Hosted by Jeffrey Bellomo, Esq., CELA, LLM, and over 20 years of experience practicing in estate planning. We’ll discuss all things Estate Planning and Law. Our mission is to help educate so that what happened to the Bellomo family doesn’t happen to you. We hope to answer your most burning questions and support you with a solution to estate planning that works for you and your loved ones.
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From Diamonds to Real Estate Gems: Guiding Big Purchases and Emotional Transitions
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28:12Join Jeff as he chats with Jen Clemens, co-lead of the Clemens & Myers Real Estate Team. Serving York and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland, Jen and her team are passionate about helping people through some of life’s biggest transitions. Whether you're buying your first home, selling a longtime family property, or investing in real …
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Senior Moves: Easing the Transition Out of Longtime Homes
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26:32Navigating the transition from a longtime home into a new place and the next stage of life is one of the biggest challenges older folks and their families face. Join Jeff and his guest, Andrew Bartlett, owner of the real estate firm Bartlett & Associates, to discuss ways to ease the transition. In addition to traditional real estate services, Andre…
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Estate Planning Essentials: Why a Will Might Not Be Enough
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29:32When people think about estate planning, a will is often the first thing that comes to mind. But relying solely on a will might leave significant gaps in your financial plan, potentially putting your loved ones and your hard-earned assets at risk. Join Jeff as he breaks down the critical features of a will and why a will alone might not be enough t…
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Learn and Earn CEUs: Inside Our Free Multi-Professional Boot Camps
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28:08At Bellomo & Associates, our commitment to education extends beyond our clients. We learned long ago that professionals locally and across Pennsylvania can also benefit from practical education in estate planning and elder law. Our free professional boot camps differentiate us from most other law firms. As Jeff describes the essential topics we cov…
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Bittersweet: Reflecting on Relationships with Jessica Delp
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24:00At Bellomo & Associates, taking care of people—both colleagues and clients—is at the heart of everything we do. Our relationships give meaning to our work, making this conversation bittersweet. Jeff sits down with Jessica Delp, who has formed countless relationships as our community outreach coordinator over the past three years. As Jess moves on t…
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The Big Transition: Selling Your Home is More than Just a Move
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26:30Selling a home usually means something big is happening—maybe it's a fresh start, a major transition, or closing one chapter to begin another. But for most people, selling a home can be overwhelming. That’s where Kasey King comes in. She’s the founder of Bodacious Properties, LLC, and she’s built a business around helping people navigate all aspect…
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Myth Busting: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions in Estate Planning
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26:47When it comes to estate planning, there are a lot of half-truths, outdated advice, and persistent myths that can leave your family vulnerable. Join Jeff as he clarifies common misconceptions about wills, probate, powers of attorney, and trusts. Estate planning is far from a one-size-fits-all exercise. Multiple tools are available, and to be most ef…
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A Perspective on Change: How to Avoid Anxiety When Faced with Uncertainty
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26:36Things seem to be happening fast, and many people are worried about potential changes to tax laws and funding for programs on which they rely. Over time, Jeff has learned that talk of change does not always result in change. Because speculation can drive anxiety and poor decisions, often the best approach is to wait. If laws and programs do change,…
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Senior Living Done Right: The Country Meadows Commitment to Quality Care
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27:16Jeff is joined by Garrett and Angel from Country Meadows Retirement Communities for an important conversation about senior living—how providing a personalized approach to care and a comfortable home environment can make all the difference, and how it all starts with a passion for serving seniors. Their discussion offers a valuable perspective on wh…
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Complete Senior Transitions: A One-Stop Solution to Changes in Senior Living
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27:10Emotions and stress often run high when it’s time for seniors to move out of their lifelong homes. Understanding this, Pam Kovalewski and Paul Hayes established Complete Senior Transitions to reduce the work and anxiety for seniors when downsizing, moving, or aging in place. Pam and Paul also have an extensive network of vetted professionals who ex…
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Inside Legend of Lancaster: A Place to Call Home
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28:04Jeff speaks with Sarah Bucher, a team member at Legend of Lancaster, an exceptional assisted living, personal care, and memory care community. Their personal care and memory care services—including personal care needs, medical needs, medication assistance, and memory support—vary from person to person depending on what each individual wants and nee…
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Your Family and Your Future: Who Decides the Important Things?
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29:05It's natural for people to rely on professionals when it comes to complex subjects like finance, taxes, and estate planning and elder law. However, professionals can leave a client feeling overwhelmed or unsure by giving advice that the client doesn’t fully understand. So, the client lets the professionals make decisions for them. As a result, many…
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When Tragedy Strikes: Planning Can Protect Your Family and Finances
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27:39Are your affairs in order? Recent aviation disasters and the devastating wildfires in California are stark reminders that our lives can change instantly. No one wants to dwell on worst-case scenarios, but having a plan can provide peace of mind and protect your legacy and your loved ones if tragedy strikes. Jeff shares practical steps you can take …
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Asset Protection After Death: How to Avoid Probate the Smart Way
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25:40You may have been told by family, friends, or even your financial planner that you should avoid the probate process by adding a joint owner to your financial accounts and/or by designating a beneficiary for your assets. But be aware. While you save upfront costs, you lose control of your assets and open your family to unintended consequences, which…
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What's in a Name? Special Needs Trusts v. Supplemental Needs Trusts
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26:09At Bellomo & Associates, we are committed to client education. In this episode, Jeff discusses the differences between a Special Needs Trust and a Supplemental Needs Trust as part of that commitment. Our Special Needs Workshop offers another opportunity to learn these key concepts. Our Estate Planning Workshop focuses on pre-planning activities suc…
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Celebrating 100 Episodes and a Lasting Friendship with Dr. James Kabrhel
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29:27James Kabrhel, Ph.D., and Jeff Bellomo were college roommates more than 20 years ago and have remained good friends ever since. Today, Jim is an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Jim and Jeff reflect on the importance of mentors, relationships, hard work, finding the right environment, and playing to your st…
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Planning that Protects Your Family: Attend the Free Workshop Best for You
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30:12The focus on client education at Bellomo & Associates stems from Jeff’s commitment to ensuring that what happened to his family doesn’t happen to yours. When Jeff Bellomo was a law student and his mother was ill, the family needed information about care options and how to pay for them, but help was nowhere to be found. Today, the free workshops off…
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Protect Your Home and Your Future: The Surprising Benefits of a Grantor Trust
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22:47Putting your house in a trust has many benefits—from financial savings to peace of mind. You can continue to live in the home and control the property. You can avoid the capital gains tax, the 2% transfer tax, and the inheritance tax while still qualifying for the homestead exemption and the Clean and Green tax benefit. And, of course, a trust prot…
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Estate and Gift Tax Essentials: Preparing for 2025 and Beyond
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30:52As we look to 2025, Jeff shares Pennsylvania’s updated estate and gift tax numbers. We invite you to attend our free Medicaid workshop to understand how these numbers can affect your Medicaid eligibility. This is also a good time to emphasize the importance of planning for your family’s financial future. Be sure to choose a law firm with experience…
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Grateful for Your Estate Planning Questions: Your Essentials Answered
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25:59We get great questions from our clients and others daily, so we’ve put together a potpourri of questions and answers about estate planning. We believe education is the key to making smart decisions, and we are here to help. Check out our website to learn more about our free educational workshops. Thank you for sending in your questions—keep them co…
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Divorce, Remarriage, and Blended Families: Protecting Your Assets
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28:52Divorce can significantly impact your estate plans, so knowing how to update your documents and beneficiary designations is essential. Jeff discusses the key steps to take after a divorce. He guides us through important topics like updating your full inventory of estate planning documents, protecting assets for children from previous marriages, ens…
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Special Needs Planning: Protect Your Benefits, Protect Your Family
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30:12In response to listener requests, Jeff explains financial planning options for individuals with special needs. In addition to common estate planning tools, you’ll learn about third-party and first-party special needs trusts, pooled trusts, and ABLE accounts. These strategies can help safeguard governmental benefits and create long-term financial st…
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Building Trust, Building Relationships: Pam Witwer of Lancaster PA Notary
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23:33When Pam Witwer started her business, Lancaster PA Notary, she sought an attorney to act as a strategic partner. After some stealth vetting of Bellomo & Associates, she knew she had found a team with a stellar reputation that shared her values and commitment to customer service. Pam travels to seniors in the community to provide notary services at …
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Planning Pitfalls: These Lesser-Known Factors Could Affect Your Medicaid Eligibility
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30:14Christine Oyler, Services Planning Coordinator at Bellomo & Associates, is the firm’s Medicaid team member. Since 2016, Christine has used her nursing experience and Medicaid knowledge to help clients better understand the Medicaid system and make the best choices for themselves and their families. As part of this work, she sits down with Jeff to d…
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Protecting Your Assets: A Detailed Look at Trusts, Q & A Part 2
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29:26Welcome to the second installment of our two-part series on asset protection trusts. In our previous episode, we explored advanced concepts related to the types of trusts established during a person's lifetime. Now we will focus on the options available for setting up trusts after death. There are many important factors to consider, and we want you…
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Protecting Your Assets: A Detailed Look at Trusts, Q & A Part 1
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28:32We're thrilled by the level of engagement we see in our clients and podcast listeners. Your questions are always welcome because understanding the concepts in estate planning and elder law helps you make the best decisions for you and your family. Lately, we've received a lot of inquiries about trusts so we will dedicate two episodes to a deep dive…
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Understanding Guardianship: Legal Challenges for Families with Special Needs and Aging Loved Ones
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28:30Carolyn (Carrie) Pugh is an attorney with Bellomo & Associates. In addition to elder law and estate planning, she is experienced in family law, custody conciliation, Social Security disability, and other areas that make her the perfect person to sit down with Jeff and answer your questions about the legal guardianship process. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…
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Supporting Caregivers and People with Dementia: The Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Pennsylvania
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22:24Fran Gibbons is the senior director of development for the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The organization serves western, central, and northeastern Pennsylvania, helping people with Alzheimer's disease and all other dementias. Fran’s fundraising efforts provide support groups and educational resources while advancing …
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More than Money: Josh Hummer’s Innovative Approach to Estate Planning
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29:53Joshua Hummer found that he had a passion for helping people with the intricacies of elder law and estate planning. However, he soon noticed a recurring issue among his clients. While his work fulfilled their needs for wills and trusts, it did not address their deeper concerns about family relationships and values. Recognizing this, Josh developed …
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Jay Metzbower: Applying a Civil Servant’s Heart to the Practice of Elder Law and Estate Planning
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30:34Jay Metzbower, Jr., is an attorney at Bellomo & Associates. After 10+ years in civil service, Jay decided to change careers and poured his dedication to community service into his education and the practice of elder law and estate planning. He can often be found leading one of Bellomo’s many workshops or discussing with his colleagues the latest la…
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Building Bonds Beyond Business with Client Relationship Manager Amber Rivera
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28:00Jeff Bellomo has a knack for finding talent outside normal avenues. And so it was when Amber Rivera waited on Jeff’s table during lunch over ten years ago. Since then, Amber has been a key player at Bellomo & Associates. As client relationship manager, she exemplifies the very best of customer service ideals. She guides her clients and supports her…
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Lancaster Downtowners: A Creative Approach to Aging at Home
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27:51Today, many seniors live longer—often farther away from family—and want to avoid continuing care retirement communities (CCRC). They’d rather age at home in familiar surroundings. But, aging at home usually requires some degree of assistance, which can be difficult to find. Jeff’s guest, Melissa Ressler, is the executive director of Lancaster Downt…
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Common Questions: Clearing Up Confusion in Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Asset Protection
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30:26Jeff answers some questions that have been coming up in our conference rooms, workshops, and elsewhere. Generally, if a couple of people ask the same question, then we know that other people are thinking it, too. And, since we’re dedicated to education here at Bellomo & Associates, we like to jump in right away and clear up any confusion that might…
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From Youth Advocacy to Elder Law: Carrie Pugh Connects with Community
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30:32Carolyn (Carrie) Pugh brings a breadth of knowledge and a team-oriented attitude to Bellomo & Associates. In addition to her work in elder law and estate planning, she has extensive experience in family law, youth advocacy, and Social Security disability, among other disciplines. She loves people and helping others, but animals figure prominently i…
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Legal Legacies and Four-Legged Friends: A Conversation with Susan Hunter
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30:14Jeff welcomes retired attorney and businessperson Susan Hunter. Before developing a state-of-the-art indoor dog park and boarding-grooming-training facility in Nevada, Susan ran a successful elder law firm in Indiana. Back then, Susan and Jeff took time from their practices to co-teach a systematized approach of practice to elder law, estate planni…
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Tanglewood Life Coaching: Clearing the Brush to Reveal the Best in Us
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26:30Jeff’s guest is Julie Cassaday, a certified life coach and Level II Reiki Healer, whose unique approach to personal development and empowerment has transformed lives. Julie helps individuals reveal the best of themselves by untangling the obstacles to their goals. In addition to private coaching and Reiki, her work extends to communication and orga…
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Assisted Living Locators: Managing the Maze of Senior Living Options
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28:14Finding the right senior living community for yourself or a family member can be overwhelming, emotional, and time-consuming. Assisted Living Locators is a nationwide network that helps seniors find the community that best meets their needs. Rick Campomizzi, owner of the local Harrisburg-based office, provides free, personalized service and expert …
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Numbers and More for 2024: IRS Rulings, Tax Info, and Medicaid Updates
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28:49It’s that time of year when Jeff provides the newest and most applicable IRS and Medicaid numbers for tax and estate planning purposes. Many of these numbers are discussed in our free, educational workshops. Jeff also likes to review them here along with related questions we get from our clients. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (00:00) Episode introduction. …
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Famous Figures, Part 2: What We Can Learn from Celebrity Estate Plans
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30:32This is the 2nd part of our examination of celebrity estate plans. Using the real-life stories of some of entertainment’s most famous figures, Jeff teaches us valuable lessons that can be applied to our own situations. What You Need to Know (00:00) Episode introduction. (02:56) Singer Whitney Houston created a will in 1993. She died 19 years later …
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Famous Figures: What We Can Learn from Celebrity Estate Plans
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29:38It might not seem like it, but celebrities are people, too. Their estate plans prove that, just like us, some are forward-thinking and prepared while others fail to protect their assets. Jeff uses the stories of some of the wealthiest and most fascinating figures in entertainment and sports to teach us valuable lessons in estate planning because ou…
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Inside Probate: Tips from Cathy Montague's 37 Years in the Field
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28:07Jeff “inherited” probate paralegal Cathy Montague two years ago when Bellomo acquired a small elder law firm from a retiring attorney. It didn’t take long for Jeff and the team to recognize Cathy’s experience and value. And it didn’t take long for Cathy to embrace her new environment and colleagues. Cathy sits down with Jeff to reflect on her long …
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Beyond Numbers: A Client-Centric Approach to Financial Planning with Wade Williams
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29:32Jeff welcomes Wade Williams from Integrity Wealth Strategies. With tax, audit, and real estate experience under his belt, Wade found his real passion was helping others as a financial advisor. Jeff and Wade discuss investment management and the process of starting up with an advisor. They also highlight the value of expertise and a client-centric m…
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Unlocking Business Leadership Potential: The Keys to Growth with Executive Coach and Mentor Mark Sussman
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21:39Jeff welcomes Mark Sussman from Strategic Business Group. Mark is an executive coach, mentor, and family business advisor. He helps leaders widen their perspective on their business, formulate plans to achieve their goals and monitor their progress. Being in charge can be lonely, so Mark also runs a peer advisory group for CEOs and owners. The Smal…
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What You Should Know about Elder Care Advocacy with Meg Motter
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30:13Jeffrey Bellomo is joined by Meg Motter, Life Care Planning Coordinator at Bellomo & Associates. As an experienced, licensed social worker, Meg provides personalized support for elderly individuals dealing with various challenges related to aging, health, and living arrangements. Meg and Jeff share stories of commitment, personal connections, and t…
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From Personal Injury to Parenting Prodigies: Meet Craig Milsten
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28:20Jeff is joined today by Craig Milsten. Craig has worked as an assistant District Attorney and the head of litigation at a large general practice law firm. For the last 18 years, he has been with Katherman Briggs & Greenberg (KBG) Injury Law. Craig is an experienced trial attorney and specializes in personal injury claims. Both Craig and Jeff have t…
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Empowering Our Communities: The Impact of Good News Consulting on Dementia Care
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27:27Jeff’s guest is Tina Hess, the owner of Good News Consulting, a training, consulting, care management, and guardianship company specializing in person-centered dementia care since 1998. Members of the team also began serving as court-appointed guardians in 2004. With its advocacy, caregiver training, and resources for professionals and families, Go…
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Know the Risks of Gifting Money, Unwrap Peace of Mind Instead
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26:51With the holidays upon us, you might be tempted to gift large sums of money to your children. But Jeff warns against this seemingly generous practice because gifting money and/or assets carries real and potential risks, including loss of control, severe tax implications, and inability to pay for long-term care. Jeff recommends a more thoughtful and…
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Estate Planning Essentials: Act Early to Safeguard Your Future
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25:52Estate planning is not only for older, established homeowners. Jeff explains how to know when it’s the right time to set up powers of attorney and wills. He outlines state laws that will determine how medical decisions and finances will be handled if a person dies or becomes incapacitated without legal documents in place. Then, he ties it all toget…
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Comply with the SECURE Act 2.0: Act Now to Update Your Estate Plan
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21:58The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act 2.0 was passed in December 2022. Some sections are already in effect and others begin January 1, 2024. The law focuses mainly on retirement and tax-related issues, but has significant implications for estate planning, also. People who have estate plans that list trusts as benefi…
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When a person calls Bellomo & Associates looking for information for the first time, they speak with Intake Specialist Jacob Sherman. Jacob’s passion for helping others, especially when they are going through a tough time, is evident from the start. As a provider of what Jeff calls, “service extraordinaire,” Jacob ensures that a person’s initial in…
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