Protecting Your Finances and Avoiding Scams

The IRS encourages taxpayers to sign up for an IP PIN for the 2025 tax season

When planning for the financial aspects of parenthood, it's wise to be as proactive as possible. Many expenses are associated with having a child, so take some time to consider the long-term implications and create a budget that will allow you to save for your future life.

The Senior Property Tax Credit Program is a Saint Louis County program authorized by §137.1050 of the Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri. It freezes certain real property taxes for eligible seniors.

These ten questions address some of the most common sources of confusion around Medicare: when to sign up, what to do if you are still working, how much it costs, and more.

College tuition is so expensive that even high-income families can get financial aid offers. Your first step is to complete the federal forms and then contact the school directly to negotiate a financial aid package further.

It's difficult to detect when you are being victimized. Many scams target older people, and awareness is the first step in protecting yourself or your loved ones.

Each domestic reporting company must now report its ownership to the government through a Beneficial Owner Information Report (BOI report).

You May Be Surprised at Some of the Documents We Recommend When It Comes to Estate Planning and Generational Wealth Transfer. 

Becoming a caregiver to a family member or loved one may occur at some point in your life, whether due to unexpected circumstances or old age. If you already are a caregiver or know someone who is, you may have some stories about how overwhelming it can be—emotionally and otherwise. Caregiving requires love, time, and patience, but the financial aspect of caregiving often doesn't get the proper attention it needs. Discuss this side of caregiving with your financial professional, who can offer you various resources and guidance to make things easier. These 11 tips can also help you manage your loved one's finances more effectively. 1. Talk About It Now Before It’s Too Late We must prepare for the unexpected, which means having a financial discussion with the person you are caring for in advance. While discussing money with them can seem complicated, it doesn't have to be. As a current or future caregiver, you need answers to some key questions. Let your loved one know that it's in their best interest to address these things now: Has your loved one saved money? If so, how much? What's their source of income? Do they have investments or insurance policies? Who is their financial professional/attorney/CPA? Do they want to live in an assisted living home or prefer to live at home? Have they planned for elder care (or can they pay for it)? Do they have long-term care insurance? Discussing these things when the aging parent is healthier and able to make decisions can make it easier for you to take action when the time comes. 2. Review Estate Planning Documents Find out if your loved one has prepared estate planning documents, and ensure that their will and power of attorney are current. A living will and health care proxy are critical estate planning documents to take care of immediately. They entail how you should handle medical treatment while your loved one is still living but can no longer express their health care wishes or make medical decisions on their own. Again, the best time to do this is while all parties are healthy and of sound mind. But if that time passes, it should still be a priority; it's never too late to get these in order. 3. Keep Financial Documents Organized and Accessible Necessary documents, such as wills, powers of attorney, investment statements, insurance policies, and bank account statements, should be reviewed, updated, and kept in a secure, accessible place. Ensure they are all kept together in one place with relevant passwords. 4. Know What’s Important to Your Loved One Generally, a caregiver's top priority should be to do what their loved one wants. For that reason, take the time to talk with them about their preferences for receiving care. Is it important to them to not be a burden on their children? Are they okay with living in an assisted living or nursing home? Would they rather live at home? Another option is to ask your loved one to write a letter expressing their desires and reasons. While living wills or health care proxies often cover wishes and instructions, they don't cover feelings. A personal letter can remind you of the sentiment behind your loved one's wishes. While you, as a caregiver, may not be able to fulfill all their wishes, you can still make the best possible decisions for them. Knowing what your loved one wants also helps you understand and empathize with them. 5. Seek Professional Advice When planning for your loved one, you should seek two types of professional advice – financial and legal. Ask your financial professional to recommend an attorney for legal consultation (and a tax professional for tax advice, if necessary).