solo agers all the more essential, including issues like choices in housing, relationships, legal arrangements, finances, and more. The solo ager needs to plan for the future as though their life and well-being depended on it.In this episode, you'll discover:Solo Agers: what, where, and who are they?Biggest challenges for Solo Agers as they move into the second half of lifeCritical choices Solo Agers must makePlanning for later lifeBuilding a support networkExpressing your "voice" through someone elseAbout Sara Zeff Geber:Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D., has made raising awareness of the special challenges of Solo Agers her personal crusade, speaking and writing about it for the past six years. Her book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, is available as an e-book or paperback. With her coaching, writing, and speaking, Dr. Geber helps Solo Agers understand what they need to do to prepare for the future in retirement and beyond.Sara has a Ph.D. in Counseling and Human Behavior. She is an active member of the Life Planning Network (LPN) and is on the leadership team for the NorCal chapter of LPN. She is also a member of The Transition Network, a national organization that supports women over 50 as they go through life's journey. A Solo Ager herself, Sara is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and lives with her husband and their canine companion in Santa Rosa.Get in touch with Sara Zeff Geber:Sara's website: https://sarazeffgeber.com/Buy Sara's book: https://revolutionizeretirement.com/geber Sara's Handout: https://www.revolutionizeretirement.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Sara-Zeff-Geber-Handout.pdf Grab our free guide, 10 Key Issues to Consider as You Explore Your Retirement Transition, at https://10keyretirementissues.com/ 

To my surprise, we keep getting calls from Solo Agers in California asking me to serve as their executor and trustee. Let's explain why this is surprising. California is a leader of professional executors and trustees I thought that California has a robust and developed industry of professional executors. For instance, California has a state licensing agency: Professional Fiduciaries Bureau. You have to apply to receive a license to be an in-state professional fiduciary. There are also trade groups like the Professional Fiduciary Association of California. There is a whole infrastructure for personal executors in California that you don't see in other states. This led me to believe that there is an abundance of professional fiduciaries in California. Yet, solo agers can't find professional executors in California While Californians are able to find professional executors, it is hard to find a professional executor that is focused on Solo Ager issues. So, these Solo Agers feel like they're put into a cookie-cutter plan. For example, some Solo Agers are being told to just leave everything to their kids – even when they are estranged, or they don't have kids! Yes, I can be executor outside of NY, including California For the above reason alone, I want you to know that even though I am based in New York, I can be a professional executor for someone outside of New York, including California. Just keep in mind that there are some drawbacks when you choose an out-of-state executor. There may be travel costs and slightly less familiarity with local customs. The trade-off is that you'll have a professional that you are comfortable with. A professional executor is well-versed in administering an estate generally, even if not specific to a certain location's customs. Whether you live here or across the country: If you are looking for a professional fiduciary to focus on your Solo Ager issues, it would be my honor to help you. If you want learn how probate works for Solo Agers, check out the link to my free book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Our clients want a professional executor for many reasons. Most commonly they have no heirs, or their family lives abroad. But those aren't the only reasons. We'll share a few recent examples of why clients want a professional executor. 19 Heirs! Mr. and Mrs. K. are in their 70s, and they want a professional executor for when they pass. They have 19 nieces and nephews as heirs, scattered across the US. Mr. And Mrs. K. do not want to choose from the 19 heirs for a couple of reasons. First, they don't want to sow discord by singling out one heir to be executor. When just 1 out of 19 has more authority or power, the others may become jealous or suspicious. Secondly, Mr. And Mrs. K. know what probate can be like from past experiences. They understand that having 19 heirs across a dozen states is going to be a headache for the executor. Even having two heirs in different states is a hassle, especially when original wet signatures are required on certain documents. Having a professional executor is beneficial Mr. and Mrs. K.'s of situation. Son cannot manage own finances People from all walks of life can benefit from hiring a professional executor, not just Solo Agers. For example, Mr. and Mrs. J. have an adult son who, for various reasons, has not taken flight from the nest. Although the son doesn't live at home, Mr. and Mrs. J. financially support him, including paying his rent. Understandably, Mr. And Mrs. J. don't feel comfortable having their son handle their estate. Since he is financially dependent on his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. need a professional trustee to continue to manage funds and financially support their son when they're gone. Executorship would be too much Some clients don't want to burden a loved one with the responsibilities of executorship. Ms. H. is single mom with 2 adult daughters. One daughter lives in Europe, so it is unrealistic for her to be the executor. The other daughter lives nearby, but she is busy raising her 3 young kids. It is simply not realistic to ask either daughter to execute an estate, given distance and everyday business of their own lives. Being an executor is a whole job on top of whatever job(s) you already have in life. As we've discussed many times, the probate process can be long and difficult. Not understanding the documents and requirements of probate adds to the difficulty of administering an estate. Let alone, dragging 3 small children with you to the banks! These are all great reasons for considering a professional executor. If you want to learn more about how a professional executor can help, check out my book, “How to Hire an Executor,” available on Amazon. Request your free consultation  

Dr. Geber's book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults lays out 6 essential elements for aging safely and happily. Based on research across several areas, such as economics and psychology, these 6 elements are truly what matter most. Join us to hear Dr. Geber's thoughts on how to plan and cultivate well-thought out strategies for living well. As she says, “How do you take charge of your own script as you age?” For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at www.bestlifebestdeath.com Follow us on our social channels to receive pertinent and helpful resources on death, grieving, and more at: Facebook: www.facebook.com/bestlifebestdeath Instagram: www.instagram.com/bestlifebestdeath

The following are three recent questions from our Solo Ager readers. Thanks for your questions! As a side note before we begin: I've noticed that a more popular phrase is “Elder Orphans” rather than “Solo Agers.” I feel like “orphans” sounds like a bit of a downer. Please let us know what you think in the comments. Can I disinherit with a poor man's will? A “poor man's will” is a slang term for not having an official will, but rather, using your beneficiary designations to patch together an estate plan. You can disinherit people this way, but it probably won't work out the way you hope. Too often, beneficiary designations do not reflect your final wishes. People often forget who they named as beneficiaries on their accounts. That kind of information doesn't show up on your monthly statement; you have to call the bank. Another reason is that your account balance is continually changing. Maybe you want to leave your bank account to your nephew, but you like your niece more, so you leave her your larger brokerage account. Then, you leave the other brokerage account to your brother. What if one brokerage account over-performs and the other account tanks? Now your wishes are out of whack. When doing a poor man's will, you don't have the structure to run your estate. People like to avoid probate because the process is long, but probate actually gives structure to the process after someone passes away. Structure is important to make sure debts, taxes, and expenses get paid. You could run into the situation where no one knows who is supposed to pay for the funeral. Or maybe the IRS is hunting down all possible heirs to pay the taxes. Without a probate estate, there are no funds to pay an executor. If all the assets have a named beneficiary, there is no operating account for the estate. Most people don't want to do the executor work without compensation. The way to disinherit without using a poor man's will is using an “in terrorem” clause with a disincentive payment. An in terrorem clause is when you disinherit someone by cutting them out of the will if they object to the will. But that only works if that person is going to get something. (It doesn't work to say they get nothing, and if they object, they get more of nothing!). Who will scatter my ashes if I move out of state? One reader asked who will scatter her ashes if she moves out of state, away from her executor (in this case, I'm her professional executor). The executor can still honor those wishes out of state. FedEx delivers ashes, and we work with the local funeral director to make sure the ashes get shipped correctly - The estate will pay for the shipping costs. Alternatively, the estate can pay for the executor to fly out of state if there are sufficient funds. Who should I hire to make my funeral arrangements? One reader asked if they should hire me, as a professional executor, to make funeral arrangements. Is hiring a person better than buying a prepaid funeral arrangement? I am not a fan of prepaid funeral plans. With all due respect to my funeral director colleagues, I'm not a fan of prepaying for anything. If you want to set aside money in an account for your heirs to pay for the funeral, that is fine. Locking yourself into a prepaid plan is not the best idea. Funeral homes are not great managers of other people's money. For example, we had an estate of a deceased funeral director and had to open the funeral home books to see who was owed what. We were tasked with refunding money to people who had prepaid funeral plans, since the funeral director passed. The records were not well-kept, and it was quite a mess. You can use legal documents for choosing who will be in charge of your funeral plans, and you can have a separate account with funeral funds available. This allows you to change your plans. Suppose you buy burial plots in one state and then you move to another state. Don't lock your plans in too much because you don't know how your wishes will change in the future. A similar question: is the professional executor a “one-stop shop?” Yes, if you ask me to serve as your professional executor, I will have annual check-in calls with you. I can't just meet you once and put my name on your documents. We don't have to be best friends, but we need to have a relationship that gives me a general sense of how to carry out your wishes. Another question: should I name my funeral director as my executor? No. Unless your funeral director is a unique individual who has significant experience serving as executor, then it's a definite no. They might be excellent at managing final affairs and ceremonies but acting as an executor is a completely different skill set. Just because death relates the two roles doesn't mean the skill sets are related. Again, we appreciate your questions. Please keep sending them in! If you don't have a copy of my book, the Solo Ager Estate Plan, click the link below. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”    

Episode 29: Dr. Sara Zeff Geber is an author and the Founder of LifeEncore. Her book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults, was selected as a “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal. Sara also received the distinction of being named as one of the “2018 Influencers in Aging” by the PBS website, Next Avenue.  Links:Sara's website: https://sarazeffgeber.com/Sara's book:  Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers What's Next?What are your questions about solo aging? Share your questions with us at info@seniorityauthority.org or find us on your favorite social media platform. Stay Connected:Cathleen ToomeyLinkedin:Cathleen ToomeyWebsite:Seniority AuthorityFacebook:Seniority AuthorityInstagram:seniorityauthoritySubscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Lots of people like to keep cash and valuables hidden at home. But what if you do too good a job of hiding them that even your executor can't find them? They could end up lost or thrown away. Let's discuss how to avoid that. Why people hide cash and valuables at home Some folks don't trust banks or the government, in general. Perhaps they came from a country or grew up in another era where banking was much less reliable. Others want to hide valuables from home aides, cleaning staff, EMTs, etc. Unfortunately, it's not unusual for items to go missing when someone gets transferred to a nursing home or when they pass away. Lastly, some folks want to be prepared for a recession or bank runs/panics. Panic bank/ATM runs could have easily been the scenario two years ago when we witnessed the toilet paper shortage. Where NOT to hide cash and valuables at home If you hide valuables too well, the executor/heirs probably won't find it either. From personal experience, treasure hunting for hidden money and jewelry is just one thing on a long list of the executor's tasks to do when cleaning out a home. The executor needs to document items for family members, and the home needs to be cleared out and in broom-clean condition to get it on the market in a reasonable time frame. There's really not much time to tear up the floorboards to look for hidden cash... Here are some examples of where people hide things and why the executor/heirs might miss it: In the freezer, wrapped in foil or Ziploc bag. It's not really reasonable for someone to go through every item in the fridge/freezer to see if there's money in it. By the time we're cleaning out the fridge, everything is probably rotting. We do our best to check, but often, there just isn't much time before we need to move on to the next task. In the pantry, inside flour jars, sugar jars, cereal boxes. Again, there isn't time to look through all of these things for hidden valuables. Sometimes we hire a cleaning company, and they certainly are not going to take the time to examine each item. Inside books or hollowed out books. It's not realistic for an executor to take every book off of the shelf and leaf through the pages. We do tend to check the dictionaries and Bibles, which are more common “hiding places.” Taped on the underside of the drawer. Some public administrators will take out every drawer, examine it, then toss it on the floor. After doing so, it tends to look like someone robbed the place. We do our best to look around, but we also respect the emotional reaction of the heirs. We do not trash the place. Inside a cigar box. We do check these, but if the box is tucked away, we might miss it. Sewn into the lining of clothes. We might do a pat-down of some items, but generally, clothing is overlooked. Although one time, we found cash in a sofa cushion because we noticed a lump. Under floorboards. If there is an obvious discolored board, we'll take a look. However, we're not wrecking a house to find possible valuables. It's time consuming and costly to pull up floorboards and get them neatly back into place. By the way, if the floorboard hiding place is so obvious that we can find it, chances are the home aid or EMT can find it, too. Good places to hide cash and valuables at home A fireproof safe costs money and it can draw attention, but it also means that your executor knows to look in there. Try not to worry about the home aid seeing your safe. Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. You are more likely to have cash or jewelry swiped off of your dresser than for a visitor to spend time trying to get into the safe. There is no need to buy a huge safe that is incredibly obvious. You also don't want to get a tiny safe that is easy to carry away. A standard safe might weigh 50 to 100 pounds and can be bolted into the floor or the wall. Solo Ager Book This topic came up because we have been talking about hunting for Bitcoin keys after death. We thought this would be helpful to cover other types of treasure hunts. You can tell your professional executor that you have hidden things in certain places, but this may not help if you die years later and change the hiding place. If you want to learn more, click the link below to get a free copy of my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan.” Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Dr. Sara Zeff Geber is the go-to person to consult about solo aging. She's been raising awareness about the unique needs of solo agers for over ten years. She is on the advisory team for https://www.nexusinsights.net/ (Nexus Insights), a think tank and incubator for revolutionary concepts in senior living and aging. She has contributed her information on aging to Forbes.com, Huffington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. A popular speaker, Dr Geber has spoken on many stages and at many conferences, with topics ranging from How Baby Boomers are Reinventing Retirement to Steps to Keep Solo Agers Happy. She founded LifeEncore in 2011 to educate and coach boomers in how to approach retirement in a positive and creative way. Her latest book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, is an excellent road map for single and childless agers going through the next stages of life. You can connect with Dr Geber through the following links: https://sarazeffgeber.com/ (https://sarazeffgeber.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarazeffgeber/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarazeffgeber/) https://www.facebook.com/Lifeencore (https://www.facebook.com/Lifeencore) The individual that Sara mentioned regarding more information about aging, Carol Marak, can be found at https://carolmarak.com/index.html (https://carolmarak.com/index.html)

In America, every 8 seconds someone turns 65. Many of those seniors will find themselves alone at some point in their later years.     Carol Marak's journey to help her fellow baby boomers manage aging alone as “Solo Agers” began while she was assisting her parents through their own aging process. Her parents were fortunate, Carol muses, to have her, their daughter, there to guide them through the myriad of issues - finance, housing, companionship and long-term medical care - that arise as we grow older. Helping her parents turned out to be her wake up call. “Heck, I'm unmarried with no children; who will be there to take care of me?” she asked. “That's when I got on the stick,” she added, “and began planning for my own life as a solo ager.”  Listen to our conversation as we discuss:    Carol's definition of Solo Ager--it isn't just the unmarried or childless     The significant limitations of typical retirement planning that focus only on finance, legal matters and estate planning  The toughest question solo agers must address  The Top Ten areas of concern to solo agers according to Carol  How to overcome inertia and begin your own plan for the future  Carol's 5 Steps to successful living solo  Why she started the Elder Orphan Facebook Group and how you can join her community of over 9,700 members who are aging alone    …and so much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Solo Ager clients often ask, “Do I have to tell an heir that I've named them in my will?” For one reason or another, you may not be sure what to do. We will discus the pros and cons of telling your heirs they have been named in your will. Do heirs have to be notified? You are not legally required to notify your heirs when you make your will. However, once you die and your executor begins the probate process, your executor is required to notify your heirs that they are named in the will. In fact, the executor must send a copy of the will to the heirs. This means the heirs will also see who the other heirs are and what they will inherit. Why not tell your heirs? First of all, nothing is final. There is a good chance you might change your will again before you die. It would be pretty awkward to tell someone that they are inheriting something, and then you change your mind. You don't want to cause drama between you and your heirs, or among the heirs themselves. Suppose you have two nieces between whom you were going to split your estate 50/50. Then they find out that you've changed it to 75/25. This will create an awkward situation among all of you, especially if the nieces are sisters. You may find that once you tell your heirs what they will inherit, the heirs' behavior changes. It could feel as if you are dangling their inheritance in front of them. Or maybe the ones inheriting the most won't try as hard to win your favor or hang around as much, since they feel secure in what they plan to receive. When to tell heirs Generally, I don't recommend telling your heirs what they will specifically inherit for the reasons described above. However, there are times when it makes sense to tell them. One reason is to help them plan for the future. Say you have a niece with school-aged children, and she is struggling to figure out how much to save up for college. You know that by the time her children are in college, you won't be around. You can let your niece know that they will receive an inheritance to take care of those costs. This news could alter how aggressively she saves, which will make their lives easier now (not just when the inheritance comes). Just remember - once she relies on this information to set her financial plan, it will not look good if you change your mind! If you are not planning on giving much to your heirs or you plan to give mostly to charity, then set expectations for your heirs. Let them know that you plan to give your wealth to charities and for them not to expect a large inheritance. Doing this can help avoid hard feelings after your death. If you have a relative who's expecting to receive a lot and they find out after you pass that it's going to charity, it may tarnish your legacy in their eyes. But if you set expectations before you pass, then the heirs will be prepared. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Dr. Sara Zeff Geber is a recipient of the “Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue. She is an author, retirement transition coach, and professional speaker on retirement and aging. She has developed a niche specialty as an expert in “Solo Aging,” informing people who have no children or who are aging alone how to have a safe and fulfilling life in their retirement years. Follow her on https://sarazeffgeber.com/

Episode 24: Carol Marak is a solo aging advisor and advocate. She is the founder of the Elder Orphan Facebook Group, which launched in 2016 and has almost 10,000 members. She also has a successful YouTube channel called Solo and Smart and a book titled SOLO AND SMART: The Roadmap for a Supportive and Secure Future.Carol attributes her seven years of family caregiving as to how she learned to plan for the future. Between her and her two sisters, caring for their ailing parents took up almost all of their time. With no children to rely on as her parents did, and knowing the amount of care that they needed, she knew she had to plan for her future and figure out what to do.Links:Carol's Book: SOLO AND SMART: The Roadmap for a Supportive and Secure FutureCarol's Facebook Group: Elder OrphansCarol's YouTube Chanell: Solo and SmartCarol's Website: CarolMarak.comWhat's Next?What are your questions about solo aging? Share your questions with us at info@seniorityauthority.org or find us on your favorite social media platform.Stay Connected:Cathleen ToomeyLinkedin:Cathleen ToomeyWebsite:Seniority AuthorityFacebook:Seniority AuthorityInstagram:seniorityauthoritySubscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher,Apple Podcasts,Google Podcasts andSpotify. 

As we know, Solo Ager estate plans are a bit trickier than other estate plans. We recommend that our clients take a look at their estate plan every 4 to 5 years. However, for Solos Agers, we suggest a light annual review. 1. Your Executor The first thing you should review is whether your executor is still alive. This is important for Solo Agers because they often have non-traditional executors. Solo Agers often hire a professional executor like me because they don't have family members who they feel comfortable appointing. This professional executor is probably not someone they keep in touch with on a daily basis. Is your executor still living nearby? Perhaps if the executor has moved far away, it's not practical to have them named in your will any longer. Are you still confident your executor will fulfill his or her duties to your liking? Perhaps the executor is someone who is developing close relationships with relatives that you are planning to disinherit. Maybe your executor is getting older and declining. Maybe your assets have become more technologically advanced, and your executor isn't familiar with the types of accounts you have (bitcoin, for example). 2. Who inherits Again, you want to make sure that the beneficiaries of your will and/or trust are still alive. It sounds depressing to have to think about such things, but a 5-to-10-minute review of your documents could prevent a headache for your executor when you pass. Are your beneficiaries still worthy of inheriting your money? Sometimes family members slowly stop keeping in touch with their aging relatives. As a Solo Ager, you may want to evaluate whether those people are still worthy of receiving your estate. Does it still make you feel good that you're leaving your money to them? You may have set up a trust for a beneficiary, or you may have chosen to give them their share outright. It's best to re-evaluate to see if that choice is still appropriate for that beneficiary. For example, you may have chosen an outright distribution to someone who has since started having drinking problems or gambling issues. Perhaps you've left money to someone who needs asset protection. Now, a trust or some other planning tool may be better. On the other side, you may have put a minor beneficiary's share in a trust, and now he or she is an adult who can handle money. Many Solo Agers prefer to leave some money to charities. Take time to review if your charity of choice still exists and if it is still worthy of inheriting your money. Perhaps the charity was very efficient in serving the original cause, but now a change of management style has resulted in less money going toward the charitable cause itself. Does the charity still align with your values? Have your passions or interest changed? Maybe when you created your will, you were really into pets, and you left a large share to the ASPCA. Maybe now your passion is something else that you'd rather leave your money to. 3. Your Guardian You may not have a guardian in your estate plan. But, are you satisfied with what happens if you lose capacity? If you don't have a trust or other mechanism in place, are you happy with the idea of a court-appointed guardian? You may have listened to our prior podcast in which we reviewed the Netflix move, “I Care a Lot.” The movie is obviously a dramatization, but it shows how bad it can be when the system takes over someone who doesn't really need a guardian. It's best to have a plan in place now before the court decides it's a good idea to appoint a stranger as your guardian. If you are unfamiliar with court-appointed strangers, we suggest you check our podcast on the topic. In conclusion, an annual light review of your documents can go a long way in making sure your plan is strong. To learn about estate planning tips for Solo Agers, please check out my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” available on Amazon. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

So, you finally did it: you made and signed your will. Now, where do you store the original? We get this question a lot from Solo Agers, particularly those who have named me as executor in their wills. Can you keep your will at home? It's not a good idea, even if you have a fireproof box or filing cabinet. The big drawback (at least in New York) is the legal presumption of intentional revocation. Meaning, if you lose the original (in absence of evidence), the court will assume that you intentionally destroyed it. If you store it with the court, lawyer, or executor, they do not have the right to revoke your will. If your executor loses your will, they can still potentially probate a copy of your will. Storing your will in a safe deposit box is a bad idea. Getting into someone's safe deposit box after death can be a pain. That pain is compounded if the will that authorizes your executor to access the safe deposit box is in the safe deposit box! Does probate court keep original will? Yes, there is a mechanism called “filing a will for safekeeping” in the New York courts. You go to your local county surrogate's court and pay a fee of $45.00. They will keep it in the court's vault. The benefit of filing a will with the court is that it's a centralized process. One of the first things we do when we probate an estate is to check with the court to see if they have the will. However, there are two major cons: 1) A publicly filed will is a semi-public record. This doesn't mean that anyone can walk in and look at it. Rather, suppose you make a new will years after you filed your first will with the court. Maybe you forgot you ever filed the first will, and now your executor is probating your subsequent will, which names different beneficiaries. Your executor may need to notify the beneficiaries of the first will. This is probably not the case if you didn't file your will with the court. 2) Another drawback is: which court do you file it with? What if you file it in Manhattan, but then you move to Long Island? Probate occurs where you die. If the will isn't stored in that court, then the benefit of checking the court for the will doesn't exist anymore. Do lawyers keep original wills? Yes, some lawyers offer fireproof storage for wills, trusts, and other client documents. Most do not charge a fee for this. Not all lawyers offer to hold wills due to the risk involved. As mentioned above, if the lawyer loses your will, the executor should still be able to probate a copy. Should I give my will to the executor? Generally, the answer is no. However, a professional executor lawyer is set up to safely store your will. Most amateur executors (family, friends) are not set up and have the same issues as you for where to store it. To find out more on this topic, check out my book, “How to Hire an Executor,” available on Amazon.  

The Netflix movie, “I Care a Lot,” shows a nightmare scenario for Solo Agers. It is a dramatization of what could potentially happen to our Solo Ager friends. Below we'll separate 7 myths from reality in this movie. Spoiler alert! If you want to watch the movie first, then save this blog to read after you've seen the movie. We'll be discussing mostly just the first 30 minutes of the movie (the set-up) but we will touch on parts later in the movie. The sole job of the main character, Marla, is to act as a guardian for people who are incapacitated. Elderly Ms. Peterson is deemed to be incompetent, and Marla is appointed to take over her affairs. Marla represents what a bad guardian can look like. Ms. Peterson's situation shows how brutal it can feel if you are a vulnerable Solo Ager. 1. “Pain in the rear” patients get nudged into system In one scene, Marla talks to the doctor about how Ms. Peterson is a pain in the rear. Marla prefers for Ms. Peterson to get nudged into the system and out of her hands. I would say that yes, this is real. It may not happen as maliciously or overtly as the movie, but doctors, nursing homes, social workers, and courts/guardians are human. We don't like dealing with people who are a pain. What happens when the doctor, social worker, etc., thinks a patient is a pain? They are more prone to medicate the problem or pass the patient onto the next facility or next guardian. 2. Solo Agers targeted In the same scene, Marla is speaking with the doctor and assistant. They describe Ms. Peterson as a "cherry.” It's clear from the context that a “cherry” is a wealthy Solo Ager who is vulnerable and has no family. I'd say that this is real. Solo Agers aren't necessarily targeted by bad guy movie characters, but by advertising, financial advisors, and prepaid funeral plans. There are a lot of eyes on wealthy Solo Agers. This kind of person is more likely targeted than someone with a family to help or less money to grab. 3. “The System” = judge, doctors, homes Is there a gamut through which the Solo Ager gets pushed? There's a scene where Marla is in court, and the judge knows her. Even though Marla is doing bad things, they are a bit chummy, and the judge seems to trust her. Marla also has ongoing relationships with the nursing home directors, who want to fill their rooms while Marla is looking for places to put her Solo Agers. There are also scenes showing kickbacks where money is exchanged, and Marla gets paid in stocks. Yes, this is real too. Again, it's not a dramatized as the movie, but it's easy to imagine subtler versions. There is a system, and these professionals know each other. Once you're a victim in the system, it's hard to get out. You can get pushed from the court to the guardian to the nursing home to the social worker. Even Ms. Peterson's dangerous and powerful son couldn't get her out of the system. 4. Court-appointed stranger In an early scene, Ms. Peterson's morning tea is interrupted by a knock on the door. Marla is at the door telling her that she is Ms. Peterson's court-appointed guardian. She tells Ms. Peterson to come with her or she will have to deal with the sheriffs. It is possible to get stuck with a stranger as a court-appointed guardian. We had a case where our client expressed that she wanted her attorney or family member to be her guardian and the court ignored it. 5. Hearing without the solo ager? Can all of this happen without a Solo Ager being able to stop it? There were courtroom scenes where Ms. Peterson was not present to speak up for herself. It seems that Ms. Peterson had no idea what was going on until Marla knocked on her door. This is a myth, at least in New York. I'm sure it could happen in some states or in an emergent circumstance. However, in New York, judges have gone to GREAT lengths to have the Solo Ager at the hearing, especially now that platforms such as Zoom can be used. They have the right to be heard, to testify, to make their wishes known. I've even been in situations asking the judge to end the testimony sooner because our person is in pain, etc. But the judges are adamant that the hearing is important. 6. Taking her phone There is a scene where Marla takes away Ms. Peterson's phone as she is ushered into the nursing facility. It was like Ms. Peterson was in a prison, because she was not allowed to have contact with the outside world. This is a partial myth. In New York, nursing home patients are allowed to have their own phones. But if the phone breaks, runs out of battery, runs out of plan time, etc., is it SUPER hard to connect with a patient in a nursing home to replace or repair the phone. It's not because the nursing home is trying to cut off communication; it's just difficult to accomplish even small things when dealing with nursing homes. 7. Raiding the safe deposit box As Marla takes control of Ms. Peterson's life, she goes to the bank to raid the safe deposit box. This is a myth. In New York, when an executor/guardian opens a safe deposit box, there is a procedure set up. The box opening has to be performed in front of two bank witnesses and all people present must sign the inventory of contents to submit to the court. In real life, there's no way anyone can walk into a bank and get into a safe deposit box without abiding by the procedures. Overall, it was a good movie. For professionals in our line of work, the first 30 minutes of the movie are probably the most frustrating. If you've seen the movie, please let us know your thoughts. If you are a Solo Ager watching it, don't get stressed out that this is how life will be. To learn about estate planning tips for Solo Agers, please check out my book, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan,” available on Amazon. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

About six months ago, the court chose a court-appointed stranger for “Ms. H.,” a lovely solo ager who has named me executor in her will. In this episode, we are going to check in and see what's happened since then. To refresh, Ms. H. is unmarried with no kids and is somewhat estranged from her nieces and nephews. Ms. H. named me as executor in her will many years ago. She recently rekindled a relationship with a niece, who has been attentive to her. Ms. H. is in declining health and was placed involuntarily into a nursing home. She asked me and the niece to petition the court to be her guardians to get her out of the nursing home and into the comfort of her own home. Six months ago, when we petitioned the court, the court ignored Ms. H.'s wishes and appointed a random attorney (court-appointed stranger), instead. So, what's happened since then? Has the court-appointed stranger contacted anyone? Nope. Neither Ms. H., nor the niece, nor I have heard a peep since the court hearing. Up until the court hearing, the court-appointed stranger was very attentive in calling Ms. H. to make sure she understood the situation. Now, we've heard absolutely nothing. In fact, Ms. H. and her niece didn't even know the court had ruled against them and appointed a stranger. They were patiently waiting for the court to contact them. They had no idea the court-appointed stranger has been Ms. H.'s guardian for months. The only way they found out was because the niece randomly called me to ask a few questions about estate planning. Has our Solo Ager moved home? No. She hasn't even heard from her guardian, let alone begun the process of exiting the nursing home. There is no indication of any movement on this. Sadly, ever since the court hearing, Ms. H. has been hopefully waiting for signs that she will be released. She had been asking daily if today is the day that she will go home. Unfortunately, the niece had to break the news that not only is Ms. H. not going home, but that neither she nor I are her guardians. (And that the actual guardian has been silent for the past six months). What can our Solo Ager do now? In her situation, sadly, there is not much Ms. H. can do. Perhaps in another six months, if there is no activity or contact from the guardian, it's egregious enough to go back to court and ask for Mr. H.'s originally requested guardians. There's no guarantee that the judge will agree, but after a year of no activity, it can't hurt to try. For now, Ms. H. is stuck with the court-appointed stranger. Unfortunately, a year in a nursing home probably feels like a very long time, and she just wants to go home. So, how can others avoid this type of situation? For most folks, I don't recommend a revocable trust, but, for Solo Agers, having a revocable trust makes sense. With a revocable trust, your chosen trustee can step in immediately, without having to rely on a judge to respect your wishes. If Ms. H. had made a revocable trust, we'd have the power and authority to execute her wishes. We did recommend drafting a trust for her, but it never happened. We're wishing Ms. H. the best of luck, and we hope we can give you a positive update on her case in the future. We've talked about revocable trusts in a few prior episodes: Guardian vs Revocable Trust for Solo Agers and Getting Final Affairs in Order Before Death. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”  

Dr. Duffy talks with Sara Zeff Gerber, author of Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, about the particular challenges and solutions for Solo Agers regarding finances, housing, physical fragility and relationship development.

Dr. Duffy talks with Sara Zeff Gerber, author of Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, about what does it mean to be a Solo Ager? The re-definition of the family and the nature of retirement.

As a Solo Ager, choosing who inherits from you is something you should think about. Should it be the person who was there the most at the end? Or someone who had more of a life-long relationship with the decedent? Which relative should inherit? You can be a Solo Ager and still have siblings, nieces, and nephews, etc. Should the person who inherits your estate be that lifelong “favorite” niece or nephew that you went to ball games with or sewed with? Alternatively, there may have been a distant relative who was there for you at the end when things got tough. Perhaps it was someone who helped you with personal medical and hygiene needs. That kind of care creates an instant close relationship. We deal with estates after someone has passed on, and we hear both sides of the story. There may be the niece who says she was close with her aunt for 40 years and then all of a sudden everything goes to Cousin Johnny. The other point of view is that Cousin Johnny, who never had a close relationship with the aunt, was the one who stepped up to care for her in the end. There is no right answer, but this is an example of both points of view. Can a caregiver inherit? In a similar scenario, rather than talking about Cousin Johnny, a hired home-aide or nurse was caring for the decedent in the end. Often, the “hired help” do get something from the decedent's estate. We've seen butlers, live-in maids, and live-in cooks either inherit or not inherit. The family often underestimates how close the decedent was with their cook or maid. On the other hand, sometimes the home-aide overestimates his or her place and expects a large inheritance that will never come. A word of caution for home-aides and cousins helping at the end: The courts may look into whether a beneficiary exerted undue influence on the Solo Ager when making the will. For example, when someone is so reliant on another person for daily care, they have reason to fear that the care may be withheld if they don't sign a will naming the home-aide as a beneficiary. If the court finds that this is the case, the will might be deemed invalid. Leaving money to a church in your will In this context, we'll use the word “church” to describe any religious or community organization. For many Solo Agers, the church provides a lot of comfort and community toward the end of life. When the Solo Ager lives far away from (or has outlived) their family, the church sort of becomes their family. The church may also be the one that you rely on to give you a proper burial and memorial service. For these reasons, the church is often a main beneficiary. This may be confusing for relatives far away because they think they should get the money. But in reality, the church was the one meeting the needs of the Solo Ager at the end. These scenarios should get you thinking about having a solid estate plan. For Solo Agers, it's wise to get at least one version done now while you are unquestionably of sound mind. That way, there is a paper trail showing your minor changes along the way. Free copy of "The Solo Ager Estate Plan" Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony's Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Sara Zeff Geber wrote the book on Solo Aging—literally! The author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults shares what concepts will appeal to this growing market and how senior living operators can satisfy their needs. About Sara Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, 2018 recipient of the “Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue, is an author, certified retirement coach, and professional speaker on retirement and aging. She has developed a niche specialty working with “Solo Agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone. Dr. Geber is the author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults (Mango Press, 2018) which was selected that year as a “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal. With her speaking and writing, Sara has been raising awareness of Solo Agers for the past 10 years. She believes Solo Agers have unique needs in later life that warrant greater foresight and a more robust approach to planning. Sara is a regular contributor to Forbes.comon the topics of aging and retirement and is a fellow at Nexus Insights, a think tank and incubator for revolutionary concepts in senior living and aging. A sought-after speaker at conferences on retirement and aging, Sara is active in the Retirement Coaches Association, the American Society on Aging, the Life Planning Network, the Transition Network, the Sonoma County Section on Aging, and the Gerontological Society of America. Key Takeaways Twenty percent of baby boomer women did not give birth—half of previous generations. Clustered living environments with a neighborhood feel and communities that develop out of common interests will appeal to solo agers. (see Cozy Home Community) Senior Living operators will need to fill the gap for solo agers with no family support by partnering with service providers.

Our guest for this podcast is Dr. Sara Zeff Geber. Sara is an author, certified retirement coach, and professional speaker on retirement and aging. This conversation explores the world of “solo agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone. We discuss how prevalent this group of seniors is and what their unique needs and challenges are. Learn more about managing the unique challenges of solo agers: the legal and financial steps to take, including selecting Power of Attorney and Advance Directive designeehow to locate professional fiduciaries and patient advocates when there are no immediate family members to fill these roleswhat the possible living arrangements are when the older adult can no longer manage his or her own homecan moving to another country be an option, one that is less expensive, and already established by U.S. and Canadian citizens as safe and securewhy people who have been caregivers themselves are more inclined to start the planning for their own futures Is isolation a significant risk factor for solo agers? What are the challenges of “solo agers” and what steps are necessary to manage these challenges? Why are foresight and robust planning so critical for aging well, especially for this group? This is an important conversation that touches on successful retirement for those who are living alone in their senior years. And learn what measures will help to make this a more successful process. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS Mini Bio Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, a 2018 recipient of the “Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue, has developed a niche specialty working with “Solo Agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone.  Dr. Geber is the author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults (Mango Press, 2018) which was selected that year as a “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal. Sara is a regular contributor to Forbes.com on the topics of aging and retirement. She was recently invited to join the advisory team for Nexus Insights, a think tank and incubator for revolutionary concepts in senior living and aging. A sought-after speaker at conferences on retirement and aging, Sara is active in the Retirement Coaches Association, the American Society on Aging, the Life Planning Network, the Transition Network, the Sonoma County Section on Aging, and the Gerontological Society of America. Though married, Sara considers herself a Solo Ager, since she has no children. Items Mentioned in This Podcast Sara's book: Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults Forms and resources for planning: Nolo.com Opportunities for CoHousing: Cohousing.org Options for moving to other countries for retirement: InternaltionalLiving.com

Our guest for this podcast is Dr. Sara Zeff Geber. Sara is an author, certified retirement coach, and professional speaker on retirement and aging. This conversation explores the world of “solo agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone. We discuss how prevalent this group of seniors is and what their unique needs and challenges are. Learn more about managing the unique challenges of solo agers: the legal and financial steps to take, including selecting Power of Attorney and Advance Directive designeehow to locate professional fiduciaries and patient advocates when there are no immediate family members to fill these roleswhat the possible living arrangements are when the older adult can no longer manage his or her own homecan moving to another country be an option, one that is less expensive, and already established by U.S. and Canadian citizens as safe and securewhy people who have been caregivers themselves are more inclined to start the planning for their own futures Is isolation a significant risk factor for solo agers? What are the challenges of “solo agers” and what steps are necessary to manage these challenges? Why are foresight and robust planning so critical for aging well, especially for this group? This is an important conversation that touches on successful retirement for those who are living alone in their senior years. And learn what measures will help to make this a more successful process. Mini Bio Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, a 2018 recipient of the “Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue, has developed a niche specialty working with “Solo Agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone.  Dr. Geber is the author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults (Mango Press, 2018) which was selected that year as a “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal. Sara is a regular contributor to Forbes.com on the topics of aging and retirement. She was recently invited to join the advisory team for Nexus Insights, a think tank and incubator for revolutionary concepts in senior living and aging. A sought-after speaker at conferences on retirement and aging, Sara is active in the Retirement Coaches Association, the American Society on Aging, the Life Planning Network, the Transition Network, the Sonoma County Section on Aging, and the Gerontological Society of America. Though married, Sara considers herself a Solo Ager, since she has no children. Items Mentioned in This Podcast Sara's book: Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults Forms and resources for planning: Nolo.com Opportunities for CoHousing: Cohousing.org Options for moving to other countries for retirement: InternaltionalLiving.com

Calling all Going Solo Agers - Elite Guest, Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, Certified Retirement Coach, and Professional Speaker, Author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults from Santa Rosa, CA with Host, Cece Shatz on WGSN-DB Going Solo Author's Corner/Meet The Author. WGSN-DB Going Solo Network, Radio, TV & Podcasts - #1 Internet Singles Talk Network (www.goingsolomedia.com)A bit about Sara...Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, recent recipient of the “2018 Influencers in Aging” designation by PBS' Next Avenue, is an author, certified retirement coach, and professional speaker on retirement and aging. She has developed a niche specialty working with “Solo Agers,” people who have no children or who are aging alone. Dr. Geber is the author of the 2018 book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults, which was recently selected as a “best book on aging well” by the WSJ. With her speaking and writing, Sara has been raising awareness of Solo Agers for the past 10 years. She believes Solo Agers have unique needs in later life that warrant greater foresight and a more robust approach to planning. Sara is a regular contributor to Forbes.com on the topics of aging and retirement. A sought-after speaker at conferences on Aging, Sara is also active in the American Society on Aging, the Life Planning Network, the Transition Network, the Sonoma County Section on Aging, and the Gerontological Society of America. A Solo Ager herself, Sara lives with her husband in Santa Rosa, California. Email: Sara@LifeEncore.com Website: SaraZeffGeber.com

Dr. Sara Zeff Geber is a certified retirement coach and author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers. Sara has valuable information and suggestions for how to age safely and happily whether you don't have children or whether you have children who are unavailable for you. Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers SaraZeffGeber.com Thank you to Bokuwa and Wizzie2k for your music! https://open.spotify.com/artist/7HfQ9VLWIRSikubNOZiu8J

With a growing number of people opting out of having children, how we age has changed the scope of retirement life. The prevalence of solo-agers means that community life and building a social network have newfound importance. Dr. Sara Zeff Geber talks with Amy Dix about ways to build your community, avoiding loneliness and isolation, and staying mentally healthy as a solo-ager. Book: Essential Retirement Planning For Solo Agers Website: sarazeffgeber.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sometimes it seems as if everyone is part of a couple, a married couple. From taxes to vacations, it seems everyone assumes a party of two or more and never a party of one. Nowhere is more apparent than in retirement. What is a solo ager to do! Enter Sarah Geber, author of, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers. She counsesl on retirement and preparing and living in this bonus stage of life. Website: https://sarazeffgeber.com/ Join the FFF  Facebook Community!

We hear a lot about the sandwich generation, adult children caring for aging parents. But what if you don't have children, or your children are not in a position to provide assistance? Who is going to care for you when and if you need help? Dr. Sara Zeff Geber has written a book called "Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers" and we discussed many difficult questions on the show today. Things like "Who will be there to help you if you are unable to help yourself? Who could speak on your behalf if you cannot speak for yourself? Who is capable of making decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself? We discuss these and many other important topics in this episode Thank you to our sponsors: DJ Benson & Associates LLC: dave@securingsouls.com ADHD Career Coaching: https://passiontocareer.com You can find more information about Solo Aging at https://sarazeffgeber.com If you want to support Hey, Boomer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HeyBoomer0413

Did you know that over 50% of people over 60 years old in Asia and Africa live in extended family setups? This number is approximately 40% in Latin America and the Middle East. Meanwhile, in North America though, that's only 7%. In North America, people over 60 living as a couple is close to 50% while those living solo ager or those living by themselves are over 25%. Living alone brings its own unique sets of challenges and needs. What are these challenges and needs? To talk about these and more about living solo among the elderly, we are happy to have Dr. Sara Zeff Geber with us. She is an expert on this subject and a world-renowned speaker.  Dr. Sara is an author, speaker, and retirement coach. She has a soft spot for solo agers that inspired her to write her book Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, published in 2018 and was selected as a Best Book on Aging Well by Wall Street Journal. Dr. Sara was named an Influencer in Aging and is also a regular contributor to Forbes.com.   Topics: What solo aging is and how she got into it The three-legged stool How the solo ager needs are different from others How a solo ager should plan What to do seeing somebody who is in denial On expanding social network On planning for social network security  How a solo ager finds a reliable person Pros and cons of aging in place The purpose that solo agers seek Her tips to the listeners   Links: Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors Dr. Sara's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sarazeffgeber Dr. Sara's Twitter: @LifeEncore  Dr. Sara's Website: www.LifeEncore.com Dr. Sara's Email: Sara@LifeEncore.com   Did You Know Segment: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/10/older-people-are-more-likely-to-live-alone-in-the-u-s-than-elsewhere-in-the-world/#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%2027%25%20of,5%25%20of%20seniors%20live%20alone

Our guest believes Solo Agers have unique needs in later life that warrant greater foresight and a more robust approach to planning. Older adults without children, particularly those single with no kids, need to take the time to plan for a successful retirement and aging experience. Consideration of housing options, legal matters and financial planning will be discussed and can be found in her 2018 book for what she terms Solo Agers. Named the “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal my guest, Dr. Sara Zeff Geber has been speaking about solo aging for the last decade. She will join us and share her thoughts on what solo agers need to do now!

Radio show host, Gary Calligas will have Sara Zeff Geber, PhD on his Saturday, August 22nd “The Best of Times Radio Hour” at 9:05 AM on News Radio 710 KEEL to discuss retirement planning suggestions for solo agers. You can also listen to this radio talk show streaming LIVE on the internet at www.710KEEL.com. and streaming LIVE on 101.7 FM or via the RadioPUP or KEEL app on apple and android devices. For more information, please visit these websites at www.thebestoftimesnews.com and www.hebertstandc.com. This radio show is proudly presented by AARP Louisiana and Hebert's Town and Country of Shreveport featuring – Dodge, Chrysler, Ram, and Jeep vehicles and service.

EP 023: In this episode, we're digging into the concept of "Solo Aging". Solo Agers are those without kids, where the "kids" are usually the ones who take care of us as we age. Did you know that according to a 2005 Pew Research Study, 19.4% of the boomer generation did not have kids? So this is a big concept looking forward. So what better guest is there than the author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, an Amazon best-seller and in the words of The Wall Street Journal, one of the “2018 Best Books on Aging Well”. Additionally, Dr. Geber is a regular contributor to Forbes.com on the topics of aging and retirement.   Dr. Geber shares her expertise by not only spending time laying the groundwork and providing background knowledge about solo agers but also by answering questions like, “What is the key to happiness for solo agers?” “What mistakes are commonly made by solo agers?” “How can solo agers leave behind a legacy?” and more!  Are you a Solo Ager or know someone who is? Then this episode is for you!   Chapters Welcome, Dr. Geber! [2:33] What does it mean to be a solo ager and how prevalent is being a solo ager nationally? [12:27] What are some myths out there about solo agers? [16.57] What has Dr. Geber found to be the key to happiness solo agers? [18:16] What are some big mistakes that solo agers may make? [24:25] How can solo agers leave a legacy? [27:58] What can solo agers do to bolster their social networks, especially as they retire from their careers? [31:57] What role does spirituality play with solo agers? How can people make spirituality more a part of their life as they age? [39:02] What are some of the considerations for solo agers as they decide how and where to live in later life? [42:33] What is Retirement Success for Dr. Geber? [52:27] Ben and Abby wrap-up the conversation. [54:37]   For more information and Solo Aging resources, go to our blog at https://blog.guidancepointllc.com/23 or give us an email shout at bensmith@guidancepointrs.com, abigaildoody@guidancepointrs.com, or curtisworcester@guidancepointrs.com .  

Longer lifespans paired with an increase in the number of childless adults mean many will be growing older solo. As advisors, how do we help clients cultivate the support network they are likely to need? Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, Author and Founder of LifeEncore, joins host Bill Coppel -- Managing Director and Chief Client Growth Officer at First Clearing -- to discuss ways to address the unique needs of individuals aging alone. 0220-03593

When your life doesn't include adult children, your social support network needs special attention! Solo-Agers have special challenges and considerations (singles and couples, gay and straight) to prepare for their later-‐life years without the assistance of adult children. Author ofEssential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults