ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Rethinking the Conservatorship Model In California and many other states, a conservatorship or guardianship is essentially the last word in deciding who has the authority to manage an elder or dependent adult’s estate. There are different varieties, some temporary, some permanent, but they generally confer complete control of […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Reviewing the Variable Annuity Annuities are financial products that are often fraught with complications, miscommunications, and disappointment for policyholders. When seniors or retirees initially buy the product, they are generally expecting that the annuity will be both a sound investment and a means of providing stress-free guaranteed income […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER A Shrinking Long-Term Care Insurance Market May Put the Squeeze on Policyholders Seniors and retirees who are looking into their insurance options for old age may have noticed a disturbing trend: Long Term Care insurance, designed to help the elderly afford costs like retirement homes, Continuing Care Retirement […]

Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 This newly signed law strengthens the protections for whistleblowers who report illegal practices to the government, particularly with regards to trade secrets. In the past, employees who signed “gag orders” or non-disclosure agreements were hampered in their ability to report malfeasance, particularly in the […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER FINRA levies $25 Million Fine Against Metlife FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, recently brought down the hammer on Metlife, in the form of the second largest penalty in the history of the agency. Although Metlife did not admit to wrongdoing in the settlement, the core of FINRAs […]

Congress Looks at Reforming the False Claims Act The False Claims Act was originally created during the Civil War to allow ordinary citizens to sue fraudulent companies on behalf of the government. Companies that intentionally sold low-quality goods to the Union Army could be brought to task by civilians who […]

Types of Elder Abuse Cases Elder abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional or financial. However, most cases involve financial abuse, as shown in two recent cases; The first case involved a couple who claimed to be family friends of the victims. They used the art of distraction,;when the first one […]

Protect Your Parents against Financial Fraud As your parents age, they become vulnerable too. Therefore, they saved money their entire lives for different purposes: retirement, legacy, etc. They are the perfect target for financial fraud, one of the most prominent types of elder abuse case. Often, the culprits are one […]

Understanding the IRS Whistleblower Program A tax whistleblower reports a tax scheme or fraud carried out by his employer to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and in exchange the reporter receives at least 15 % of the proceeds collected. The reward for a whistleblower serves as the carrot that provides […]

Re-Inventing the Wheel: traditional vs ‘Modern’ Annuities Annuities have been marketed to seniors as an essential retirement product for decades, and it’s easy to see why: put your lump sum in up front, and received guaranteed income, with interest, for the rest of your days. This is marketing pitch, and […]