You may not know the name George Rodrigue, but you probably know his art. Rodrigue was the New Orleans-based creator of the 1984 “blue dog” painting that has become a pop culture icon. Blue dog has appeared in one form…
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More and more Americans are living on their own. The 2018 U.S. census revealed that there 110.6 million unmarried people over the age of 18. Of them, 63% have never been married; 23% are divorced; 13% are widowed. Most live…
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Americans collecting Social Security benefits are slated to receive a cost of living increase in 2020. Benefits will increase by 1.6%. The average retiree’s monthly benefit will increase about $24, from $1,473 to to $1,503. Also, the Social Security tax…
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The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making it easier for owners of condominium units to obtain FHA-backed reverse mortgages (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, or HECM). A reverse mortgage allows a homeowner age 62 and over to borrow against…
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The Trump administration this week issued a final rule that allows nursing homes to resume inserting pre-dispute arbitration agreements into admissions contracts. The new rule goes into effect September 16, 2019. When a resident (or representative of the resident) signs an arbitration…
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There have been changes to two key numbers Florida uses when assessing an applicant’s eligibility for Medicaid nursing home benefits. These changes went into effect July 1, 2019. Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance: The income of an applicant’s spouse is…
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The Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5 introduced the “Regulation Best Interest” rule, intended to protect investors and help them make more informed decisions. Consumer advocates say it does not go far enough to protect the public, and also makes…
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The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has released a long-awaited decision concerning disabled individuals who hold ABLE accounts. It is good news for these individuals and their families. As is already the case for programs like Medicaid…
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Medicare beneficiaries have scored a legal win in their ongoing fight to appeal “observation status” when they are hospitalized. Medicare pays for a period of skilled nursing home care and rehabilitation only if it follows a three-day hospitalization. If the…
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Facebook has billions of users, and it is estimated that 10,000 of them die each day. How to handle the accounts of deceased users has been a work in progress for the social media giant. You can choose to have your…
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