less control when it comes time to make long term care decisions. A lack of planning can lead to putting your financial security in jeopardy as well as increasing the burden for others who will need to carry-on. Long term care options and choices typically decrease with age. Long term care insurance is more expensive to purchase as people get older. In addition, the risk of becoming uninsurable increases with age. Also, failure to plan can cause families to make unplanned sacrifices such as having to use children's college funds to pay for long term care.

Myth: Most people have planned ahead as part of financial planning.

• FACT: Few people have made adequate preparations for financing long term care. A recent study found that although most respondents (67%) recognized that paying for long term care threatens their financial security in retirement, only 12% responded that they felt they had adequately prepared for the possibility that they will need care (Greenwald & Associates, 1999).

Suggestions for Getting Started on Planning Ahead:

• Determine if the benefits of planning ahead are important to you
• Complete an on-line self-study
• Start conversations with family members
• Examine your lifeline and financial risk factors
• Use proven planning tools