Preparing For Tomorrow podcast Diane Stoddart, Certified Long Term Care Consultant, CLTC

We have a lot of new listeners, so I'm taking you back to one of our earliest episodes to share my "Why".   I became a long term care specialist because my heart yearns to help you not go through what I and my family went through in the same degree. Currently, there is no way to prevent Alzheimer's disease from overtaking a person's brain, but there are ways to make it just a little easier on the family as they work to help as much as they can. My aim is to help you reduce the emotional, physical and financial consequences that dementia carries. We need to ask ourselves if we will have a plan to take care of the immeasurable risks of a long term care need, or will our needs eventually control our plan. Let me help you Prepare for the Tomorrow that we all hope never comes, but too often does.  Schedule tome with me to protecxt those you love most  

This week, you just need to listen and learn from my mistakes.  Some I made as a kid, and the most recent was over the last few years.  I didn't want to seem intrusive when that is exactly how I should have been.   Now, I am just sad.  Sad that I didn't do what I've been encouraging you to do.  I tried, but I didn't try hard enough.  If you need caregiver support, go to The Alzheimer's Association has support info at Schedule time with me to plan today so you can be prepared for the storms of tomorrow at   Email me a question at  

To deepen our look into LTC annuities, this week we review how Danny 1035 exchanged a $160,000 variable annuity to a LTC indexed annuity with tax-free benefits for extended care needs.   His cost basis (amount he originally deposited) was only $54,000.  He has a lot of liquid assets and doesn't need the $160K to live on today. He is also an uninsurable health risk for almost all LTC funding options other than Medicaid, which he wants to avoid. Listen and learn how we moved his $160K into over $435K in tax free LTC benefits.  The account and LTC benefits balances will continue to increase over his lifetime. Now he has a dedicated stream of tax-free cash for care needs and is free to spend the rest of his retireement assets however he chooses. If you or someone you love has been holding onto an annuity because they don't want to pay taxes when withdrawing, ask me how you can also create tax-free benefits for care.  Leave Uncle Sam out of your plans. My calendar  

This week, Diane shares how the PensionProtection Act passed in 2010 makes it possible to 1035 exchange non-qualified annuities into various LTC plans that generate tax-free income for extended care needs. Not all annuities are tax-free for LTC.  LIsten and learn how different rules apply to different annuity forms. If you or somone you know has an annuity that they don't want to use due to many years of taxable earnings when withdrawn, consider 1035 exchanging that into an LTC annuity with tax-free income for long term care. If care is never needed, the annuity is passed to beneficiaries just like  other annuities.   Let's work together to learn if you can design an LTC plan that saves taxes and dosen't impact your budget. Schedule with me at to learn what is available inyour state.

We think we can beat the insurance company by waiting as long as we can to purchase LTC insurance.   In truth we're just beating ourselves up. Every year that we wait is one more year of no increase in benefits.  By waiting just 5 years, we could eliminate over $100,000 in future benefits.   I'm sharing two stories today.  One client decided not to wait, and she'll have more than $100,000 in added benefits by not waiting. The other has waited over 13 years and still wants to wait.  During that 13 years, he has lost over $600,000 in future LTC benefits when he is 84.  He'll either not have as much LTC benefits, or he'll need to start with a higher anount of coverage to attain the same results. If protecting your family from the physical, emotional and financial consequenses of an extended care need is important to you today, it's foolish to wait. Schedule with me today to protect your family  

This week, I'm sharing updates on the four clients with LTC claims that we shared on February 22nd. I have been walking with these families as they prepare for and begin extensive caregiving needs for their moms and wives. I can't imagine how hard it would be to navigate the claims process without guidance from an LTC Specialist. Some phrases I've heard along this journey are: "Everything changes every day.  The stuff I needed to help with yesterday is completely different than what she needs today." "She doesn't remember ANYTHING I tell her." "I'm so glad you're here to help me get this in place.  I don't know how I could do it alone." Opening an LTC claim is not that complicaed, if you know what to expect.  I feel like I'm a relevant part of each family's team as they work to help their loved one get through each day.  I'm honored to be involved, and I'm thankful that God has placed me in this role to help with such extreme needs. If you don't have a plan for your last few years, contact me.  We'll work together to make sure you have a plan, and that you and your family understnad how that plan works.