How does long-term care insurance affect retirement planning?

A long, uninsured care event is the single largest threat to a retirement plan. Care can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year for an unpredictable length of time — the kind of open-ended expense a nest egg is not built to absorb.

Long-term care coverage does several things for a retirement plan:

• Protects the healthy spouse. It keeps one partner's care from consuming the income and savings the other will still need.
• Preserves choice and control over where and how you receive care, rather than defaulting to whatever Medicaid will cover.
• Reduces the burden on your children, both financial and caregiving.
• Protects your legacy, keeping your estate intact for heirs.

The planning move is to address it while you are healthy and in your 50s or 60s, when premiums are lower — and to consider asset-based options that let you reposition existing assets. A fee-only advisor can fit it into your broader plan.

General information only. This is educational and not insurance, legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules and products vary and change — confirm the specifics with a licensed professional.