Mom or Dad needs care. How will you pay for it?
Dad needs another $5,000 a month for care. Which accounts should pay? Will the money last? What happens to the house? Will Mom still have enough for her own retirement?
I'm Ben Bolen, CFP®. I help families navigate these difficult financial decisions, develop a plan to pay for care, and manage that plan as circumstances change.
Does Any of This Sound Familiar?
"Mom is coming home Friday, and Medicare won't pay for the care she needs. Now what?"
"Dad has $400,000 in his IRA. Should we start withdrawing more to pay for care?"
"Dad needs help, but his long-term care insurance won't pay yet. What are our options?"
"Can we sell Dad's Microsoft stock without creating a huge tax bill?"
"Should we sell the house, rent it, or keep it?"
"If Dad needs years of care, will Mom have enough money left?"
"I want to care for my parents, but I'm worried about sacrificing my own retirement."
These are more than caregiving questions. They're financial decisions that can affect your entire family's future.
You don't have to figure them out alone.
What we do: Three areas of expertise
Pay for Care. Protect Your Family. Preserve Your Legacy.
Fund Care Wisely
We evaluate retirement accounts, investments, insurance benefits, cash reserves, and real estate to develop a sustainable strategy for paying for care while considering taxes and liquidity.
Protect the Surviving Spouse
We examine how care expenses could affect the spouse who remains at home, including retirement income, future care needs, and long-term financial security.
Preserve What Matters Most
We help families evaluate the tradeoffs between paying for care today and preserving assets for children, grandchildren, charitable causes, and future generations.
You Don't Need to Solve Everything Today.
When a family faces a care crisis, everything can feel urgent. But not every decision needs to be made at once.
1. Simplify the Situation
We bring your financial accounts, insurance policies, care expenses, and immediate concerns into one clear picture.
2. Set Priorities
We identify what needs attention now, what can wait, and which decisions carry the greatest financial consequences.
3. Take the Next Step
We help you address immediate financial needs and avoid making major decisions without understanding the implications.
4. Build Your Financial Care Plan
We develop a coordinated strategy for paying for care, managing assets, protecting family members, and planning for changing circumstances.
5. Manage the Plan Along the Way
As care needs change, we help monitor the financial picture, revisit decisions, and coordinate with the professionals involved.
One step at a time. One coordinated plan. Guidance along the way.
Financial Expertise. A Network of Professionals. Coordinated Support.
Paying for care is only part of the challenge.
Families may also need help with legal documents, insurance benefits, care arrangements, housing decisions, and government programs.
We work alongside your existing professionals and help connect you with appropriate resources, including elder law attorneys, care managers, Medicare and Medicaid specialists, home care providers, assisted living communities, nursing facilities, and hospice professionals.
Our role is to help you understand how these decisions affect your finances, coordinate the financial strategy, and keep the plan moving forward.
You don't need to become an expert in everything. You need the right people working together.
10 minutes to greater clarity
You have a lot on your plate, so it's time to assess your situation and see what should come first.
How urgent is this?
Is your situation more complex than you may think?
Assess your readiness across six key planning areas.
“The hard conversations are worth having early.”
Less Time | Fewer options | More Costs | More Stress
Confusion over care wants
Planning costs increase
Physical and mental health impacts to the caregiver
Savings can be depleted
Potential debt to the estate
Tax consequences if the wrong account is used to pay for care
Probate delays and costs
The cost of doing nothing
Waiting isn't neutral. It's a decision — and it has a price.
Many of these problems can be prevented, eased, or minimized
Where we come in
Most families don't need more isolated advice. They need someone to connect the financial, legal, caregiving, and family decisions that have to work together.
Three things must work together.
1: Financial
Care costs, budget, portfolio, insurance policy review, tax impact
Our Specialty
2: Professional
Advisor, attorney, CPA, insurance agent, care team — coordinated
Our Network
3: Family + Care
Spouse, children, caregivers — prepared and supported
Your People
Four ways we can help
From DIY to tailored concierge services, we offer resources and guidance to move your forward.
Clarity Before Crisis
Knowledge is power, and I want you to be empowered. Driven by the stories of real families and filled with key concepts ranging from retirement prep | Medicare | Medicaid | LTC | grief | end of life planning |, this book gives you the key foundation to prepare technically and emotionally.
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The Aging Parents Planning System
The workbook associated with Clarity Before Crisis, this is the same system used for our planning clients. Communicate to your family the information that matters about roles, money, authority, access, care plans, and more. Organize everything your family will need and have the conversations that make a difference.
Financial Care Planning Consult
You need help and you need it now. Get personalized advice from a Certified Financial Planner®.
90-minute Zoom call meeting
Detailed written recap of your situation
Prioritized action items and next steps
$1,000
You pay, we meet, you get a plan. That's it. No other costs or obligations.
From consultation call to written plan in one week.
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Not sure where to start?
That’s ok.
Let’s talk for 15 minutes, and I can point you in the right direction.
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We review your financials, legal documents, insurance policies, and your wishes for care, legacy, and final arrangements. You'll know exactly where you stand — and where the gaps are.
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A detailed, written recap of your situation with clear priorities and next steps. No more guessing what you would have wanted. No more decisions made under pressure without a roadmap.
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We try to get everyone on the same page. Define roles. Build a support system around the people carrying the most weight. When conflict arises, we help manage it before it breaks relationships.
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Ongoing financial guidance tailored to your situation : flat-fee planning, investment management, insurance, or professional referrals.
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We help identify the financial questions surrounding Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care, and paid care, and coordinate with the appropriate care and legal professionals when specialized guidance is needed.
Financial Care Planning Engagement
The $1,000 consult gives you clarity on what to do; the Financial Care Planning Engagement helps you get it done.
Greater clarity, control, and communication in 90 days. Starting at $1,000+.
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What People Are Saying
"Ben took topics that can be difficult to talk about and made them approachable and meaningful. Our employees walked away with practical things they could think about and discuss with their own families."
— Corporate Client · Estate Planning Education Series
"I recommend Ben's service and what he has to offer. Get the book he wrote and then call him to help you."
— Church Pastor · Financial and Family Stewardship Presentation
Benjamin speaks regularly to companies, churches, and community groups on aging, caregiving, and family financial planning.
Who you will be working with
A lifetime of experience led me to this. From losing my father as a young boy, to years of military service, to seeing situations in my own family and clients, this is personal.
I came into financial planning to serve and make a tangible impact on people, but have seen the shortcomings of financial advice. The paperwork matters, but preparation is bigger than documents.
I was tired of hearing about situations where I could have helped. I have seen how quickly life can change and how much pressure that can place on a family. I have also seen that some of the hardest parts can be eased, and some challenges can be prevented. It is making sure the right people know what to do, the important conversations have happened, and the plan can actually work when life changes.
I also believe this kind of planning should be accessible. Families with significant wealth can benefit from it, but it’s not only for the wealthy. The goal is to provide practical resources, education, and guidance that meet people where they are.
Benjamin Bolen, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®
Wealth Advisor
Author
Creator of Financial Care Planning