From staff reports
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — The first of three financial planning workshops opens for the public next week at the St. John Parish LaPlace Library.

Presenters John E. Sirois, attorney and certified financial planner, and Tom Smith of Reverse Mortgage Specialists will be sharing their professional tips with area residents.

Paying for Long-Term Care: Avoiding the Devastating Effects of Long-Term Expenses starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the library, 2920 Hwy. 51.

The workshop includes discussion on longterm care insurance options, qualifying for Medicaid and protecting assets from Medicaid spend-down. Qualifying for veterans benefits to help pay for longterm care is also on the agenda.

The tips continue the following week when Estate Planning In Louisiana starts at 7 p.m. March 26 in the library.

The workshop will include discussion about wills, trusts, power of attorney, advanced directives, successions and probate, avoiding probate, usufruct and naked ownership.

Do you need a will or a living trust? Get the answers March 26.

A Retirement Workshop concludes the series at 6:30 p.m. April 1. The workshop includes hints to maximize Social Security benefits, tips on how much to withdraw from a retirement account and how much is needed to retire.

Penalty-free IRA distributions, options for employer stock, rollover decisions at retirement and understanding retirement plan distributions will also be discussed.