HOLYOKE—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law in Holyoke will lead a three-course series on estate planning at Holyoke Community College, beginning Oct. 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

“Powerful Tools to Save the Home and Other Assets from the Nursing Home Bill” will continue on Oct. 16 and 23. Participants will hear a high-level overview of MassHealth’s financial requirements, “so MassHealth, not the family, funds any necessary long-term nursing home care,” Jackson said.

She will also explain the benefits of what she calls the “powerful tools in estate planning”—the irrevocable trust, the caregiver child exception, the adult disabled child exception, the Medicaid qualified annuity, pooled trusts and long-term care insurance.

“I will explain the benefits and limitations of each of these tools and will invite and encourage questions,” Jackson said.

The cost for the series is $179. To register, call 413-552-2320 or visit hcc.edu.bcs.

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HOLYOKE—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law in Holyoke will lead a three-course series on estate planning at Holyoke Community College, beginning Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.

In this high-level overview of estate planning, students will have a brief introduction to the health care proxy, advance directives and the differences between an advance directive, living will, DNR, and various health releases. 

The risks of jointly titled property, the importance of the power of attorney (POA), the two types of POAs and key provisions of a well-drafted POA will also be discussed, along with the probate process, ways to avoid probate, the importance of the will and the key provisions in a well-drafted will. 

All three classes will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. In the first class, students will learn about the health care proxy, advance directive, also known as a living will, and important releases.

The second class will be held on Oct. 10, and power of attorney and homesteads will be discussed. On Oct. 17, students will learn about the will and probate.

The cost for the series is $179. To register, call 413-552-2320 or visit hcc.edu/bce.

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HOLYOKE—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law in Holyoke will lead three estate planning workshops at Holyoke Community College, once per month in September, October and November.

An elder law and estate planning attorney, Jackson will present these sessions:

• Core Estate Planning, on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. Jackson recommends that everyone should have what she calls “a core estate plan,” with a will, power of attorney and health care proxy. She will explain the value of each document. 
• De-Mystifying Trusts, on Thursday, Oct. 19, from 6 to 7 p.m. Jackson will explain what a trust is, review the different types of trusts and outline who needs a trust and in what situations. 
• Saving Your Home from the Nursing Home Bill, on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 7 p.m. Jackson will explain the use of an irrevocable income-only trust to save one’s home when nursing care becomes problematic. She will explain MassHealth rules and provide tips and traps to avoid.

Each class is $39. To register, call 413-552-2320.

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LEEDS—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law in Holyoke will lead an estate planning workshop at Linda Manor Assisted Living in Leeds on April 5 at 1 p.m., highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning. 

An elder law and estate planning attorney, Jackson will present “The Big Five: Core Estate Plan,” explaining the importance of each document in a solid estate plan: the will, health care proxy, advance directive, HIPAA release, durable power of attorney and homestead.

“I’ll offer an overview of the basic building blocks of an estate plan,” Jackson said. 

The talk is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required as space is limited. Contact Crystal at 413-588-3316 or visit RSVPLindaManor.org.

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HOLYOKE—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder law and estate planning attorney, will teach a two-part class highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College in Holyoke.

The four-hour course, called Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know, will be presented in Holyoke in two, two-hour sessions, on Mondays, October 18 and October 25, 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $99.

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning. I will clarify the probate court process and what it means to probate a will. And I will explore current MassHealth issues in the event of a nursing home stay.”

The material will be presented as follows:

• In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan—the will, power of attorney, health care proxy, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) release, and advance directive. She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life. In the first session, Jackson will also cover the different types of trusts and the reasons for creating each kind of trust: the revocable trust, irrevocable trust, and special needs trust.
• During the second session, Jackson will explain the various tools and techniques to save the home and other assets from the nursing home bill: gifting, the Medicaid qualified annuity, pooled trusts, caregiver child exception, and Medicaid qualified trusts.

For participants who may be able to attend only one session, the full course fee is required.

Holyoke Community College’s main campus in Holyoke is at 303 Homestead Avenue. 

To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500 or register online at www.hcc.edu/bce.

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HOLYOKE— Adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law will teach a series of Holyoke Community College classes through Zoom, highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning. 

An elder law and estate planning attorney, Jackson will present her six-hour course, called Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know. Sessions will be presented on Zoom in three, two-hour sessions, on Mondays, May 4, May 11, and May 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $99.

To register, email Valentyna Semyrog at vsemyrog@hcc.edu, leave a message at 413-552-2123, or visit www.hcc.edu/bce. Participants will be sent a link to join the class and can join using PCs, laptops, or smartphones.  

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning. I will clarify the Probate Court process and what it means to ‘probate a will.’ And, I will explore current Medicare and MassHealth issues that are affecting seniors.”

The material will be presented as follows:

• In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan.  She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life.  
• The second session will address four areas: trusts; the probate court process; Medicare hot topics; and options for community care/home care. Jackson will provide pertinent information and details about each to assist you in your planning now. 
• In the third and final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide long-term skilled nursing home care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each.

While participants may attend only one session of their choosing, they must still pay the full course cost of $99.

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HOLYOKE—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder law and estate planning firm, will teach a series of classes highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College.

The six-hour course, called Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know, will be presented in three, two-hour sessions, on Mondays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Jackson will present comprehensive subject matter on what she calls “The Core Estate Plan,” in which she will explain core documents and provide stories and examples. She will also discuss “The Probate Process Start to Finish” and “Medicare, Community Care Programs, and MassHealth Planning.”

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan and a plan for home and nursing home care,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning.  I will clarify the probate process and what it means to ‘probate a will.’ And, finally, we will explore current MassHealth issues that are affecting seniors.”

The material will be presented as follows:

• In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan.  She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life.  She will also provide an overview of the different types of trusts that can be considered in estate planning, including supplemental needs trusts, revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts.
• The second session will address the probate court process.  Jackson will discuss the different types of probate, explain how to determine which assets must go through probate after a death, and what can be done in your planning now.
• In the third and final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide community and long-term skilled nursing care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each.  She will also address hot topics in Medicare law, supplemental needs trusts, and new developments in significant elder law issues.

While participants may attend only one session of their choosing, they must still pay the full course cost of $85.

Holyoke Community College’s main campus in Holyoke is at 303 Homestead Avenue.

To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500 or online at www.hcc.edu/bce.

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HOLYOKE/WARE—Attorney Karen G. Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder law and estate planning firm, will teach a series of classes highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College in Holyoke and at its newly established Ware campus.

The six-hour course, called Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know, will be presented in Holyoke in three, two-hour sessions, on Mondays, May 15, May 22 and June 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

In Ware, two, three-hour sessions will be offered on Mondays, May 1 and May 8 from 6 to 9 p.m.

On both campuses, Jackson will present comprehensive subject matter on what she calls “The Core Estate Plan,” in which she will explain core documents and provide stories and examples. She will also discuss “The Probate Process Start to Finish” and “Medicare, Community Care Programs, and MassHealth Planning.”

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan and a plan for home and nursing home care,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning.  I will clarify the probate process and what it means to ‘probate a will.’ And, finally, we will explore current MassHealth issues that are affecting seniors.”

In Holyoke, the material will be presented in these three sessions:

• In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan.  She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life.  She will also provide an overview of the different types of trusts that can be considered in estate planning, including supplemental needs trusts, revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts.
• The second session will address the probate court process.  Jackson will discuss the different types of probate, explain how to determine which assets must go through probate after a death, and what can be done in your planning now.
• In the third and final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide community and long-term skilled nursing care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each.  She will also address hot topics in Medicare law, supplemental needs trusts, and new developments in significant elder law issues.

In Ware, Jackson will cover both the probate and Medicaid material in the second and final session.

While participants may attend only one session of their choosing for either course, they must still pay the full course cost of $85.

Holyoke Community College’s main campus in Holyoke is at 303 Homestead Ave; the Ware Center is located at 79 Main St.

To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500.

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Still is a fiduciary in the capacity of financial adviser and is bound to putting his client’s best interests first.  He focuses on core components for clients when planning for retirement. Still helps his clients with retirement planning, estate planning, investments and life insurance planning.

Still’s office was previously located in Westborough and Holyoke. He is pleased to have moved closer to his native town of Granby, where he grew up and currently lives.

“I really love western Mass,” Still said. “I grew up here, and I have a lot of family ties in the area. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I look forward to serving the needs of local consumers and businesses and to contributing to the area’s economic and civic vibrancy in a meaningful way. I’m passionate about financial education for my clients and making sure that they have the best possible options available to them across a wide range of retirement and insurance planning concerns.”

For the last four years, Still has been a member of New York Life’s Executive Council, members of which are among the most successful of company elite sales force of 12,000 licensed agents. He is a member of the Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

Still earned a bachelor’s degree from American International College in Springfield and perused finance and business management at the University of Florida.

For more information, contact Jeff at 413-658-8100 or stillj@eaglestrategies.com. Find him online at www.Jefferystill.com.

About Jeffery W. Still and New York Life Insurance Company

Jeffery W. Still is a Financial Adviser offering investment advisory services through Eagle Strategies LLC, A Registered Investment Adviser & a Registered Representative offering securities through NYLIFE Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, A Licensed Insurance Agency & An Agent New York Life Insurance Company.

New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody’s Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor’s (AA+).** Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life Investments*** provides institutional asset management. Other New York Life affiliates provide an array of securities products and services, as well as retail mutual funds.

Visit New York Life’s website at www.newyorklife.com for more information.

*Based on revenue as reported by “Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual),” Fortune magazine, 6/17/16. For methodology, please see Fortune 500 ** Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 8/09/16. *** New York Life Investments is a service mark used by New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and its subsidiary, New York Life Investment Management LLC.

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Jackson, an elder law attorney, will address hot topics in Medicare law, supplemental needs trusts and new developments in community and nursing home care payment programs. She will also focus on other current and significant elder law issues.

Through stories and real examples, Jackson will highlight the core estate plan and the importance of each document in it. She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity, and she will explain the different types of trusts that can be considered, including supplemental needs trusts, revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts.

Jackson will also address the probate court process and explain how to determine which assets must go through probate after a death. In addition, she will discuss various Medicaid programs that provide financial assistance for community and long-term skilled nursing care.

Couples are encouraged to attend the class. To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500 or online at www.hcc.edu/bce.

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