via CNBC by Deborah Nason, CNBC June 22, 2017 Should you pay off your mortgage before you retire? There’s no clear-cut answer, as the strategy depends on the client’s tax situation, asset and income levels, and attitudes toward debt and investment. Financial advisors discuss the pros and cons. Read the full article. Continue reading Pros and Cons of Paying off Mortgage Before Retirement
by Karen Flores, Hotline Attorney Recently, the IRS has announced that it has initiated a new private debt collection program. The IRS has hired four private debt collection agencies to collect some longtime unpaid federal tax debts. Collection action will begin spring 2017. The four collection agencies are: CBE Group of Cedar Falls, Iowa Conserve of Fairport, New York Performant of Livermore, California Pioneer of Horseheads, … Continue reading Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Use of Private Collection Agencies
by Lyndsy Gamet, MiCAFE Stakeholder and Network Partners Manager Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that it owes some Bridge Card recipients additional benefits that date back to 2014. They refer to the amount as a “lost benefit.” This was an error related to the Heat and Utility Standard Allowance changes. This Allowance was removed for many recipients, and for some it was … Continue reading Bridge Card “Lost Benefit” Information
by Ellen Mason, Hotline Attorney If bill collectors are bugging you remember: you do not have to talk to them. Federal law lets you demand that a bill collector stop calling you. So the next time a bill collector calls and you don’t want to talk to him or her say “Stop calling me!” The bill collector must not call you again except (1) to … Continue reading Stop calling me!
by Christine Steinmetz, J.D., Hotline Attorney This post is the third in our series on caregivers. In our previous posts, we discussed the resources that are available to help make caregiving manageable. In addition to gathering information regarding doctors, medications, and billing information, there are also legal considerations and documents that can assist the caregiver in performing his/her day to day duties. In this post, we … Continue reading Steps To Take When Becoming A Caregiver – Part 3
By Ellen Mason, Hotline Attorney Betty Williams worked her entire adult life. She has some savings but, at 73, she’s going blind. She’s worried that her savings won’t cover the cost of a nursing home for very long. Betty has Medicare, and she wants to know if she qualifies for Medicaid. Medicaid rules vary from state to state. In Michigan, to qualify for Medicaid, a … Continue reading “I think I’ll take a trip around the world”
by Sandra Wisnewski, J.D., Director of the Mid-America Pension Rights Project The Mid-America Pension Rights Project (MAPRP) assists clients with pension and 401(k) issues. There are no age or income restrictions and there is never a charge for our services. MAPRP works to find answers and solutions to your pension-related problems. Just ask Ms. Z. Ms. Z received a letter from her pension plan indicating that she had been overpaid. … Continue reading A Working Class Program that Works to Solve Your Pension Problems
