Retirement seminar, AARP alternatives
The Philadelphia Estate Planning Council will host its first-ever public event Saturday, Oct. 24, during which attendees can ask retirement questions.
The Philadelphia Estate Planning Council will host its first-ever public event Saturday, Oct. 24, during which attendees can ask retirement questions.
The public seminar will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Conference Center in the Wanamaker Building, at 100 Penn Square East across from City Hall in Center City.
The deadline to register is Oct. 16, and the cost is $20. To register online, go to the nonprofit's website (www.philaepc.org). To register by phone, call the council's administrative secretary, Denise Downing at 215-486-6215.
Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen, president of the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council and an attorney with Bala Law Group, said the nonprofit wanted to share expertise across the region in conjunction with National Estate Planning Awareness Week (Oct. 19 to 25).
"There's a massive intergenerational shift of wealth underway as baby boomers retire and age. Many folks have either little knowledge or little interest in planning for their families' futures," Smolen said.
"Without proper planning, much of their hard-earned wealth will be taxed by the U.S. federal government, and obviously no one wants that. The goal of our outreach event is to educate the public on these very issues."
The following seminars will take place at the all-day conference: Estate Planning 101; Advanced Estate Planning; Psychology of Intergenerational Wealth; Planning for Blended Families; Basic Income Tax Planning/IRS Form 1040; Investment Planning for Retirement and College; Life Insurance and Disability Planning; Charitable Planning; Estate and Trust Administration; Long Term Care Planning; and Special Needs Trusts.
Each topic will be presented by attorneys, accountants, and financial planners. There will be no sales pitch for specific products or services, Smolen said.
There's something for everyone - from folks who have never had a will prepared to those who have already complex estate plans, said Andrew Haas, an attorney with Blank Rome and member of the Estate Planning Council.
Alternatives to AARP
Is the "nonpartisan" AARP too liberal? Some seniors want advocacy groups that are more conservative about political and social issues than the group formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons. And those groups are out there.
The Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) is a conservative alternative to AARP for Americans 50 years of age and older. AMAC is antiabortion, anti-Obamacare and its stated mission is to fight higher taxes. The group also offers discounts and other benefits to members such as auto, homeowners, and long-term care insurance; restaurants; stores; health insurance; hotel and motels; and Medicare supplemental insurance.
Visit the website https://amac.us for more information or call 1-888-262-2006.
American Seniors Association (ASA) calls its key issues of concern the "four pillars." Members believe undocumented immigrants should not be eligible for Social Security.
ASA wants Social Security and Medicare reform and a so-called Fair Tax.
Membership is $15 per year, according to the website (www.americanseniors.org), or call 1-800-951-0017.
The 60 Plus Association was established in 1992 as a nonpartisan group of senior citizens who believe in smaller government and lower taxes. Priorities include ending the inheritance tax, which founder James L. Martin calls the "death tax," and saving Social Security for future generations.
60 Plus members can sign up online at no charge (www.60plus.org) or call 1-703-807-2070.
The Seniors Coalition (TSC) is a senior citizen advocacy group. One of the group's goals is to protect the "economic well-being" that seniors have earned.
The group members seek solutions that honor free-market principles.
Priorities include a balanced federal budget, ensuring availability of low-cost generic drugs, protection of Social Security funds, and Medicare.
For more, visit the website (www.senior.org) or call 1-202-261-3594.
215-854-2808 @erinarvedlund