The IRS recently issued new guidance on a SECURE 2.0 provision that may allow some people to use distributions from certain retirement plans to help pay for qualified long-term care insurance premiums.

A few important points:

This is optional, so not every retirement plan will offer it.

The distribution may avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty if it qualifies.

Income taxes may still apply.

Proper documentation from the long-term care insurance issuer will be required.

For 2026, the annual distribution limit is generally the lesser of the premium cost, 10% of the vested retirement account balance, or $2,600.

This is not a complete long-term care plan, but it is another reminder that planning early matters. Long-term care costs can have a major impact on a family’s savings, spouse, and children.

If you are in your 50s, 60s, or helping an aging parent, now is the time to talk through your options for incapacity planning, long-term care planning, asset protection, and estate planning.

cams targeting older adults are becoming more sophisticated, more aggressive, and far more costly.

In 2024 alone, older adults reported losing more than $2.4 billion to scams. These scams often involve someone pretending to be from the government, a bank, a well-known company, tech support, or even a loved one in trouble.

Please talk with your parents, grandparents, neighbors, and loved ones about this.

“Where you go I will go.”
— Ruth 1:16

Avoiding probate is a goal everyone should have.

Protecting your home when you go into a nursing home and qualify for Medicaid is as easy as saying “I intend to return home.”

When thinking about how to plan your estate, a Revocable Living Trust can be one of the most thoughtful gifts you leave your loved ones. This estate planning tool offers several advantages over a traditional Last Will and Testament, particularly when it comes to avoiding probate, planning for incapacity, and protecting your beneficiaries' inheritances.

Learn about some of North Carolina’s alternatives to institutionalized skilled nursing care for elderly and disabled adults.