“I think a lot of people avoid physical therapy or avoid going to the doctor because they're afraid that that's exactly what the doctor or the physical therapist is going to say to them; "Nope, you can't do that anymore. We're going to take that away from you."
“Just know that a good doctor and a good physical therapist will help you be as functional as you want to be in a safe way. Now, there are certainly things that might be taken away because they're contraindicated or they're just in general bad for your health. But for the most part, a good therapist and a good doctor will help you find a way around that or find new activities that you'll be happy with.”
- Dr. Beth Williamson, DPT
Dr. Beth Williamson is a physical therapist with a long history of getting people healthy. On this episode of The Matt Feret Show, you’ll get an insider’s guide to choosing a physical therapist, when to make a change, striking the right balance between doctor, surgeon and your physical therapist, and a caregiver’s most important role in physical therapy. We take a look at physical therapy outcomes and age, and touch on how limitations in insurance coverage for physical therapy can throw a wrench in your recovery journey.
Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Alexa Flash Briefing, iHeart, Acast or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide book series. Sign up for the Prepare for Medicare Newsletter, an exclusive subscription-only newsletter that delivers the inside scoop to help you stay up-to-date with your Medicare insurance coverage, highlight Medicare news you can use, and reminders for important dates throughout the year. When you sign up, you’ll immediately gain access to seven FREE Medicare checklists.
“My biggest advice to caregivers is don't drop and leave. I'm not kidding. I see a lot of family members or just hired caregivers that are like, "Okay, here she is. Here he is." And then they walk out of the appointment. And it's like, "Wait a minute." Even when they're dropping off patients that are of sound mind and can remember things, I still think it's a good idea... You're caregiving for a reason. The patient can't drive, the patient can't remember, the patient can't physically get in and out of the house without you. There's some reason that you're there and they're not there by themselves. So, stay there and sit with the physical therapist and sit with the doctor and hear what they're saying so you are the second set of ears to help them navigate whatever they're going through.”
- Dr. Beth Williamson, DPT
“I think that if your doctor has a specific therapist that they recommend, I would listen to them. I've built my practice on getting to know a lot of my physicians and I have three or four close physicians that send directly to me. So if you know that about the therapist, that's a good sign. If the doctor writes a specialty or you know you have had it in the past such as dry needling, active release technique, or if they have lymphedema specialty, you obviously want to look for those certifications.”
“I think it's also important to know the dynamic of how the clinic runs and what kind of care you want to receive. So if you're an athlete and you need a fast-paced clinic and you're okay with having multiple people in the same room at the same time and you're in that environment and that works for you, that's good. If you're somebody who's a little bit more private and you want to make sure they have a private treatment room and that they're seeing people maybe one-on-one, or they have a little bit of overlapping schedule and that's okay with you. So, I do think it's a good idea to look at the clinic and you can always just pop in and ask them.”
- Dr. Beth Williamson, DPT
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:44 Beth’s professional background and journey.
00:03:39 What Beth likes about Physical Therapy.
00:05:03 Time with a doctor vs. time with a physical therapist.
00:06:50 How to find a physical therapist that’s right for you.
00:11:28 Physical therapy and older adults.
00:13:34 PT recovery time as you age.
00:15:09 Balance issues and physical therapy.
00:18:13 Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi for balance issues.
00:20:53 Low back pain in older adults and physical therapy.
00:23:24 Spine issues and physical therapy.
00:25:30 Physical therapy and recovery timelines as you age.
00:26:59 Surgery vs. Physical Therapy.
00:29:09 Caregivers and Physical Therapy.
00:30:43 Insurance limitations and your physical therapy care plan.
00:32:34 Medicare and physical therapy
00:25:20 Show Wrap!
“It's really important to understand the reasons that you are doing estate planning and the goals and objectives. Down the line, it's going to save money, and it's going to save hard feelings and save your loved ones' time and energy to do this correctly. And if you can save money, whether it be tax-wise or administratively, I think it makes all the sense in the world to at least at some point... you don't have to think about it often, but every five to 10 years, you should be thinking about what you want to have survive you, and whether that's your own legacy in making sure that your ideas and thoughts are surviving you, which can be built into a plan, whether it's just monetary related...”
“Everyone's here for a certain amount of time and you want to be sure that that time is well spent and meaningful, but you also want to leave what you can to the next generation and be able to continue that legacy.”
- Bill Ellsworth, J.D.
Less than 50% of adults have a will, and only 33% have an estate plan. They're not just for "rich" people; not having a proper plan can cost thousands of dollars in unnecessary legal fees. Those fees could cost your family and estate even more than the cost of creating an estate plan! What's more, leaving assets and people behind without the right paperwork could cause enormous heartache, family conflict, and burden your loved ones with days, months - even years of estate settlement work if you become disabled or die.
Bill Ellsworth is an Estate Planning attorney who has spent years creating comprehensive estate plans for a wide range of incomes and ages. This episode of The Matt Feret Show will give you an insider’s guide to all the aspects and considerations of estate planning, including healthcare power of attorney, wills, trusts, special situations, and a whole lot more.
Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Alexa Flash Briefing, iHeart, Acast or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide book series. Sign up for the Prepare for Medicare Newsletter, an exclusive subscription-only newsletter that delivers the inside scoop to help you stay up-to-date with your Medicare insurance coverage, highlight Medicare news you can use, and reminders for important dates throughout the year. When you sign up, you’ll immediately gain access to seven FREE Medicare checklists.
“The times that I see the most problems is when the planning hasn't gotten done or hasn't been thought through in the proper manner. So, if there are illiquid assets, and frankly, they haven't used an estate planning attorney, maybe they had someone else do these documents or they didn't get done at all, they never wanted to think about it, that's when there tends to be a power struggle, when there's a lot of shuffling, estates don't get administered in the timeframe that would be expected. I've seen estates drag on for 20 years.”
- Bill Ellsworth, J.D.
“When designating a healthcare power of attorney, I think it's important to try to think about your closest relations and then who you trust to be able to make these decisions. I like to tell clients that this is one of the roles that you definitely want to talk to, the person you're designating, before the need arises. Make sure that, number one, that they're comfortable with making these decisions on your behalf. Number two, make sure that they understand what you'd want those decisions to be, what it looks like as far as treatments. Is there any treatment that you've seen that you know you don't want? I've had clients tell me very specific treatments that they've had other loved ones go through that they know it's not worth it, they would never want that for themselves.”
- Bill Ellsworth, J.D.
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:09 Bill’s professional background and specialization
00:03:21 What is estate planning?
00:04:04 Wills
00:06:46 When you need a will and what wills cover.
00:08:51 Wills, assets and age.
00:10:51 How wills and trusts work together.
00:12:02 Trusts and tax planning.
00:16:46 Should you DIY wills and trusts?
00:20:10 Estate planning and power of attorney.
00:22:12 Risks of not having power of attorney designations.
00:24:02 How to choose a healthcare power of attorney.
00:27:20 How to choose a property or financial power of attorney.
00:29:42 Beyond estate planning basics – premarital agreements and general asset protection.
00:30:43 Gifting trusts.
00:31:52 Irrevocable trusts and intentionally defective grantor trusts.
00:33:12 Estate planning with children.
00:39:51 Do you have to be present for the reading of a will?
00:42:08 Estate planning and family dynamics.
00:45:48 How do I make my passing easier on my family and heirs?
00:49:31 Show Wrap!
“Please know there are no shortcuts or hacks when it comes to Social Security. There is no way of getting around the system, and it isn't wise to let someone else do all your decision making. You need to have some measure of knowledge, so you can make the wisest decision about Social Security because your future could quite literally depend on it.
However, there is no need to fear. Even though the system isn't simple, I'm here to simplify it. You'll learn the basics of Social Security, when to start claiming your benefits, how to avoid getting sucked into the Social Security marketing machine, whether to DIY or to get professional help, how to file, and much more.”
- Matt Feret, Author
This episode of The Matt Feret Show will give you an insider’s guide to my forthcoming book, Prepare for Social Security – The Insider’s Guide to Maximizing Your Retirement Benefits.
Enjoy a FREE preview of the Introduction section of the book, which also outlines the topics and goals of each chapter. Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Alexa Flash Briefing, iHeart, Acast or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide book series. Sign up for the Prepare for Medicare Newsletter, an exclusive subscription-only newsletter that delivers the inside scoop to help you stay up-to-date with your Medicare insurance coverage, highlight Medicare news you can use, and reminders for important dates throughout the year. When you sign up, you’ll immediately gain access to seven FREE Medicare checklists.
“There is no perfect age to start receiving our Social Security benefits. It is a highly individualized decision and there is no magic answer that will work for everyone. The solution is to not simply choose age 62 or 70.”
“I'll go so far as to say that if anyone answers the question, “when should you start drawing Social Security?” with simply an age, run.”
- Matt Feret, Author
“Let me emphasize what this book is not. Prepare for Social Security: The Insider's Guide is not a book that takes a curmudgeonly or negative approach to this long-running government program. Much of the literature on Social Security talks about it like it's a burden, rather than a blessing.”
“Is our current Social Security program perfect? Of course not, but it is absolutely a benefit, in that it provides a measure of financial stability for Americans in their retirement years. That is something to celebrate. So we will spend a lot of time in this book helping you navigate the system and taking a positive yet realistic approach.”
- Matt Feret, Author
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:49 Prepare for Social Security book release timing.
00:01:12 Prepare for Social Security book Introduction.
00:03:00 The purpose of Social Security.
00:04:08 Biggest retirement danger? Running out of money.
00:05:27 Number of calculations needed for a married couple.
00:05:56 Why people take Social Security early.
00:07:56 The two types of Social Security recipients.
00:09:33 Social Security options.
00:10:14 Why there is no perfect age to elect Social Security.
00:11:18 Why I wrote Prepare for Social Security – The Insider’s Guide.
00:13:42 Medicare insurance agents and Social Security.
00:16:08 Social Security, sales and marketing.
00:17:47 Prepare for Social Security website resources.
00:19:33 Prepare for Social Security will show you how to do three things.
00:20:33 Chapter 1: What is Social Security?
00:21:42 Chapter 2: Deciding When to Claim Your Social Security Benefits
00:23:55 Chapter 3: Social Security Election Case Studies
00:24:43 Chapter 4: The Frustrating Flaws of Social Security
00:25:14 Chapter 5: The Social Security Marketing Machine and What It Means for You
00:25:05 Chapter 6: Understanding How Social Security and Medicare Work Together
00:27:00 Chapter 7: Filing for Social Security Benefits DIY, or Do It Yourself
00:27:26 Chapter 8: Filing for Social Security Benefits: Hire a Consultant or Advisor
00:29:09 Chapter 9: Bringing It All Together and Formulating Your Plan
00:28:36 Chapter 10: Special Situations: Veterans, Disability, and More
00:31:03 Show wrap-up and close
“I think people, especially seniors, we need so much handholding and so much coaching to do those lifestyle changes. If you're used to eating the sad diet, the standard American diet of potato chips and french fries with your big hamburger every day, it is going to be hard to get rid of fast food and totally change your life over to something much, much healthier for your brain. So to answer your question, I think in the healthcare world, we're going to need a lot more support and handholding for the seniors.
There are health coaches and nutritional coaches out there that are doing it. For example, I'm working with an anti-aging clinic. They have a lot of pieces. They have me as a memory coach, they have a nutritional coach and they have a nurse and the doctor. It's like a team. It's a team approach and an exercise, a personal trainer. So, it's a team approach, and that's really what we need. But I don't think that's your typical thing going on.”
- Rena Yudkowsky, CEO, Memory Matters
Rena Yudkowsky is a professional memory coach who has spent more than twenty years helping older adults with their memory. From working in an Alzheimer’s unit in an assisted living facility, to training dementia caregivers, she’s now founded her own company, Memory Matters.
This episode of The Matt Feret Show will give you an insider’s guide to brain exercises, memory training, tips to preventing or slowing dementia and recall and much more!
Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Alexa Flash Briefing, iHeart, Acast or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide book series. Sign up for the Prepare for Medicare Newsletter, an exclusive subscription-only newsletter that delivers the inside scoop to help you stay up-to-date with your Medicare insurance coverage, highlight Medicare news you can use, and reminders for important dates throughout the year. When you sign up, you’ll immediately gain access to seven FREE Medicare checklists.
“The bottom line is if you are functioning independently and well and it's not interfering with your daily functioning, then you're good. It's normal to misplace your keys and sometimes even forget whether you locked your door once in a while. But if it's happening so much that you can't function independently or you can't make the appointment on time because you can't find your keys to get out the door. If it's happening so much that it's so pervasive that it's interfering with your daily functioning, then it's time to go to a memory clinic, at least your doctor or gerontologist or geriatric doctor or a neuropsychiatrist.”
- Rena Yudkowsky, CEO, Memory Matters
I was teaching a technique and one of the ladies said, "Ah, I'm too old for this." There was a group of 15 people in the room, and I turned to the gentleman at the other table, and they're just as old as that woman. I turned to one man, I said, "Well, do you feel that way?" And he's like, "No, I absolutely am not too old to remember this." He was probably 88 or 90 or something. And I was like, "Okay, good. Then this technique is for you. Let's go ahead."
So, if people feel they're too old to remember things, then guess what they are. Because whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're right. So if you believe you can remember 20 words, then guess what? I can teach you how to do it. But if you start off the conversation saying, "I cannot do this," then you cannot do it until I convince you differently.”
- Rena Yudkowsky, CEO, Memory Matters
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:38 Rena’s background
00:06:19 Memory and lifestyle choices
00:08:34 Memory coaching success stories
00:10:36 Fear and memory improvement
00:14:04 Normal vs. abnormal memory loss
00:16:00 Dementia vs. depression or other comorbidities
00:17:36 Memory care units
00:18:54 Anti-aging functional memory medicine and memory coaching
00:22:32 Memory Matters memory coaching overview
00:28:07 Attitudes towards older adult learning and memory training
00:31:11 Multitasking and memory improvement
00:33:15 The importance of mindfulness and memory
00:36:33 Use all five senses to remember
00:41:53 Keep learning new things to keep your brain active
00:45:02 Social isolation and memory
00:47:10 Show close
“I start out (by) asking them how they envision their future life, whether they're comfortable in their house, do they see themselves downsizing, that sort of thing. And I talk about what skills they've got, what have they learned through their working period, things that they enjoy doing that maybe they've never been paid for before. Thinking that being a mentor, teaching at a local university or community college, that sort of thing will bring in some money, allow them to keep their hand in whatever they're doing if they're interested in it, that sort of thing.
Then we start to dream and I take them back in time when you were 10 years old and you didn't have to do anything. You ran out the door in the morning. What's the first thing you did? What did you think of? What did you want to do? And then when we move gradually age those dreams to something more age appropriate and we work along the path toward where those dreams could take them now.”
- Jacquie Doucette, Retirement Lifestyle Planner
Jacquie Doucette is a “retirement lifestyle planner.” Her version of retirement is one that’s re-imagined and re-defined. For her, retirement doesn’t mean “stopping” it just means doing something else. Sometimes that “something else” means you’re earning money to help supplement your retirement lifestyle… sometimes not. We also talk about what couples wrestle with when one retires before the other, balancing the wants and needs of each person and how their lives might change.
This episode of The Matt Feret Show will give you an insider’s guide to retirement lifestyle planning, traveling the world on the cheap, location-independent online platforms offering retirees ways to create additional income, and a whole lot more!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Alexa Flash Briefing, iHeart, Acast or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide book series. Sign up for the Prepare for Medicare Newsletter, an exclusive subscription-only newsletter that delivers the inside scoop to help you stay up-to-date with your Medicare insurance coverage, highlight Medicare news you can use, and reminders for important dates throughout the year. When you sign up, you’ll immediately gain access to seven FREE Medicare checklists.
“People don't seem to realize that retirement is in the top 10 list of big stressors in your life and most people just look at it as it's the end, but it's not an end. It's a beginning and you've got to take the time to acknowledge that something has ended, sort out how you're feeling about what has ended and then look forward to what the future has and it's a big transition.”
- Jacquie Doucette, Retirement Lifestyle Planner
“What I've seen as the people who are both physically and mentally active are the ones that are the happiest. The ones that have found something to do every day, something that gets them up and gets them moving for, I'm not going to give a prescribed period of time, but something that gets them up and out of the house and doing something every day as well as having something to keep their brain going, something to solve a problem. My dad did crossword puzzles and the Sudoku every single day. Kept himself thinking, that sort of thing. I don't think that you're going to have a long productive post-retirement life if you don't incorporate exercise and mental health. You've got to keep your brain going.”
- Jacquie Doucette, Retirement Lifestyle Planner
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:47 Early Retirement adventures and FIRE
00:05:51 The FIRE movement
00:06:58 The Paradise Pack
00:07:32 Jacquie’s version of retirement
00:12:07 Jacquie’s process
00:15:01 Defining yourself by your work and moving beyond it
00:15:53 Location-independent cash flow in retirement
00:18:03 Online platforms for income during retirement
00:24:51 Retirement planning for couples
00:28:42 Retirement planning and stress
00:32:55 Defining and finding meaning in retirement
00:34:18 Physical and mental health and happiness in retirement
00:37:43 Cash flow needs in retirement
00:40:01 Great international locations for active retirees
00:42:54 The right age to begin retirement lifestyle planning
00:46:17 The best age to retire
00:47:05 Retirement planning and failure
00:48:40 Jacquie’s contact information
00:49:42 Show close
“For most retirees, two-thirds of their wealth is in their home or the average American retiree. So proportionately there's all sorts of networks but still around a lot of their wealth is in their home and that's great except for, one, it's your last home it just becomes this piggy bank you can't really touch, you have to refinance or sell it to get access to it. And if you sell it, you still got to live somewhere and so you got to have a roof over your head. And so that's where we go, "Can we keep the main purpose of the home?" Which is to have a roof over your head; shelter. There's a lifestyle there depending on where they're at in that range and then draw some of that wealth back out in a way that secure, meaning you get to still live there...
Even if 2008 happens, as long as they're living there, paying the property taxes, homeowner's insurance, it doesn't matter if the loan balance has gone over the value of the home because it's FHA insured and it's a true non-recourse loan, meaning we cannot come after any other assets to collect that shortfall. So they still have a roof over their head, same home, and that kind of thing.”
- Mitch Cooper, Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional CRPC® and CRCP®
Mitch Cooper is a Reverse Mortgage Advisor for Mutual of Omaha Reverse Mortgage. In 2021, he became the youngest person in history to earn the Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRPC®) designation.
This episode will give you an insider’s guide to reverse mortgages, the myths vs. the facts, a breakdown of the up-front and ongoing costs of reverse mortgages, whether the reverse mortgage process and products have evolved, and how and when to use them as part of a comprehensive retirement plan for you or your loved ones.
Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Alexa Flash Briefing, iHeart, Acast or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide book series. Sign up for the Prepare for Medicare Newsletter, an exclusive subscription-only newsletter that delivers the inside scoop to help you stay up-to-date with your Medicare insurance coverage, highlight Medicare news you can use, and reminders for important dates throughout the year. When you sign up, you’ll immediately gain access to seven FREE Medicare checklists.
Most brokers maybe have done one, people that don't specialize in reverse. There are brokers that do both and they really do well. I know a few where I'd be comfortable with someone going with them because I know they do a significant amount of reverse.
But most typically, if you find someone that does reverse only, that's going to give you a lot better odds.
There are companies that separate it out like we do. I specifically do reverse only. I think that's a great idea to find someone like that and again, if they have their CRMP even better because that shows they took the time and they're doing CE every year for reverse, spending the money on that designation so that means they're all-in on reverse mortgages.”
- Mitch Cooper, Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional CRPC® and CRCP®
“…the cash flow position, the efficiency position that puts them in can help make the retirement a lot more sustainable because they now have a roof over their head for as long as they can live there, pay the property charges but not have that negative cash flow, the payment.
That scenario is by far our most common client. It's all we're doing is paying off the traditional mortgage and getting rid of that mortgage payment. That by far that's probably 70% of our clients are doing that scenario because more retirees than ever have a mortgage in retirement. It's doubled since the eighties. And so if we can just free up that cash flow, that's a big deal for a lot of people.”
- Mitch Cooper, Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional CRPC® and CRCP®
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:27 Mitch’s background and Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional status
00:03:37 What are reverse mortgages?
00:04:59 How a reverse mortgage comes into play with home equity
00:05:54 FHA loans and reverse mortgages
00:08:02 Cash flow in retirement and reverse mortgages
00:08:44 “Free and clear” housing and reverse mortgages
00:09:42 Reverse mortgages and HELOCs
00:11:13 Long term care costs and reverse mortgages
00:11:54 More on HELOCs and variable rates
00:13:51 “The last house” and reverse mortgages
00:14:39 Typical profile of a reverse mortgage client
00:16:01 Average age of someone who gets a reverse mortgage is 74
00:18:06 Reverse mortgage as an asset protection tool
00:20:27 Average net worth of someone with a reverse mortgage
00:23:48 Reverse mortgages and poor reputation
00:25:25 Reverse mortgage improvements over time
00:28:43 Can anyone ever get kicked out of their home because of a reverse mortgage?
00:30:34 Costs associated with a reverse mortgage
00:32:53 Use a reverse mortgage specialist
00:33:55 Reverse mortgages and awareness in the financial planning and wealth management space
00:36:14 More on fees and FHA reverse mortgages
00:39:24 HELOC vs reverse mortgage and proper use
00:41:28 Mutual of Omaha Reverse Mortgage, how to contact
00:43:49 How to interview a reverse mortgage specialist
00:47:45 Show close
Matt Feret is the host of The Matt Feret Show, which focuses on the health, wealth and wellness of retirees, people over fifty-five and caregivers helping loved ones. He’s also the author of the book series, Prepare for Medicare – The Insider’s Guide to Buying Medicare Insurance.
For up-to-date Medicare information, visit:
www.prepareformedicare.com
