FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 
  Diane Steeves
ACSIA Partners LLC
diane.steeves@acsiapartners.com
503-297-7677

50-Somethings Advised to Calculate Their 'Long-Term Care Savings Gap'

If it's too big, it jeopardizes retirement dreams, but there are options, reports Diane Steeves, an expert in the area

Portland, OR October 27, 2015 – Most Americans are poorly prepared to pay for long-term care costs, but there's a two-step fix, according to Diane Steeves, a Portland-based agent with ACSIA Partners LLC, a leading long-term care insurance agency.

It starts by learning if there's a gap, and how big, between your ability to pay and your likely future expenses.

For most Americans there is indeed a gap. According to a May 2015 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 52 percent of households age 55 and older have no savings for retirement (let alone long-term care). If you're among the 48 percent with some retirement savings, you may be prepared to cover some, but not all, of your probable LTC tab.

What to do?

"Step one," says  Steeves, "is to see if you have a gap, and how big." Doing so can take less than five minutes. For a rough estimate,  Steeves recommends entering a few facts into a calculator provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://longtermcare.gov/savings-calculator/.

Here's a sample calculation for a 52-year old woman planning to retire in Florida, who could afford to set aside $300 (earning 4 percent interest) per month starting now. She would have a long-term care savings gap of $652,184, based on $839,263 in projected care costs in Florida, for life remaining after age 65, minus $187,079 in accumulated savings, as determined by government data and assumptions.

If the woman were married, there would likely be a similar gap for her partner.

Once you know you've got a gap, "the next step is just as simple and almost as quick," says  Steeves. "Ask a state-certified long-term care agent to help you explore your options." This can be done by phone or online. An in-person meeting is optional.

Diane Steeves is a leading long-term care  agent  serving consumers and organizations in AK, HI, ID, OR, WA. “We’re glad to help them find the best, most affordable solution for their  situation,” Steeves says. “In addition to long-term care insurance, today's options range from critical illness insurance to annuities and life insurance with LTC riders.”

Information is available from Steeves at 
diane.steeves@acsiapartners.com, http://www.LTCPLNG.COM or 503-297-7677.

In California the company is known as xACSIA Partners Insurance Agency; in other states, as ACSIA Partners.

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