Estate planning resources
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- Publications- Finance
- Funeral planning
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- Housing-related resources
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- Miscellaneous
- Organizations
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Publications
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Virginia Probate Handbook, published by Thomson - West Publishing Company.
Wills in Virginia: Do I need a Will? What happens if I do not have a Will? How do I write a Will?
This brochure of the Virginia State Bar, written by the Trusts and Estates Section, provides helpful answers to these important questions.
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Medline Plus, a service of the United States Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, provides this web site with articles, checklists and links to assist in choosing and evaluating long term care facilities.
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Senior Citizens Handbook: Virginia State Bar Publication by the Senior Lawyers Conference and the Young Lawyers Conference provides a wide variety of information regarding laws and programs of interest to senior citizens.
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Provided by Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging, serving the citizens of City of Richmond, Charles City, Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, and Powhatan, is dedicated to helping seniors maintain quality of life and independence as they age. This site furnishes resources and information for seniors on a wide variety of subjects.
Finance
Bloomberg Financial Web site with investment news and financial tools
Economic History Services Web site provides access to a wealth of economic information and data, including the "How Much Is That?" feature, which enables comparisons to be made between the value of the US dollar in any years between 1789-2003, using five different ways ("What Is The Relative Value?").
Insurance Information Institute industry Web site provides long term and topical information regarding insurance on individuals, homes, businesses, autos and more, including useful glossary of insurance terms.
The Finaid Award Letter Comparison Tool helps parents and students to compare and contrast the financial aid packages from the colleges that have admitted the student. In particular, it highlights differences in the costs of attending each school.
Kiplinger Web site, with many financial management tools and advice.
National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators cosponsored free site for locating missing bank accounts, securities or other abandoned property. This site has links to other related sites.
MSN Money home page with money tools, including investing, banking, planning, valuing stocks and bonds.
National Committee on Planned Giving Web site provides information on planned charitable giving, including pending and new legislation affecting charitable giving.
Quicken home page features tools for a variety of financial needs, including taxes, investments, retirement planning and other.
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Web site contains economic and research reports, consumer information, guidance on avoiding identity theft, banking and credit card information and other useful data.
Richmond, Virginia Chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) Web site provides information and contacts regarding its without fee business education, counseling and mentoring guidance for non-profit and for-profit business organizations (start-up or existing businesses); site includes many valuable related links.
Section 529 College Savings Plans Internet guide to funding college
The National Endowment for Financial Education is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to helping all Americans acquire the information and gain the skills necessary to take control of their personal finances. NEFE accomplishes its mission primarily by partnering with other concerned organizations to provide financial education to members of the public – in particular, to under served individuals whose financial education issues are not being addressed by others. Subjects covered are financial planning, saving, investing, credit and debt, and retirement.
Funeral planning
The Internet Cremation Society contains information and links to cremation societies in your area, including to the Cremation and Burial Society of Virginia.
The Funeral Consumers Alliance provides information regarding planning funeral and memorial services.
Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers site (part of the Virginia Department of Health Professions) provides information on laws and regulations governing funeral directors in Virginia.
Government resources
Virginia Department for the Aging home page, including information on Center for Elder Rights and Virginia Long Term Care Ombudsman.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site under Emergency Preparedness and Response page has primer for doctors on explosions and blast injuries and brain injuries in mass trauma events, plus information for consumers on how to deal with mass trauma and injuries.
The Web site for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office; concentrates on national budget and spending analyses, but also offers useful information on social security, the Medicare drug program, and estate taxes.
Virginia's Judicial System home page, including Virginia Supreme Court cases, Court of Appeals' cases and court forms.
Federal Trade Commission site provides information on a wide variety of matters of interest to consumers, including the National Do Not Call Registry and free annual credit reports.
Federal Trade Commission Alert about "How Not To Get Hooked By A "Phishing" Scam when using your computer on the Internet.
Federal Trade Commission Web site about protecting yourself against identify theft and about what to do if your identity is stolen.
Internal Revenue Service home page, with ability to download and print IRS forms and instructions.
IRS web site with tax information for tax professionals, including recent developments and other links for tax practitioners.
Virginia General Assembly home page, including Legislative Information System and the Code of Virginia.
United States Treasury Bureau of the Public Debt site with information regarding treasury bills, notes and bonds, including Savings Bond Wizard to calculate values of United States Savings Bonds.
Department of Homeland Security site provides information for consumers on what might happen in a nuclear, biological, chemical or radiation disaster, as well as natural disasters and explosions; tips on assembling a first-aid kit and other emergency supplies.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission Web site contains many useful and practical on-line publications for investors under the heading: Investor Information.
United States Government site maintained by Social Security Administration provides links and tools to seniors regarding consumer protection, education and training, health legislation, retirement planning, tax assistance, travel and leisure, work and volunteer opportunities and other links.
Social Security Administration home page, with access to information regarding Social Security, Medicare and other benefits.
Commonwealth of Virginia home page, with links to state agencies.
United States Supreme Court home page, including recent opinions.
Virginia Department of Taxation home page, with ability to download and print selected tax forms and instructions.
United States Tax Court home page, with recent cases.
Health-related resources
Advance Directives Day is a program sponsored in part by the Senior Lawyers Conference with the Health Law Section of the Virginia State Bar.
Advance Directives Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for health care decisions related to end of life care and medical decision-making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of Advance Directives to communicate these important health care decisions.
The American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that has dedicated over 30 years to funding research on age-related and degenerative diseases (including Alzheimers disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, stroke, and heart disease), educating the public about these diseases, and providing emergency financial assistance to Alzheimer's disease patients and their caregivers.
Alzheimers Association home page, with many useful links.
Family Caregiver Alliance provides information, education, services, research and advocacy for families of loved ones who have chronic, disabling health conditions.
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services home page, with information regarding Medicaid, Medicaid Handbook, and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan.
Virginia Department of Health Professionals home page, including on-line information regarding licensed health care professionals.
Virginia Department of Social Services home page, including information regarding adult protective services.
ElderCare Online provides information, education and support for elderly and Alzheimer's caregivers.
U.S. Administration on Aging Eldercare Locator helps older adults and their caregivers to locate local resources.
Virginia Department of Health - Office of Environmental Services Web site provides restaurant and food service inspection reports for the entire state of Virginia.
Official United States Government site for Medicare information, including Medicare health plan comparison, Medigap comparison, nursing home comparison, participating physicians directory, Medicare auppliers directory, and prescription plan assistance program.
Editorial staff of United States Board-certified physicians updates the MedTerms.com Medical Dictionary which contains complete descriptions of hundreds of diseases, medical conditions, medical tests and medical procedures.
National Institutes of Health sponsored "talking Web site" is devoted to health topics of concern to older Americans.
Thomson Healthcare Web site provides free information about disease overviews, health and wellness, medicine, clinical trials, and products.
One-stop Internet guide for health and aging information, including health services, legal and financial resources, housing and health facilities, and community services.
Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired home page
Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services home page, with information regarding services to persons with physical and mental disabilities and regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Virginia Health Information home page provides publications to assist consumers in making decisions about long-term care facilities and insurance.
Housing-related resources
United States Housing and Urban Development home page, regarding housing and financing opportunities for senior citizens, including reverse mortgages.
National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association Web site provides information regarding what a reverse mortgage is, how to calculate eligibility for a reverse mortgage, and how to locate a reverse mortgage lender in Virginia.
Senior Sites is a comprehensive Web source of non- profit housing and services for seniors, with more than 5,000 listed communities nationwide.
Legal resources
American Land Title Association site provides current cases, legislative proposals and other developments regarding the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and title insurance.
Community Tax Law Project is a 501(c)(3) Virginia corporation with a threefold mission: providing low-income Virginia taxpayers with pro bono representation in federal, state and local tax disputes; educating low-income taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. taxpayers; and, increasing public awareness and encouraging informed debate about policy and practice issues impacting low-income taxpayers.
FindLaw provides access to United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, United States Supreme Court cases from 1937 to present, and many useful links.
Health Care Financing Administration home page, with information, law and regulations regarding Medicare and Medicaid.
Land Trust of Virginia Web site provides information about conservation easements, including a specimen conservation easement form.
Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Inc. Web site contains many forms for use in Circuit Court and in District Court, including District Court Judges Bench Book.
Martindale-Hubbell home page, with M-H ratings of lawyers.
Miscellaneous
Non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports provides important consumer information regarding child safety, health care, product safety, food, finances and other issues of concern to seniors.
Philanthropic Research, Inc. produced Web site - Guidestar information about hundreds of thousands of charitable organizations.
Intellicast USA Weather provides extensive specialized weather information and forecasts throughout the United States.
Organizations
American Association of Retired Persons home page, with many useful links.
American Society of Appraisers home page with information on locating appraiser.
Civic Ventures is a national nonprofit organization that works to expand the contributions of older Americans to society, and to help transform the aging of American society into a source of individual and social renewal. Web site contains resources and other links.
National Council on the Aging: An association of organizations and professions dedicated to promoting dignity, self-determination, well-being and contributions of older persons. Web site provides information, publications and tools.
Publications
Bartelby home page provides access to dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, quotations and gazetteer.
Consumer Products Safety Commission older consumers safety publications.
Online Library of Liberty from Liberty Fund provides free public access to the writings of many noted authors, including Edmund Burke, Cicero, Alexander Hamilton, Homer, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Marshall, John Stuart Mill, Plato, Plutarch, St. George Tucker, Voltaire and others. Contains hundreds of books and essays.
Wall Street Journal home page with some free news and features
Senior driver information
Virginia Grand Driver Program, sponsored by Virginia Department for the Aging, AAA, AARP and Virginia DMV provides information, help and resources regarding issues related to drivers 65 years of age and older.