PAID ADVERTISEMENT QA YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE EXPERTS! CERTIFIED ELDER LAW ATTORNEY ATTORNEY My son was in the hospital for six months. He stored all of his furniture and clothing in a storage unit. He was told that they fixed a leak. Unfortunately, when he finally got to the property about six months later, everything was damp, wet and had black mold on it with $15,000 in loss. The storage people only want to give me $1,000 so he goes away. Should I see a lawyer Yes, Bring with you the contract you have with the storage company There might be a limitation of damages. Maybe it can be overcome Also, find out if your son had insurance on his possessions. If so, bring in that insurance policy also. I suggest not signing a release for 1,000. You may be entitled to substantially more. But it depends on a number of factors and your attorney will I am sure be able to help you with the matter Q: Are life insurance proceeds and annuities subject to Pa inheritance tax? A: Life insurance proceeds received on the death of the insured are not subject to Pa. inheritance tax, even if payable to the insured's estate. However, annuities, while they are often sold by life insurance companies, are subject to Pa. inheritance tax on the death of the owner of the annuity. A: Jon M. Lewis, Esq. Mears, Smith, Houser &Bayle, P.C 127 N. Main St. Greensburg, PA 15601 724-836-4730 L. Christian DeDiana 724-219-3906 Certified by National Elder Law Foundation www.dedianaelderlaw.com SENIOR CARE MEDICARE INSURANCE am an 84-year-old widow of more than 10 years and am beginning to need some help. I recently toured an assisted living facility that was very nice, but everyone seemed so old. What options do I have? Mr. Noppe I just got done reading an article about Plan F and Plan G and how they are going to do away with Plan F. I've been on Plan F for several years and I am afraid of losing it. What should I do? Starting in 2020 Plans F and C will no longer be available to new You have probably heard that age is a matter of mind, not years A: A: enrollees. People who already have Plans F and C will be able to If you have an active lifestyle and need some help to maintain your independence at home please call Senior Helpers to learn how we can help you maintain your quality of life at home stay on those plans. As time goes by theose plans will probably get to be very expensive. Call me to discuss if you might be able to switch to Plan G or Plan N. You would have to answer some health questions Michael Noppe Insurance Services LLC 1255 South Main Street Greensburg, PA 15601 800-800-1999 ext. 65 Carol A. Trent, M.S. Senior Helpers 724-834-5720 FUNERAL DIRECTOR RETIREMENT & IRA TAX PLANNING My wife and I are both 67, retired, have large IRA'S, collect social security and have large non-retirement assets Where would you suggest we take roughly 2000month to supplement our social security? My wife thinks we should take it from savings to avoid taxable income. What do you think? Does a body have to be emballmed before it is buried? No, embalming is not required for burial. It is always your choice. A: Your decision may depend on such factors as whether the family desires a public viewing of the body; or, to enhace the deceased's appearance for a private family viewing: or, the length of time prior to the burial; or, transportation of the body on a commercial airplane for burial elsewhere. A: Obviously we should just agree with your wife and move on. However tax rates are comparatively low and I work with many clients who want to harvest their IRA's at low tax rates. You could possibly pay no tax or 10 % to 12% tax now as opposed to paying much higher taxes later when you are required to take minimum distributions. You can take an active role in planning out your tax return. Sam White CPA member ED SLOTT'S Master Elite IRA Advisor Group 101 North Main, Greensburg, PA 724-634-2255 Jeffrey M. Barnhart Barnhart Funeral Home, Inc. 724-834-1421 Professional Cremation Service, LLC 724-610-0771 Please Email Your Questions to asktheexperts@tribweb.com To be an Expert on This Page Please Call 724-853-5052 PAID ADVERTISEMENT QA YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE EXPERTS! CERTIFIED ELDER LAW ATTORNEY ATTORNEY My son was in the hospital for six months. He stored all of his furniture and clothing in a storage unit. He was told that they fixed a leak. Unfortunately, when he finally got to the property about six months later, everything was damp, wet and had black mold on it with $15,000 in loss. The storage people only want to give me $1,000 so he goes away. Should I see a lawyer Yes, Bring with you the contract you have with the storage company There might be a limitation of damages. Maybe it can be overcome Also, find out if your son had insurance on his possessions. If so, bring in that insurance policy also. I suggest not signing a release for 1,000. You may be entitled to substantially more. But it depends on a number of factors and your attorney will I am sure be able to help you with the matter Q: Are life insurance proceeds and annuities subject to Pa inheritance tax? A: Life insurance proceeds received on the death of the insured are not subject to Pa. inheritance tax, even if payable to the insured's estate. However, annuities, while they are often sold by life insurance companies, are subject to Pa. inheritance tax on the death of the owner of the annuity. A: Jon M. Lewis, Esq. Mears, Smith, Houser &Bayle, P.C 127 N. Main St. Greensburg, PA 15601 724-836-4730 L. Christian DeDiana 724-219-3906 Certified by National Elder Law Foundation www.dedianaelderlaw.com SENIOR CARE MEDICARE INSURANCE am an 84-year-old widow of more than 10 years and am beginning to need some help. I recently toured an assisted living facility that was very nice, but everyone seemed so old. What options do I have? Mr. Noppe I just got done reading an article about Plan F and Plan G and how they are going to do away with Plan F. I've been on Plan F for several years and I am afraid of losing it. What should I do? Starting in 2020 Plans F and C will no longer be available to new You have probably heard that age is a matter of mind, not years A: A: enrollees. People who already have Plans F and C will be able to If you have an active lifestyle and need some help to maintain your independence at home please call Senior Helpers to learn how we can help you maintain your quality of life at home stay on those plans. As time goes by theose plans will probably get to be very expensive. Call me to discuss if you might be able to switch to Plan G or Plan N. You would have to answer some health questions Michael Noppe Insurance Services LLC 1255 South Main Street Greensburg, PA 15601 800-800-1999 ext. 65 Carol A. Trent, M.S. Senior Helpers 724-834-5720 FUNERAL DIRECTOR RETIREMENT & IRA TAX PLANNING My wife and I are both 67, retired, have large IRA'S, collect social security and have large non-retirement assets Where would you suggest we take roughly 2000month to supplement our social security? My wife thinks we should take it from savings to avoid taxable income. What do you think? Does a body have to be emballmed before it is buried? No, embalming is not required for burial. It is always your choice. A: Your decision may depend on such factors as whether the family desires a public viewing of the body; or, to enhace the deceased's appearance for a private family viewing: or, the length of time prior to the burial; or, transportation of the body on a commercial airplane for burial elsewhere. A: Obviously we should just agree with your wife and move on. However tax rates are comparatively low and I work with many clients who want to harvest their IRA's at low tax rates. You could possibly pay no tax or 10 % to 12% tax now as opposed to paying much higher taxes later when you are required to take minimum distributions. You can take an active role in planning out your tax return. Sam White CPA member ED SLOTT'S Master Elite IRA Advisor Group 101 North Main, Greensburg, PA 724-634-2255 Jeffrey M. Barnhart Barnhart Funeral Home, Inc. 724-834-1421 Professional Cremation Service, LLC 724-610-0771 Please Email Your Questions to asktheexperts@tribweb.com To be an Expert on This Page Please Call 724-853-5052