Great Courses Plus – Getting Your Legal House In Order

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Great Courses Plus – Getting Your Legal House In Order

The law impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, yet we seldom stop to reflect on the tools, documents, and procedures that allow our society to function. Property and contracts, insurance and credit, taxes and estate planning: These issues may be intimidating, but getting on top of your legal affairs is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. The good news is that a few simple concepts, a little organization, and some step-by-step planning can help you get your legal life into the best shape possible.
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If you’re like many people, you may not have made the time to consider:

Do you need a will, trust, power of attorney, or other estate planning tools?
What kind of and how much insurance is a good investment?
How should we prepare our finances and health care for retirement?
What can we do to make end-of-life care and estate planning easy for our loved ones?

Tackling these issues doesn’t have to be a major chore. Getting Your Legal House in Order gives you a practical, accessible, and encouraging look at what you need to do to secure your finances, your home, your health care, and your future. Taught by author and elder law attorney Sally Balch Hurme, these 18 eye-opening lectures offer an enjoyable and immensely satisfying foray into your legal affairs.

As you will quickly learn, the language of legal and financial procedures can be confusing—codicils and probate, power of attorney and advance directives, annuities and Medigap insurance—but Sally Hurme offers clear explanations and a blueprint for you to follow. For instance, something as simple as a letter of instruction can take the burden off your family and spell out what your wishes are for your personal property.

There’s no substitute for having your own attorney, financial advisor, or accountant assessing your unique situation, but Getting Your Legal House in Order offers a captivating overview of personal legal issues, from identity theft to advance medical directives to renting out your house as an Airbnb. With practical tips for everyone, the course should be required viewing for anyone who wants to better understand the legal dimensions of the world we live in—and how to best plan for the future.

Unpacking Property Rights: What Can You Do with Your Stuff?

Whether you are thinking about buying your first home, weighing your options for retirement, or navigating the probate of a deceased loved one’s estate, financial and legal security often starts and ends with real property.

You may never have paused to ask: What even is a reverse mortgage, and why would you want one? Yet products such as reverse mortgages, timeshares, and even Airbnb rentals offer fascinating insight into the U.S. legal system and property rights.

You might be surprised to learn, for instance, that even though you may own your own home free and clear, you don’t fully own it in the way you own your other possessions. Zoning laws, easements, covenants, and even homeowners associations can restrict what you do with your property—and even how you sell it when you are ready to move.

Professor Hurme breaks down the issues of buying, owning, and selling property, making you a savvier consumer while helping you plan ahead. A few of the concepts these lectures explore include:

Understanding the ins and outs of leases;
When to invest (or not) in reverse mortgages, timeshares, and other popularly advertised opportunities;
Active 55+ communities, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), and other age-specific properties;
Issues of joint ownership or partial interests in property; and
How to calculate the full costs of a property.

Your data—which is your intellectual property—is one of your most valuable assets. So in addition to giving you a blueprint of the standard property issues you may talk through with your real estate agent or lawyer, Sally Hurme takes you into the secret world of hackers, scanners, and skimmers to help arm you against identity thieves. Knowing how they operate shows you how to protect yourself. Start with purchasing a good shredder, for instance.

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Figuring Out Your Finances: From Insurance to Retirement

Our legal affairs are intertwined with our financial affairs, so Sally Hurme guides you through many of the common financial issues and options you will likely encounter throughout life. Take charge of your:

Credit and Debt: Explore the most common types of consumer debt, including credit cards, mortgages, and student loans. Find out how debt relates to your all-important credit score, and what you can do to chip away at debt you may have.

Insurance: How much do you need and how much is too much? Will your policy cover you if you need it? Get to know the language of claims and policies for annuities, life insurance (whole and term), and disability insurance.

Retirement Planning: Consider the best places to put your money and the optimal time to start making withdrawals. Financial vehicles such as 401(k)s, IRAs, SEPs, RMDs, and so on may seem complicated, but a few simple principles will help you retire in style. Also, don’t forget to reflect on issues of joint ownership and spousal benefits.

Medicare and Medicaid: These senior health insurance programs are a complex web of parts and payments. Delving into them is not for the faint of heart, but getting the right “coordination of benefits” may just save your life.

End-of-Life Issues—Such as Who Gets What Once You’re Gone

No one likes to think about his or her mortality, but planning ahead for your end-of-life health care, funeral arrangements, and estate designations is one of the best gifts you will ever give your loved ones. Even better, planning ahead does not require all that much work or know-how. Sally Hurme clearly walks you through a few of the major considerations for planning ahead, including:

An overview of wills, trusts, and probate;
Letters of instruction for your final wishes;
Powers of attorney for your health and finances;
Special issues of caregiving and guardianship; and
Advance medical directives.

All of these issues sound more daunting than they are in practice—as do all the issues you will learn about in Getting Your Legal House in Order. As with tidying your home, small actions create a snowball effect. Whether it’s creating an inventory of existing documents such as your birth certificate and insurance policies, outlining your retirement strategy, or drafting a basic will, the guidance you will find in this course is invaluable for your peace of mind today and your family’s future.