Thursday, November 5, 2015

Create Your Free-Last Will And Testament

When Is it Time to Step In ?

There comes a time in the adult lives of children and their parents when it dawns on you that you might have to step in and begin having a more active in your parent’s lives, not as a child but as a caregiver. For every family, that time seems to come as a shock.Do-it-yourself Living Will

It’s strange because we all see reports on television about the transition that we go through when the parent becomes the dependent one and the child becomes the boss in the relationship. And the hardest part of that transition may be the first time you have to step in and “stage an intervention” because there is an area of life that your parent needs to let go of and you know they won’t want to. So what are the signs that its time to step in and suggest or directly take action to make that change in your parents lives?

When it comes to driving, your dad or mom’s doctor will be able to help by determining if your parent is physically able to drive any more. When the senior citizen’s eyesight dims to where he or she cannot distinguish details in the distance or when depth perception is poor so he might not be able to judge where the intersection is or if he is stopped at the stoplight or in the middle of the intersection, the time is right for Grandpa to give up the keys and let someone else do the driving. The time to start the process of moving mom or dad out of their own home and into an assisted living facility may be more tricky to determine. As with driving, the senior citizen will mount every effort to appear to be competent to continue to live independently.

That ability to live on our own, go where we want when we want to and take care of our own needs is so fundamental to who we are and to our self esteem that this transition from living on their own to living where everything is done for them is emotionally difficult to be sure. So you as family members and as the caregiver for your parent need to watch for the signs that your parent’s ability to take care of the house and of themselves living independently has come. Some of the symptoms of the need for change are…Save money on Medical Power of Attorney


  • How is your mom or dad’s health holding up? Are they eating well? Check the pantry and the refrigerator. Is it full of good things to eat, fresh foods and lots of supplies for cooking or is it sparse showing that going to the grocery store is a trial for your parent? 
  • Are your parents taking care of themselves? When you come over, do they look like they are sleeping ok? Are they groomed and clean and are their clothes clean and ready to use or is everything wrinkled because its too hard to do the laundry and press shirts and blouses? 
  • How does the house look? Is it in good repair? Is it picked up and the kitchen clean with everything put away? If mom was always meticulous about her kitchen and now it’s always a mess, she is having trouble keeping up with the housework. 
  • Does mom or dad stay home all the time? If they were normally outgoing and always up for a car trip, an outing to church or even just the grocery store or even an adventure, becoming a homebody signals that they don’t want to go through the trouble of getting fixed up to go out. Of all these symptoms, probably the one that signals the time to step in and take action is immediate is if your elderly parent falls or goes to the floor and then cannot get up. 
If your mom or dad has to pass the night on the living room floor because they could not get up and had to sleep there until someone showed up to help them, that’s an emergency situation that calls for immediate action.

Talk to your elderly parent about the risks of living alone, particularly in a scary thing like being unable to get up. By the time such a frightening incident happens, your parent may be suspecting the time to go somewhere that they can live with greater security and safety is here.

Breaking a Lease on a Rental Agreement


Most rental agreements have a section regarding the renter breaking the lease agreement. While there is also likely a section or several sections regarding when the leasing agent can evict the renter, the section on breaking the lease should be of particular interest to those who might be in a position to have to break the lease some day. Renters should understand these contract terms so they can make an informed decision. Additionally the renter should consider all costs associated with breaking the lease. This includes both financial costs as well as emotional costs. Understand the Contract Terms Renters should review their rental agreement carefully before signing this document. The rental agreement is a legally binding document which should be given proper consideration before entering into the agreement.

This is important because understanding these terms will be essential if the need to break the lease becomes a reality. Rental agreements typically do allow the renter to break the lease but not without some form of penalty. This penalty usually comes in the form of requiring the renter to give a specified amount of notice before the contract is up and also requires the renter to pay a sum of money to break the rental agreement. A notice of 30 days and a lease break amount equal to one month’s rent are common penalties associated with breaking a lease, however, individual leasing agents may impose penalties which are either harsher or less severe. Consider the Costs of Breaking the Lease As previously mentioned there is typically a fee associated with breaking a lease. This fee is often set equal to one month’s rent. While paying this fee may seem excessive there are some instances in which it is an economically good decision to break the contract even though there is a financial penalty imposed. Consider the example of a homeowner who is the process or relocating due to a job change.

The homeowner may opt to rent an apartment in the new state while the house is put up for sale in the previous state. If the renter enters into a 12 month contract under the supposition that it will take this long to sell the old house and purchase a new house, he may be surprised if his other house sells quickly and he finds a home in his new state rather quickly. This may all occur within a matter of 2-3 months. The renter has the option to stay in the apartment until the rental agreement nears expiration and then start looking for a home. However, this option runs the risk that the home he previously found will not likely be available.

The renters other option is to place a bid on the new house and plan on breaking the lease if he is able to close on the new house. In this case, the renter would be saddled with both a rent and a mortgage for 9-10 months. This will likely be significantly more expensive than the price the renter would pay to break the lease.

Breaking the Lease is Not Always a Financial Decision The decision to break a lease is not always completely a financial decision. There are sometimes emotional components which factor into the equation. For example a renter may have only 1-2 months remaining on his rental agreement when he is offered a dream job which will require him to relocate immediately.

Although breaking the lease that late in the agreement is usually not financially wise, the renter may make this decision to avoid missing out on a dream job.

Home Loans

Home Loans


  Home loans make the process of buying a new home more affordable than ever.  As you may already know, these types of loans give you many opportunities that wouldn’t be possible without them.  When you buy a home, you should understand as much as you can about the process, as well as the questions you will be answering.  This way, you’ll be familiar with how things work and you’ll find the entire process to go much smoother.

When you look towards a home purchase loan, you’ll need to fully understand the interest rates.  They are never the same and will vary among the different financial institutions, as well as from time to time.  In many cases, home loans can change on a frequent basis, with little to no notice.  When you buy a home, it is very important that you keep up with the economy.  Any change in interest rates for a home loan can either increase or decrease the amount you pay back.

When getting a home loan, you’ll also need to understand the terms and the length of the loan.  Almost all financial institutions and lenders have a variety of different plans or periods for you to choose from.  If you choose a longer period, in most cases your interest rate will drop.  You can find this out yourself by using a mortgage calculator.  This way, you’ll know how much your mortgage payment will be before you decide to further pursue the loan.

As you probably already know, your ability to pay the loan back is very important.  Some lenders require that you keep your loan full term, while others may provide you with the option to pay it off any time you wish.  Home loans that give you the option to pay it off early will normally save you quite a bit of money in the end.  If you are able to pay your loan off several years early, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.

Even though the early payoff option is great to have, it can also come back to haunt you if you end up defaulting on the home loan.  Or, if you decide to sell your home in the future, the early payoff can haunt you as well.  For those very reasons you should always consult with a specialist before you commit to any type of home loan.

For the potential home buyer, home loans offer several different opportunities.  Before you rush out and get a home loan, you should always know what you are agreeing to.  You should also look into the company you are thinking of getting the loan from as well, so that you can better prepare yourself when you go through their process of getting your loan.