Tag: Estate Planning

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Planning Beyond Documents: Building Support as a Solo Senior with Kathy McNair (Ep. 70)

Planning Beyond Documents: Building Support as a Solo Senior with Kathy McNair (Ep. 70)

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Too often, retirement planning focuses only on documents, but what happens when you don’t have the right people to rely on?

In this episode, I sit down with elder law attorney and founder of Solo Allies, Kathy McNair, to talk about the unique needs of solo seniors and why legal paperwork alone isn’t enough. We explore how to choose the right people for critical roles, when to consider professional support, and how to build a community for peace of mind in retirement.

Kathy discusses:

  • The difference between an estate planning attorney and an elder law attorney
  • What it really means to be a solo senior and why planning matters
  • Why “Planning + People = Peace of Mind” is a critical formula for aging well
  • How to choose and prepare a power of attorney, and what happens when you don’t
  • Resources, tools, and community programs like Solo Allies and the Aging Allies Club
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Kathy McNair: 

About our Guest: 

Kathy McNair is an elder law attorney with over 25 years of experience serving seniors. She is the founder of Senior Solutions LLC in Boston and the national resource platform Solo Allies, dedicated to helping solo agers—those without reliable family support—plan for their legal, financial, and personal well-being.

Kathy is also the creator of the Aging Allies Club, a small-group planning program designed to provide both legal tools and meaningful connections. She frequently speaks to community groups and has written The Solo Senior’s Guide to Thrive, a practical guide to aging with independence and security.

Appointed by Governor Deval Patrick in 2008, she served 15 years as a Public Administrator of Suffolk County, managing estates with no known heirs. She also serves on the Board of Directors at McNamara House, an affordable senior housing community in Boston.

Kathy earned her J.D. from Boston College Law School and her bachelor’s in psychology from St. Lawrence University.

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Navigating Life After Loss – Part 3: Planning Your First Year with Clarity and Care (Ep. 69)

Navigating Life After Loss – Part 3: Planning Your First Year with Clarity and Care (Ep. 69)

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The first year after losing a spouse brings overwhelming emotions alongside important decisions. Knowing what needs immediate attention versus what can wait can make the difference between added stress and thoughtful progress.

In Part 3 of our Navigating Life After Loss series, I share how to approach both urgent and long-term planning after the loss of a spouse. I explain which financial and lifestyle choices deserve early focus, how tax planning can protect your future, and why building a supportive foundation is essential. Together, we look at practical ways to move forward with clarity and confidence.

Key takeaways include:

  • The impact of pre-death planning, wills, estate plans, and beneficiary designations on easing stress after loss
  • The key financial updates in the first year, including executors, trustees, Social Security timing, and income sources
  • How tax filing status changes after a spouse’s passing, and strategies like Roth conversions and capital gains harvesting
  • Rebuilding a financial foundation through account consolidation, investment updates, and income planning
  • The importance of lifestyle and emotional choices, such as housing, community support, and designing the next chapter of life
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

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Navigating Life After Loss – Part 2: Financial & Legal Aspects (Ep. 68)

Navigating Life After Loss – Part 2: Financial & Legal Aspects (Ep. 68)

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In Part 2 of our Navigating Life After Loss series, I share compassionate, practical advice for the critical first weeks after losing a spouse. I walk through the legal, financial, and everyday matters that can feel overwhelming, offering clear action steps to bring order during a difficult time. From meeting with an estate attorney and understanding probate versus living trusts to retitling property, updating beneficiary designations, and addressing debts, we help you focus on what matters most. 

You’ll also learn how to protect against fraud, safeguard your privacy, and manage your loved one’s digital and social media presence. This conversation is about more than tasks; it’s about helping you prepare, prioritize, and protect your well-being while working through one of life’s hardest chapters.

Key takeaways:

  • Why meeting with an estate planning attorney early can prevent costly delays and probate complications
  • The importance of retitling property, vehicles, and accounts in your name to avoid future issues
  • How Social Security payments and survivor benefits work, including timelines and required forms
  • Steps for handling debts, protecting against fraud, and safeguarding your spouse’s digital footprint
  • When a living trust may be worth considering for privacy, efficiency, and avoiding probate
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

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Navigating Estate Planning for Remarriage in Retirement with Amy June (Ep. 42)

Navigating Estate Planning for Remarriage in Retirement with Amy June (Ep. 42)

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Estate planning is crucial, especially for those remarrying later in life.

What happens when life changes and your estate plan doesn’t? 

Amy June, an estate planning attorney focused on helping clients navigate life events, joins Eric Blake to share advice on navigating remarriage, blended families, and protecting your legacy. Learn strategies to ensure your loved ones are cared for while avoiding legal pitfalls.

Amy discusses:

  • The importance of creating or updating your estate plan before or shortly after remarriage
  • Key estate planning documents every individual or couple should have
  • Common challenges with blended families and strategies to address them
  • How to align beneficiary designations with your overall estate plan
  • The role of prenuptial agreements in safeguarding assets and clarifying intentions
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Amy June: 

About Our Guest: 

Amy June is licensed in and serves clients throughout Texas and California, specializing in estate planning and asset protection. She has a wide range of experience in-house with large companies and entrepreneurial startups and as a litigator with an Am-Law 100 law firm. She has seen what the lack of a firm business foundation and effective estate planning can do and has the experience and knowledge so that her clients avoid those expensive, time-consuming, and heartbreaking consequences.

She also has a demonstrated history of working in the community and is highly respected by her peers and clients. She takes a human, empathetic approach, eliminating the fear and intimidation of speaking with a lawyer. She invests time and energy in understanding her clients’ history, goals, and values, and is dedicated to using that knowledge to help people navigate their needs and those of their loved ones, now and in the future.

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Navigating End-of-Life Care: Insights and Strategies for Women in Retirement with Jeanne Brosseau (Ep. 13)

Navigating End-of-Life Care: Insights and Strategies for Women in Retirement with Jeanne Brosseau (Ep. 13)

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What if you could redefine your journey into retirement and end-of-life planning?

Discover the crucial yet often overlooked aspects of retirement in this insightful episode of The Simply Retirement Podcast. Host Eric Blake, joined by Jeanne Brosseau, Community Liaison from Ardent Healthcare, tackles the sensitive subject of end-of-life care. This episode is specially crafted to guide you through the complexities of retirement planning, with a focus on hospice and palliative care. 

Key Highlights:

  • Enhancing Quality of Life with Hospice Care: Understand how early hospice adoption can significantly improve life quality
  • Initiating End-of-Life Conversations: Gain valuable strategies for approaching sensitive talks about end-of-life care
  • Integrating Medical and Financial Planning: Eric Blake seamlessly connects hospice care with estate planning, emphasizing the need for a holistic estate plan that smartly incorporates medical directives alongside traditional wills and trusts
  • Understanding Care Services: Unravel the differences between home health and hospice care, learning about their subtle nuances and the financial implications, including insurance details
  • Proactive End-of-Life Planning: Discover the essential steps to seek information and arrange care for end-of-life planning
  • And much more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Jeanne Brosseau: 

About Jeanne Brosseau: 

When you ask Jeanne Brosseau where she is from, she will answer, “which year?” Jeanne was born in Colorado Springs but had moved 19 times by the time she was 10 due to her father’s career in the construction industry. 

Jeanne married when she was 20 and soon after started a family. Her husband’s career had her packing again to move every year, sometimes twice a year, across the continental US, and out of it, until she settled in CT in 2000. 

She started a career as a Student Counselor with The Writers Institute, helping adult correspondence students learn how to write and publish their work. She also recruited published authors to teach the courses. She fell in love with education. 

In 2008, Jeanne moved her 2 teenagers to Houston, TX so that she could better provide for her children’s college education. She accepted a position as a Unit Secretary at a small Catholic hospital and shortly thereafter was a student in their first Patient Care Technician training program. Right after her 40th birthday, she was recruited by a hospice company to be a liaison assistant and promoted 2 months later to a full marketing position. 

Although Jeanne didn’t know anything about hospice, she researched, asked lots of questions and started to become educated on all areas of healthcare. She wanted to know the differences between the levels of care, when each was appropriate, and why. She loved the “educational” piece of it. Now, Jeanne brings that education to as many people as possible.

“End of life discussions should be as important as beginning of life discussions. Preparing for that journey takes much of the fear out of it.”

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