Healthcare Professionals 5 of 6: Protect Yourself and Your Family

Today, we're delving into a crucial topic as part five of our series on healthcare professionals – protecting your assets and your family. Amy explains that protection isn't just about insurance, although that's a significant part of it. It encompasses various forms of insurance like life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, and more. For healthcare professionals, malpractice insurance is also a critical component. Amy then explains the different types of accounts where your money is held, and the varying levels of protection they offer. Amy emphasizes that under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, enjoy robust protection against creditors, even in bankruptcy situations. State rules come into play for IRAs, and their protection can differ significantly, so understanding your state's regulations is vital. The discussion then touches on IRAs, and Amy explains that while they have some federal bankruptcy protection, there's a cap on this protection, which can vary depending on factors like inflation adjustments. If you're transferring assets from a 401(k) to an IRA, the key is not to commingle rollover assets with contributions, maintaining the federal protection. The conversation shifts to traditional insurance types like life insurance and disability insurance. Amy distinguishes between term and permanent life insurance, highlighting that term insurance is cost-effective for temporary needs, while permanent insurance is more expensive and intended to last a lifetime. On the topic of disability insurance, Amy stresses the importance for healthcare professionals, as the risk of disabilities affecting their ability to work is substantial. She also points out that disability insurance can become more expensive with age, and it's statistically more expensive for women. Really, employees in any field (even podcast production) can face financial challenges if they become unable to work, emphasizing the need for disability insurance.   Protecting your assets also involves considering long-term care insurance, ideally by age 60. Planning early is key, given the time required to assess care needs and preferences. Amy advises evaluating other assets that could cover these expenses and whether competing interests, like leaving assets to family members, affect your choices. We finish up with malpractice insurance, which is crucial for healthcare professionals, and the significance of umbrella insurance to protect against potential liability claims, especially for high-income individuals.  For more, reach Thimbleberry Financial 503-610-6510  or at https://thimbleberryfinancial.com/ To get in touch with Amy and her team at Thimbleberry Financial, call 503-610-6510 or visit thimbleberryfinancial.com.