Law Office of Paul Black - August 2019

Law Office of Paul Black - August 2019

404.410.6820

www.Georgia-EstateLaw.com

August 2019

The Importance of Lifelong Learning LET’S ALL GO BACK TO SCHOOL

A s the advertisements and sales signs suggest, back-to-school season is upon us. Of course, for those of us who don’t have kids at home, these marketing campaigns can be little more than a warning that school buses will once again take to the streets. But this time of year, I can’t help thinking “When do we really stop being students?” Think about it — we don’t stop learning the moment we earn our degree. On the contrary, I’d argue the majority of what we learn comes from life

I never want to fall into this trap, especially when shifting economies, tax laws, and regulations can have such an impact on my clients. So, I attend conferences every year and come back with a new perspective on my practice. I am inspired to continue learning and growing because so many older people I meet are doing it. While taking swing dance lessons several years ago, I was reminded how important lifelong learning really is. One of my fellow students was an 80-year-old woman, who I first assumed

new friends. To this day, I admire her strength and confidence.

What stuck with me most after meeting this 80-year-old dancer is how often we sell ourselves short as we age. We assume our only real social activity as seniors is going to be bingo — but I’ve seen so many people do so much more than that. Across my spectrum of clients, regardless of income level, the most lucid and lively individuals share one factor — they either read, have a hobby they are passionate about, or both. “Use it or lose it” is certainly true when it comes to the mind. Learning new things and talking about what we’re learning with others helps with our neuroplasticity, literally keeping our brains in shape. So, my challenge to you this month is this: What are you going to learn? What better time to start a new hobby or a book club than the back-to-school season?

lessons outside of school. We may not have summer breaks anymore, but I don’t believe we are truly done studying. Or at least, we shouldn’t be. This is especially true of lawyers. In my profession, we joke that some attorneys have been practicing the same

must have had decades of experience under her belt. But to my surprise, when I asked her how long she’d been dancing, she said, “One month!” I was astounded and inspired by her enthusiasm even before she gave me the full story.

year for 35 years, and there’s definitely truth to it. Some just hang their shingle and simply repeat the lessons they learned in law school over and over again without adapting to the times.

You see, this woman was recently widowed. And yet, in the face of grief, she decided she wasn’t going to succumb to loneliness. She was going to get outside, learn something entirely new, and make

See you in class,

-Paul Black

Do you have estate planning or elder law-related questions? Write to me at [email protected] with Asked and Answered in the subject line. Your identity will be kept confidential. The opinions offered in this column are not intended to replace or substitute any financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice.

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RING, RING — IT’S A ROBOT What You Can Do to Protect Yourself From Phone Scams and Robocalls

Two of the most common scams are phone scams and robocalls. These calls are incredibly annoying and can trick you out of valuable information if you’re not careful. While it might seem like these scams are inescapable, there are some precautions you can take to avoid their traps. GIVE THEM THE SILENT TREATMENT. One thing you can do to avoid these at all. It’s always good to have a list of numbers you can reference, so you never have to guess who is calling. Think of it as going one step beyond caller ID. In some cases, answering and then hanging up can actually do more harm than good. fraudulent, time-wasting calls is to simply hang up. If possible, it is best to not answer

Answering the phone gives the scammers confirmation that the number works and that they should try again. Once your number is confirmed as active, it often gets put on an “active number” list that can then be sold to other scammers who market in these types of phone numbers. If you can’t verify who is calling without picking up, don’t answer. Let it go to voicemail. If it’s important, the person will leave a legitimate message and you can respond afterward. PUT UP SOME DETERRENTS. You can even go a step further and block the calls. Many phone service providers offer call-blocking options, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can sign up for this service in-store or on your service provider’s website. Each service costs about $4 per month. There are also a number of

call-blocking apps available on Android and Apple devices, but if you subscribe to a blocking service through your phone provider, these apps are unnecessary. Finally, you can sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s “Do Not Call” program (DoNotCall.gov). While the Do Not Call program can help cut back on calls, this list is largely ignored by scammers. If you’re getting a ridiculous number of robocalls every day, signing up can offer you some brief respite. Thankfully, Congress is already attempting to fix this problem by making it harder for scammers to call you. But until they are able to pass tough, effective legislation, it is up to us as consumers to remain vigilant and do what we can to keep our personal and financial >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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