Thinking about Aging? Will You Need Long Term Care? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Many people will end up needing assistance to care for themselves, as they become elderly and that help may not be provided by their children. It might be wise to look into long term care costs now, according to The Detroit News in “What to know about aging and long-term care costs.”

Here’s what often happens:

  • More than a third of seniors will need to stay in a nursing home, where the median annual cost of a private room has skyrocketed to more than $100,000.
  • Four out of 10 people will opt for paid care at home. The median annual cost of a home health aide is more than $50,000.
  • More than 50% of all seniors will incur some kind of long-term care costs, and 15% of those will incur more than $250,000 in costs, according to a study by Vanguard Research and Mercer Health and Benefits.

Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care. Medicare does not cover what it terms “custodial” care. For most Americans, who have a median of $126,000 in retirement savings, that’s an immediate financial wipeout. They will end up on Medicaid, the government health program that pays for about half of all nursing home and custodial care.

Those who live alone, are in poor health, or have chronic conditions are more likely than others to need long-term care. For women, there are special risks, since statistically women outlive husbands and may not have anyone to provide them with unpaid care.

Everyone approaching retirement needs a plan. The options are:

Long-term care insurance. The average annual premium for a 55-year-old couple was $3,050 in 2019. The older you are, the higher the cost, and if you have chronic conditions, you may not qualify.

Hybrid long-term care insurance. Life insurance or annuities with long-term care benefits now outsell traditional long-term care insurance by a rate of about four to one. This requires committing a large sum of money up front but is a way to obtain long-term care insurance.

Home equity. Selling a home to pay for nursing home care is not the best solution. However, it may be the only solution, particularly if it’s the only asset. Reverse mortgages may be an option.

Contingency reserve. A wealthy family with assets may simply earmark some assets for long-term care, setting aside a certain amount of money in an investment that can be liquidated without penalty.

Spending down to Medicaid. People with little or no retirement savings could end up depending on Medicaid. There are ways to protect assets for spouses, but it requires working with an elder law estate planning attorney in advance.

Reference: The Detroit News (June 10, 2019) “What to know about aging and long-term care costs”

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Protecting Kids from Too Much, Too Fast, Too Soon – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Protecting your children from frittering away an inheritance is often done through a spendthrift trust but that trust can also be used to protect them from divorce and other problems that can come their way, according to Kiplinger in “How to Keep Your Heirs from Blowing Their Inheritance.”

We all want the best for our kids, and if we’ve been fortunate, we are happy to leave them with a nice inheritance that makes for a better life. However, regardless of how old they are, we know our  children best and what they are capable of. Some adults are simply not prepared to handle a significant inheritance. They may have never learned how to manage money or may be involved with a significant other who you fear may not have their best interests in mind. If there’s a problem with drug or alcohol use, or if they are not ready for the responsibility that comes with a big inheritance, there are steps you can take to help them.

Don’t feel bad if your children aren’t ready for an inheritance. How many stories do we read about lottery winners who go through all their winnings and end up filing for bankruptcy?

An inheritance of any size needs to be managed with care.

A spendthrift trust protects heirs by providing a trustee with the authority to control how the beneficiary can use the funds. A trust becomes a spendthrift trust, when the estate planning attorney who creates it uses specific language indicating that the trust qualifies as such, and by including limitations to the beneficiary’s control of the funds.

A spendthrift trust also protects assets from creditors, because the heir does not own the assets. The trust owns the assets. This also protects the assets from divorces, lawsuits and bankruptcies. It’s a good way to keep the money out of the hands of manipulative partners, family members and friends.

Once the money is paid from the trust, the protections are gone. However, while the money is in the trust, it enjoys protection.

The trustee in a spendthrift trust has a level of control that is granted by you, the grantor of the trust. You can stipulate that the trustee is to make a set payment to the beneficiary every month, or that the trustee decides how much money the beneficiary receives.

For instance, if the money is to be used to pay college tuition, the trustee can write a check for tuition payments every semester, or they can put conditions on the heir’s academic performance and only pay the tuition, if those conditions are met.

For a spendthrift trust, carefully consider who might be able to take on this task. Be realistic about the family dynamics. A professional firm, bank, or investment company may be a better, less emotionally involved trustee than an aunt or uncle.

An estate planning attorney can advise you on creating an estate plan that fits your unique circumstances.

Reference: Kiplinger (June 5, 2019) “How to Keep Your Heirs from Blowing Their Inheritance.”

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Here’s Why a Basic Form Doesn’t Work for Estate Planning – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

It’s true that an effective estate plan should be simple and straightforward, if your life is simple and straightforward. However, few of us have those kinds of lives. For many families, the discovery that a will that was created using a basic form is invalid leads to all kinds of expenses and problems, says The Daily Sentinel in an article that asks “What is wrong with using a form for my will or trust?”

If the cost of an estate plan is measured only by the cost of a document, a basic form will, of course, be the least expensive option — on the front end. On the surface, it seems simple enough. What would be wrong with using a form?

Actually, a lot is wrong. The same things that make a do-it-yourself, basic form seem to be attractive, are also the things that make it very dangerous for your family. A form does not take into account the special circumstances of your life. If your estate is worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars, that form could end up putting your estate in the wrong hands. That’s not what you had intended.

Another issue: any form that is valid in all 50 states is probably not going to serve your purposes. If it works in all 50 states (and that’s highly unlikely), then it is extremely general, so much so that it won’t reflect your personal situation. It’s a great sales strategy, but it’s not good for an estate plan.

If you take into consideration the amount of money to be spent on the back end after you’ve passed, that $100 will becomes a lot more expensive than what you would have invested in having a proper estate plan created by an estate planning attorney.

What you can’t put into dollars and cents, is the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your estate plan, including a will, power of attorney, and health care power of attorney, has been properly prepared, that your assets will go to the individuals or charities that you want them to go to, and that your family is protected from the stress, cost and struggle that can result when wills are deemed invalid.

Here’s one of many examples of how the basic, inexpensive form created chaos for one family. After the father died, the will was unclear, because it was not prepared by a professional. The father had properly filled in the blanks but used language that one of his sons felt left him the right to significant assets. The family became embroiled in expensive litigation and became divided. The litigation has ended, but the family is still fractured. This was not what their father had intended.

Other issues that are created when forms are used: naming the proper executor, guardians and conservators, caring for companion animals, dealing with blended families, addressing Payable-on-Death (POD) accounts and end-of-life instructions, to name just a few.

Avoid the “repair” costs and meet with an experienced estate planning attorney in your state to create an estate plan that will suit your needs.

Reference: The Daily Sentinel (May 25, 2019) “What is wrong with using a form for my will or trust?”

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What Does ‘Getting Your Affairs in Order’ Really Mean? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

That “something” that happens that no one wants to come out and say is that you are either incapacitated by a serious illness or injury or the ultimate ‘something,’ which is death. There are steps you can take that will help your family and loved ones, so they have the information they need and can help you, says Catching Health’s article “Getting your affairs in order.”

Start with the concept of incapacity, which is an important part of estate planning. Who would you want to speak on your behalf? Would that person be the same one you would want to make important financial decisions, pay bills and handle your personal affairs? Does your family know what your wishes are, or do you know what your parent’s wishes are?

Financial Power of Attorney. Someone needs to be able to pay your bills and handle financial matters. That person is named in a Financial Power of Attorney, and they become your agent. Without an agent, your family will have to go to court and get a conservatorship or guardianship. This takes time and money. It also brings in court involvement into your life and adds another layer of stress and expense.

It’s important to name someone who you trust implicitly and whose financial savvy you trust. Talk with the person you have in mind first and make sure they are comfortable taking on this responsibility. There may be other family members who will not agree with your decisions, or your agent’s decisions. They’ll have to be able to stick to the course in the face of disagreements.

Medical Power of Attorney. The Medical Power of Attorney  is used when end-of-life care decisions must be made. This is usually when someone is in a persistent vegetative state, has a terminal illness or is in an irreversible coma. Be cautious: sometimes people want to appoint all their children to make health care decisions. When there are disputes, the doctor ends up having to make the decision. The doctor does not want to be a mediator. One person needs to be the spokesperson for you.

Health Care Directive or Living Will. The name of these documents and what they serve to accomplish does vary from state to state, so speak with an estate planning attorney in your state to determine exactly what it is that you need.

Health Care Proxy. This is the health care agent who makes medical decisions on your behalf, when you can no longer do so. In Maine, that’s a health care advance directive. The document should be given to the named person for easy access. It should also be given to doctors and medical providers.

DNR, or Do Not Resuscitate Order. This is a document that says that if your heart has stopped working or if you stop breathing, not to bring you back to life. When an ambulance arrives and the EMT asked for this document, it’s because they need to know what your wishes are. Some folks put them on the fridge or in a folder where an aide or family member can find them easily. If you are in cardiac arrest and the DNR is with a family member who is driving from another state to get to you, the EMT is bound by law to revive you. You need to have that on hand, if that is your wish.

How Much Should You Tell Your Kids? While it’s really up to you as to how much you want to share with your kids, the more they know, the more they can help in an emergency. Some seniors bring their kids with them to the estate planning attorney’s office, but some prefer to keep everything under wraps. At the very least, the children need to know where the important documents are, and have contact information for the estate planning attorney, the accountant and the financial advisor. Many people create a binder with all of their important documents, so there are no delays caused in healthcare decisions.

Reference: Catching Health (May 28, 2019) “Getting your affairs in order.”

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Inheritance, Meet Technology: Estate Claims May Be Challenged – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Between off-the-shelf DNA testing kits and online genealogical searches, family members who may have never known of each other’s existence are coming to light more often than ever before. So is the news that one’s parent may not be a biological parent, according to the article “Discovering long-lost family: Inheritance laws cover surprise relatives, but changes possible,” from The Indiana Lawyer.

This is yet another reason that wills and estate plans must be carefully drafted by an estate planning attorney. Language in the will must make it very clear that assets are only to be distributed to the known children of the married couple, unless that is not the person’s wish.

An inheritance may be left for a child who was given up through adoption or, if a previously unknown child shows up at the doorstep, the family may wish to bequeath a share of their estate to that child. There may be no legal claim, but the family may feel a moral obligation, which is entirely up to them.

Since technology is streamlining the search for lost relatives into a few keyboard clicks, the drafting of wills has become more complex. It’s not just filling out names on a form, because the will has to be drafted to prevent any unforeseen problems that may result when new relatives appear.

The search for unknown relatives usually comes from positive motives. Family members usually want to connect with long-lost cousins, aunts, uncles and siblings, out of a desire for connection and not financial gain. However, a properly prepared will should be drafted, according to the testator’s wishes.

Families are changing, with more openness, and estate plans are being adjusted accordingly.

One couple wrote a will to leave an inheritance to a grandson, even though he had been adopted by another man. Their son had died after fathering the child without marrying the child’s mother. The mother married, and her husband adopted the grandchild, but the grandparents had maintained a relationship with the family and left their son’s heir a portion of their estate.

People are more aware that family members may arrive unexpectedly. Occasionally, spouses want language in the will restricting assets only to the children who are the product of their marriage. That can spur some uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations.

When you sit down with an estate planning lawyer to discuss your will and distribution of assets, you’ll need to be honest and discuss any possible heirs who might appear that were previously unknown to the family. The more details and information you can provide to the attorney, the better prepared your will can be to withstand a challenge from a ‘new relative.’ If the wish is to take care of a previously unknown family member, that can be accomplished also.

Reference: The Indiana Lawyer (May 29, 2019) “Discovering long-lost family: Inheritance laws cover surprise relatives, but changes possible”

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Are Inheritances Taxable? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Inheritances come in all sizes and shapes. People inherit financial accounts, real estate, jewelry and personal items. However, whatever kind of inheritance you have, you’ll want to understand exactly what, if any, taxes might be due, advises the article “Will I Pay Taxes on My Inheritance” from Orange Town News. An inheritance might have an impact on Medicare premiums, or financial aid eligibility for a college age child. Let’s look at the different assets and how they may impact a family’s tax liability.

Bank Savings Accounts or CDs. As long as the cash inherited is not from a retirement account, there are no federal taxes due. The IRS does not impose a federal inheritance tax. However, there are some states, including Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, that do have an inheritance tax. Speak with an estate planning attorney about this tax.

Primary Residence or Other Real Estate. Inheriting a home is not a taxable event. However, once you take ownership and sell the home or other property, there will be taxes due on any gains. The value of the home or property is established on the day of death. If you inherit a home valued at death at $250,000 and you sell it a year later for $275,000, you’ll have to declare a long-term capital gain and pay taxes on the $25,000 gain. The cost-basis is determined when you take ownership.

Life Insurance Proceeds. Life insurance proceeds are not taxable, nor are they reported as income by the beneficiaries. There are exceptions: if interest is earned, which can happen when receipt of the proceeds is delayed, that is reportable. The beneficiary will receive a Form 1099-INT and that interest is taxable by the state and federal tax agencies. If the proceeds from the life insurance policy are transferred to an individual as part of an arrangement before the insured’s death, they are also fully taxable.

Retirement Accounts: 401(k) and IRA. Distributions from an inherited traditional IRA are taxable, just as they are for non-inherited IRAs. Distributions from an inherited Roth IRA are not taxable, unless the Roth was established within the past five years.

There are some changes coming to retirement accounts because of pending legislation, so it will be important to check on this with your estate planning attorney. Inherited 401(k) plans are or eventually will be taxable, but the tax rate depends upon the rules of the 401(k) plan. Many 401(k) plans require a lump-sum distribution upon the death of the owner. The surviving spouse is permitted to roll the 401(k) into an IRA, but if the beneficiary is not a spouse, they may have to take the lump-sum payment and pay the resulting taxes.

Stocks. Generally, when stocks or funds are sold, capital gains taxes are paid on any gains that occurred during the period of ownership. When stock is inherited, the cost basis is based on the fair market value of the stock or fund at the date of death.

Artwork and Jewelry. Collectibles, artwork, or jewelry that is inherited and sold will incur a tax on the net gain of the sale. There is a 28% capital gains tax rate, compared to a 15% to 20% capital gains tax rate that applies to most capital assets. The value is based on the value at the date of death or the alternate valuation date. This asset class includes anything that is considered an item worth collecting: rare stamps, books, fine art, antiques and coin collections fall into this category.

Speak with an estate planning attorney before signing and accepting an inheritance, so you’ll know what kind of tax liability comes with the inheritance. Take your time. Most people are advised to wait about a year before making any big financial decisions after a loss.

Reference: Orange Town News (May 29, 2019) “Will I Pay Taxes on My Inheritance”

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‘Someday’ Is Sooner than You Think – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

The cause for sleepless nights for many now comes from worrying about aging parents. As parents age, it becomes more important to talk with them about a number of “someday” issues, advises Kanawha Metro in the article “Preparing for someday.” As their lives move into the elder years, your discussions will need to address housing, finances and end-of-life wishes.

Where do your parents want to spend their later years? It may be that they want to move to an active retirement community not far from where they live now, or they may want a complete change of scenery, perhaps in a warmer climate.

One family made arrangements for their mother to take a tour of a nearby senior-living community after their father passed. By showing their mother the senior-living community, they made an unknown, slightly intimidating thing into a familiar and attractive possibility. Because she saw the facility with no pressure, just a tour and lunch, she knew what kind of options it presented. The building was clean and pretty and the staff was friendly. Therefore, it was a positive experience. She was able to picture herself living there.

Money becomes an issue as parents age. If the person who always handled the family finances passes away, often the surviving spouse is left trying to figure out what has been done for the last five decades. A professional can help, especially if they have had a long-standing relationship.

However, when illness or an injury takes the surviving spouse out of the picture, even for a little while, things can get out of control fast. It only takes a few weeks of not being able to write checks or manage finances to demonstrate the wisdom of having children or a trusted person named with a power of attorney to be able to pay bills and manage the household.

As parents age and their health becomes fragile, they need help with doctor appointments. Having a child or trusted adult go with them to speak up on their behalf, or explain any confusing matters, is very important.

Having an estate plan in place is another part of the business of aging that needs to be accomplished. It may be helpful to go with your parents to meet with an estate planning attorney to create documents that include a last will and testament, durable power of attorney and advanced health care directive. Without these documents, executing their estate or helping them if they become incapacitated will be more complex and more costly.

Eliminate a scavenger hunt by making sure that at least two siblings know where the originals of these documents are.

One of the more difficult conversations has to do with end-of-life and funeral arrangements. Where do your parents want to be buried, or do they want to be cremated? What should be done with their remains?

What do they want to be done with their personal belongings? Are there certain items that they want to be given to certain members of the family, or other people they care for? One family used masking tape and a marker to write the names of the people they wanted to receive certain items.

Finally, what do they want to happen to their pets? If there is a family member who says they will take their parent’s pet, can that person be trusted to follow through? There needs to be a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C so that the beloved pet can be assured a long and comfortable life after their owner has passed.

Yes, these are difficult conversations. However, not having them can lead to far more difficult issues. Knowing what your loved ones wish to happen, and making it enforceable with an estate plan, provides everyone in the family with peace of mind.

Reference: Kanawha Metro (May 29, 2019) “Preparing for someday”

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Practical Steps to Take Before Going to a Warmer Place for the Winter – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

If heading south for the winter has been a dream of yours for years, you should learn how to prepare to make the most of this experience. Here are some practical steps to take before going to a warmer place for the winter.

Before You Snowbird:

Before packing the car to head south or west for several months in the winter, there are steps you should take to avoid problems that could put a damper on your snowbird life. These factors include:

  • You have to decide which place will be your permanent residence. This issue might sound like a technicality, but your permanent address can impact your driver’s license, car registration, voter registration, official mailing address with the U.S. Post Office and your state and federal taxes. Of course, if you rent rather than own the property where you escape the winter weather, your permanent residence will not be an issue.
  • Before you buy a house or condo in your dream snowbird location, make sure you will love living there for months on end. Some places are delightful to visit but become annoying after several weeks. You might want to rent for a winter or two, before putting your money down on your winter hideaway. Some people select three areas and rent a place in each location for a month at a time, then compare the three after the snowbird season to decide on their favorite neighborhood.
  • Make sure your health insurance will work at your winter destination. Original Medicare is valid in every state, but some Medicare Advantage plans charge you higher out-of-network fees, deductibles and copays, if you get medical care outside of your home region.
  • Notify your homeowner’s insurance. If you leave your primary residence vacant for more than 30 days, your homeowner’s insurance might not cover your house, in the event of a problem. If you buy a second home as a winter escape, make sure you insure the house.
  • Prepare your house for your absence. The last thing you want is pipes freezing while you are away. You might rent out the house while you are snowbirding to have someone living in it to reduce the likelihood of a break-in. If the house will be empty, set timers on the lights, turn off the water and keep the heat set at a low temperature. Have a friend check on the house periodically. Arrange for snow removal, so that your absence will not be obvious to passersby.

Reasons People Flee from Northern States in the Winter

There are many reasons why people evacuate the snow and sleet for milder climates in the winter. Some common motivations are:

  • Health – avoiding respiratory infections, like colds, the flu or pneumonia.
  • Comfort – many people dislike bitter cold winter weather.
  • Arthritis – cold can make this uncomfortable condition, even more unpleasant.
  • Physical and social activity – it is easier stay active and get out to do things and see people, if you are in weather with mild temperatures like the 60s and 70s, rather than being unable to get out of your house because of the snow and ice.
  • Injuries – many people get fractures in the winter in cold climates from slipping and falling on the slick sidewalks and driveways.
  • Heart attacks – right after a snowfall, the number of heart attacks go up from people shoveling their driveways and sidewalks.
  • They can. Plenty of people wanted to snowbird for many years but could not do so, because they had to work and raise their families. Now that they have the time, they escape winter because they can.

A lot of this is common sense, but it never hurts to have a checklist to make sure you do not overlook the obvious.

Reference: AARP. “How to Get Ready for a Snowbird Lifestyle.” (accessed May 22, 2019) https://www.aarp.org/retirement/planning-for-retirement/info-2018/how-to-snowbird.html

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Is it Wise to Have Three Grown Children Named Co-Executors of Your Will? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Is it a good idea to have your three grown children listed as co-executors of your will? This may get somewhat confusing when probating a will if there are multiple executors.

What are the pros and cons to choosing one child to act as your executor instead of selecting all three of your children to act together?

nj.com’s recent article asks “I’m planning my will. Is it bad to have more than one executor?”

The article explains that the duty of the executor is to gather all the decedent’s assets, pay any outstanding debts and liabilities and then account for and distribute the remaining estate to the beneficiaries according to the instructions in the decedent’s will.

The executor is allowed to hire professionals and others to help with tasks, like completing a decedent’s final income tax return or preparing the home for sale.

When you have multiple executors appointed, these tasks can be assigned to each person to lessen the burden of the many duties and responsibilities that an executor has.

On the downside, if those appointed can’t work together easily and without strife, appointing multiple siblings can make the administration of an estate much more difficult due to arguments, conflicts of interest, one sibling taking the lead to the resentment of the others or one executor undermining another executor’s actions.

The problem is, in situations where the siblings don’t get along, designating one of them as executor can cause hard feelings and conflict. It’s not uncommon for those siblings who aren’t named as executor to complain about every decision made by the named executor or delay in the administration of the estate.

If there are multiple executors, the majority rules. That can avoid deadlock. Simple math in this case says that you want to avoid naming an even number of executors or name a person who can act as the tiebreaker.

Even with a “majority rules” agreement among the executors, there are some financial institutions and other entities that may require all the executors to sign documents and/or checks on behalf of the estate. This can become burdensome and inefficient, if there are multiple executors.

Speak with your estate planning attorney about your family dynamics and get their opinion about what would be best in your personal situation.

Reference: nj.com (May 22, 2019) “I’m planning my will. Is it bad to have more than one executor?”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys 

Retirement Account Millionaires are Back – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

They are the triathletes of retirement savers — people who have saved and invested their way into having millions in their workplace retirement accounts. Their numbers may be small, and in some cases, their earnings aren’t that big, but their retirement accounts are giant-sized.

As reported in the Washington Post article, “Want to be a 401(k) millionaire? Here’s what it takes,” the number of retirement account millionaires sank a little in the volatile markets of year-end 2018. Fidelity Investments reported that for the fourth quarter of 2018, there was a 28.6 percent drop in the number of 401(k) millionaires in its plans. However, they’ve come back.

The company, the largest administrator of workplace retirement accounts, reported that the number of people with $1 million or more in their 401(k) plans increased to 180,000 in the first quarter of 2019, up from 133,800 reported in the last quarter of 2018.

You don’t have to have your retirement account with Fidelity to join the ranks of retirement account millionaires, but there are some investment practices to learn from them.

The power of time. These people started saving early in their careers, most of them for at least 30 years. They also aren’t earning six-figure incomes. It helps if you contribute as much as the IRS allows. The maximum amount of money workers may contribute during 2019 is $19,000. The 50-and-older set can contribute an additional $6,000.

Steady as she goes. Consistency is key. These millionaires continued to save, even as they purchased homes and raised children. They contributed at least 15 percent to their plan. That may be a combination of what they are putting in and an employee match, but that seems to be a key number. If your employer offers a “automatic increase” where your percentage increases every year, sign up for it.

Always make the match. Don’t leave free money on the table. If there’s a company match, 401(k) millionaires take full advantage, always contributing enough to get the match.

Go for the long run. That means taking some risk. Most of these 401(k) millionaires invest in equity mutual funds. They understand that one of the biggest risks to their retirement savings is inflation.

Stay calm and keep saving. The retirement account millionaires don’t panic when markets get volatile. They also don’t let falling stock prices deter them from buying equities. Instead, they see tumbling markets like a sale: an opportunity to buy at a lower price.

Can’t imagine yourself taking these steps or think it’s too late? Don’t give up! Remember, to be a triathlete, you have to push yourself past your physical limits. The same is true if you want to become a 401(k) millionaire. You’ve got to push yourself to save more and don’t fear the stock market.

Reference: Washington Post (May 20, 2019) “Want to be a 401(k) millionaire? Here’s what it takes.”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys