Shoup Legal - January 2022

Shoup Legal - January 2022

Plan today for peace of mind tomorrow. JANUARY 2022

EXPLORING AND IMPROVING OUR FINANCIAL WELLNESS It’s Never Too Late to Improve

Over the past five years, Americans have become some of the most stressed people in the world. LendingTree research site ValuePenguin.com released the results of a survey last April that revealed that 8 in 10 Americans feel stressed at least once in a typical week. While the pandemic has certainly not helped this situation, the biggest factor for stress in America continues to be money and finances. January is Financial Wellness Month, and with money being such a big stressor in our daily lives, our financial well-being is very important. For those unfamiliar with financial wellness, it refers to a person’s overall financial health and the absence of money-related issues. Financial wellness is incredibly important for our security and comfort. It’s essential that people make an effort to educate themselves on financial wellness and appreciate what it can do for them and their families. It’s not something extensively taught in school, but financial responsibility is necessary for nearly every aspect of our lives.

When we leave school and enter the real world, it can be difficult to get a grasp on things. Nobody explains the steps required to buy a house so you have to ask around for advice. The same usually goes for retirement. You may learn about credit cards but not how they actually work. When I was a teenager, I was never taught that you have to pay credit cards back. It was a learning experience for me, and I had to educate myself so that I could resolve the situation. Some people may feel it is taboo to discuss finances with their children. There’s definitely some level of personal privacy that’s necessary, but we are ultimately doing a disservice to our children by not explaining how money and finances work. I’ve met many families that do teach their kids the importance of finances, and it helps them become more stable and secure. I’ve also seen it from the other side. I’ve worked with people who are in their mid-50s and are still trying to play catch-up after making mistakes in their earlier years. In the world of financial wellness, it’s important that you ask questions. I’m not a financial advisor so I will turn to the experts if I have any questions. When someone comes to us and is in need of financial knowledge, we are happy to refer them to the people who can help. We all have different skills and abilities, and it’s important to reach out to the experts if you’re unsure of what to do or where to turn.

January truly is the perfect time for Financial Awareness Month. You can make your plans for the year. My husband and I always set some time aside when we can sit down, go through our finances, and see what’s in our budget. As you start 2022, take some time to look at your finances and see where you sit. It’s never too late to get back on track and improve your financial well-being.

–Andrea Shoup

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YOU’RE NOT A SNOWMAN So Don’t Feel Frosty

Use the sun. While winter brings plenty of cloudy days, the sun is still known to make an appearance. When it does, open your curtains wide and let the natural heat fill the room. Just be sure to keep that warmth inside by pulling the curtains closed when the sun goes down.

Bonus tip: Park your car facing the sun! It will be warmer when you get in, and you’ll have less snow and ice on your windshield.

Stay hydrated (the right way). Did you know that your body is able to retain heat better when you’re hydrated? That’s just one more good reason to ensure you’re drinking enough water. But you should be wary of hot beverages like coffee and tea. Though they make for a great hand warmer and temporarily leave you feeling toasty, caffeine restricts your blood vessels and makes it harder for your body to stay warm. Similarly, alcohol feels warm going down, but it both increases perspiration and lowers your core body temperature. Keep your bed cozy. No one wants to go to sleep shivering, so your bed should ideally be the warmest place in the house. You can achieve this by layering your blankets properly: Fluffy layers go right over the sheet, and dense layers go on top to provide a thermal barrier. To up your game further, get a hot water bottle and leave it under the sheets for 20 minutes before you climb into bed. No hot water bottle available? Spend a couple minutes running a blow-dryer over the sheets instead. With these tips, you’re ready to have your warmest winter ever — without racking up your highest energy bill. Catch some rays, snuggle up, drink some water, and remember that spring will be here soon enough.

Winter is here, and the cold has settled in. You’ve gotten out your fuzzy slippers and put on an extra sweater, but maybe you still can’t shake that chill. Before you crank up the heat again, is there anything else you can do to keep warm? Here are a few ideas you can try!

Understanding Medi-Cal: We Can Help!

Health insurance is one of the most important things that everyone should have. It becomes even more important as we grow older and become more susceptible to illness and injury. For many who have retired or no longer have the means to pay for health insurance, California’s version of Medicaid, Medi-Cal, may be an option. If you or a loved one has a long-term illness and requires 24-hour care in a skilled nursing facility, you may qualify for Medi-Cal to help pay for your care and any needed prescriptions. Qualifying for Medi-Cal without the help of an experienced attorney is easier said than done. To qualify, each applicant will need to meet a set of financial rules. For example, an applicant’s resources, excluding exempt assets, must be below $2,000 for at least one day of the month in which they apply for Medi-Cal. Exempt assets include your home, other properties, household goods, personal effects, and one car. This means that any cash, bonds, or stocks that you own have to be under $2,000 to be eligible.

Many people think that they have to sell down their non-exempt assets or give their money away to qualify, and that is simply not the case. If your assets and income are too high but you still need the benefits associated with Medi-Cal, there are legal actions you can take to minimize your countable assets and income. It’s important to remember that the Medi-Cal application is filed under penalty of perjury, which means if you make any mistakes, you could be disqualified from the program. If you’re in need of assistance with understanding or filling out your Medi- Cal application, give our office a call. Our experienced estate planning lawyers know the Medi-Cal process inside and out. We know what steps you need to take to ensure that you qualify for benefits and are taken care of. You can rest easy knowing that you will get the best results possible when you work with us.

Plan today for peace

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Get the Estate Planning Help You Need HILLARY IS THE EXPERT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS At Shoup Legal, we are always striving to make our team the best it can be. This past year, we added an amazing estate planning professional who has already proven to be invaluable to our organization in her short time with us. Hillary joined our team in 2021 and quickly established herself as the go-to person for special needs trusts and their role in estate planning. Growing up, Hillary worked for a family friend who was an attorney. This helped develop her interest in law, and she knew that she wanted to be a lawyer from an early age. After graduating from college, she stopped pursuing law school in favor of starting a family. She never stopped thinking about law school, and her husband finally came to her one day and said there would never be a better time. She took those words and ran with them, quickly enrolling in the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. In law school, Hillary worked with a special needs attorney who questioned her about her next steps after law school. He explained special needs trusts, which intrigued Hillary since one of her sons had been diagnosed with autism while she was in law school. It made her wonder, “How many people out there have special needs children and don’t know about these trusts?” It rapidly became her focus. When an individual has special needs, you don’t want them to become ineligible for services. You want to make sure their assets are held separately in special needs trusts so they can receive the benefits while also maintaining their assets. Clients come to Hillary with concerns that their assets will go to the state instead of going to their loved ones. She is well versed in estate planning and can help with any questions you may have. Outside of the office, Hillary loves to spend time with her three children in the pool. She’s an avid weightlifter and greatly enjoys DIY projects. She’s transformed countless dressers into new pieces some may even consider works of art.

Chicken With Lemon Herb Sauce I spired by FoodNetwork.com

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland with this citrusy chicken!

Ingredients

•

1/3 cup and 2 tbsp olive oil, divided 4 boneless chicken breasts 1 clove of garlic, minced

• • • • •

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1/3 cup mint, chopped

• •

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 lemon, for juice and zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil.

3. Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired and sear it in the skillet for 3 minutes on each side. Bake chicken until its internal temperature is 165 F. 4. In a blender, add 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley, mint, pepper, and lemon zest and juice and blend ingredients until coarsely mixed. 5. Top chicken with sauce and serve!

TAKE A BREAK

e of mind tomorrow.

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Plan today for peace of mind tomorrow. 39755 Date St., Ste. 203 | Murrieta, CA 92563 (951) 445-4114 | www.shouplegal.com

1 | Exploring and Improving Our Financial Wellness 2 | How to Stay Warm This Winter 2 | Understanding Medi-Cal 3 | Get the Estate Planning Help You Need With Hillary 3 | Chicken With Lemon Herb Sauce 4 | Why Hobbies Are Important Inside This Issue

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A HOBBY January is National Hobby Month, and since it falls at the beginning of the year, it’s the perfect time to try something new! Hobbies add variety to your life and ensure you aren’t just living to work, so to speak. The best way to find a hobby you enjoy is to be open to new things. Whether it’s gardening, reading, drawing, running, fishing, crafting, or even beekeeping, finding an activity you enjoy is important. Here’s why! Hobbies are stress relievers. Hobbies offer a healthy escape from your busy lifestyle by keeping you engaged in something you find pleasure in. Instead of just relaxing on the couch and turning off your mind for a bit (which is totally acceptable sometimes), hobbies allow you to remain mentally productive while winding down at the same time. Hobbies also provide eustress . Believe it or not, one type of stress is deemed beneficial: eustress. If you aren’t overly stressed and are feeling a little under-stimulated, a hobby can provide activity for both your mind and body to keep you feeling excited about life and ready to take on new challenges and adventures. Skills That Enrich Us

Hobbies offer a social outlet. Some hobbies involve group activities, such as bowling, sports teams, book clubs, and even wine tasting. Connecting with others offers the social support humans depend on to lead a healthy and fruitful life. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find some great friends who share the same passions as you! Hobbies develop patience. When you take on a new hobby, you are tasked with learning something new. Whether you’re practicing a new instrument, learning a different language, or figuring out how to make jewelry, a learning curve is involved. Building new skills takes patience, a very important attribute for success. Finding a hobby that suits you may take some exploration and trial and error, but it is all in good fun! Make it your goal to try something new or learn a new skill each month until you find something that sticks. Once you do, you’re sure to find that hobbies are both enjoyable and enriching!

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