Bottom feeding, blood sucking lawyers at it again ...

Bottom feeding, blood sucking lawyers going after the deep pockets of one of my favorite stocks: NEE …

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Healthcare costs delaying retirement?

If the price of healthcare in the U.S. is preventing you from retiring, check out these five destinations from International Living and make your retirement dream a reality.

And look which one is on the top of the list? My favorite travel spot: Costa Rica.  

Obamacare, Trumpcare … either way you win with this tax break!

Congress and President Trump continue battling over replacing Obamacare (ACA) with the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

The House narrowly passed its version, 217 to 213, on May 4. Now it’s with the Senate where resistance is building from both sides of the aisle.

Several senators have cited the CBO’s estimate that the AHCA would lead to 23 million more Americans uninsured by 2026. What’s more, insurers could charge less-healthy people higher premiums.

The report also found that effective 2019, the GOP plan would "directly alter the premiums faced by different age groups, substantially reducing premiums for young adults and raising premiums for older people." 

However, the majority of both sides agree one point:

Keeping Health Savings Accounts

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by the Medicare bill President George W. Bush signed on Dec. 8, 2003. They’re designed to help individuals save for qualified medical expenses that come with high-deductible health plans.

Eligible expenses include: doctor’s visits, prescription drugs, dental care, long-term care insurance premiums, COBRA premiums; and Medicare Part B, Part D, and Medicare Advantage premiums.

HSAs give you a rare triple tax break:

1. A tax deduction for the amount you put in.

2. The money can be invested and grows tax free.

3. Withdrawals are tax-free when used to pay qualified medical expenses. 

Just because you have a high-deductible health plan doesn’t mean you qualify for a HSA ...

Your plan must have a deductible of at least $1,300 for individual coverage and $2,600 for families. The maximum out-of-pocket for these plans are $6,550 for individuals and $13,100 for families.

You can contribute up to $3,400 for single coverage, or up to $6,750 for family coverage.

Suppose though, that you save nice chunk of money in a HSA while working but don’t have many health care expenses in retirement? No problem. At age 65 or older you can take taxable withdrawals and use the money for anything you want. 

For further details, see IRS Publication 969. 

Experts expecting surge in demand for luxury senior housing

Demand for high-end senior housing is poised to take off, according to a recent article in National Real Estate Investor.

Charles Bissell, managing director of valuation and advisory services with commercial real estate services firm JLL, based in Richardson, Texas said,

“It is a strong sector right now, and it really all goes back to the health of the economy and the health of the housing market. When seniors have the ability to sell their houses and generate significant proceeds from those sales, they are a lot more bullish about going into a luxury community.”

[You can read the full article here.]

One REIT that I like in this sector is LTC Properties, Inc. (LTC). The company builds and now operates more than 200 seniors housing and health care properties across the U.S.  

For the first quarter of 2017, the company reported income of 78 cents per share, which was in line with analysts’ expectations.

I bought shares of LTC in Sept. 2014 for $39. They’re now selling for about $47. Over the past 52 weeks, prices have ranged from $43-$54. But with a 4.82% yield, plus the upcoming demand for their product, I don’t mind waiting for a comeback.

Until next time,

George

You’re on Medicaid? Get to the end of the line!

A new study found that Medicaid patients have slightly longer waits at medical appointments than those with private insurance.

You can find it here. 

Double-dipper nabbed!

I wrote about Section 8 housing In What You Must Know BEFORE Becoming a Greedy Landlord. And I gave some of the advantages and disadvantages to consider before you jump into that market.

This landlord in Miami allegedly found a way to make even more money off his Section 8 rentals … easy but not one I’d recommend.  

Where to buy …and where NOT to buy … your next rental

Despite rising prices throughout the country, investors are still finding attractive places to buy single-family rental properties. And this article from National Real Estate Investor tells you where.