By: Martin M. Shenkman, CPA, MBA, JD
Estate Planning Awareness Week: Helping those Living with Chronic Illness and Disability
October 17 - 21, 2011
October 6, 2011: Paramus, NJ
Chronic Illness Webinars presented by Martin M. Shenkman, CPA, MBA, PFS, AEP ®, JD, with www.RV4TheCause.org and www.ChronicIllnessPlanning.org.
About National Estate Planning Awareness Week:
October 17 - 23, 2011, has been designated by Congress as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Each year, under HR 1499, the third full week in October is reserved as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. It is estimated, that over 120,000,000 Americans do not have up-to-date estate plans and long term financial strategies to protect themselves, or their families, in the event of sickness, accidents, or untimely death. The purpose of National Estate Planning Awareness Week is to encourage consumers to address these issues before they have a chance to negatively impact their daily lives. RV4TheCause.org (www.ChronicIllnessPlanning.org) provides clear and simple programs to help educate consumers faced by the challenges of chronic illness or disability make choices that will protect themselves and their loved ones from the vagaries of a highly unpredictable future.
About RV4TheCause:
RV4TheCause was founded by attorney Martin M. Shenkman, with offices in Paramus, NJ and New York City, and his wife Patti, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2006. Their charity educates not only the individuals impacted by chronic illness or disability, but the attorneys, accountants, financial planners, and insurance professionals serving the 120 million Americans living with the challenges of disability and health issues. Shenkman, who has more than 25 years experience in his field, is a noted attorney, CPA and author who has devoted his career to helping those living with chronic diseases in coping with financial, tax, insurance, estate, and other issues.
Chronic Illness Webinars during National Estate Planning Awareness Week:
It is estimated that 1 million Americans are living with Parkinson's disease, 24-35 million with COPD, over 2.1 million with Multiple Sclerosis worldwide, and 5.4 million with Alzheimer's disease. Over 120 million Americans are living with some form of chronic illness. Failing to have up-to-date estate and life plans (powers, living wills, financial plans, etc.) for these Americans, and those relying on them, can prove devastating. The goal of this webinar series on Estate Planning for Chronic Illness is twofold: to build knowledge amongst professional advisers as to how they can better serve clients living with chronic illness; and, to educate and inform those living with chronic illness, their loved ones, and caretakers about proactive steps they can take to help themselves plan.
In addition to presenting general chronic illness planning programs, these webinars will be targeted to specific chronic disorders in order to enhance their relevance and empower those living with that particular disease, which will assist those individuals to better help themselves. By partnering with charities serving those living with specific chronic illnesses, affected consumers will more easily be reached.
Moderator: Hani Sarji, Esq., a writer at www.forbes.com will moderate each consumer webinar. See his blog on www.forbes.com about the webinars in advance of estate planning week.
NAEPC: National Association of Estate Planners & Councils and its foundation (The NAEPC Education Foundation) will encourage its members nationwide to reach out to consumers, especially those facing the challenges of chronic illness and disability. NAEPC will announce the consumer webinars on www.naepc.org, within their newsletters and will host recordings of them on www.estateplanninganswers.org.
LISI (Leimberg Information Services, Inc.): LISI, one of the most respected online estate planning websites, will disseminate information to encourage its prestigious subscriber base to encourage their clients, especially those living with chronic illness or disability, to take advantage of these programs. See www.leimbergservices.com.
AICPA: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has a video on planning for chronic illness: http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Multimedia/ChronicIllnesses. Additionally, a general article for National Estate Planning Awareness Week can be found at: http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2011/Oct/20114425.htm.
Tuesday October 18, 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm EST
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ("MJFF") sponsors a free consumer webinar entitled "Estate and Financial Planning for those Living with Parkinson's Disease." The program will be presented by Martin M. Shenkman, author of Funding the Cure: Charitable Giving to Help the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Find the Cure for Parkinson's Disease published by Demos Health. Seanna Bruno of MJFF will join. Reserve at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/786382430
Tuesday October 18, 2:30 - 3:30 pm EST
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants ("AICPA") hosts "Estate planning awareness week consumer seminar". Martin M. Shenkman will be one of several panelists participating in this program. To register: http://www.canopic.com/cms/r/101812635.html
Tuesday October 18, 4:00 - 5:00 pm EST
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WEBINAR SERIES AND RV4THECAUSE:
"Marty has found a unique way in RV4TheCause to bring his expertise to those living with the challenges of MS and the financial advisors serving them. He provides the practical tools they need in being more effective resources for their clients with chronic illness," says Cyndi Zagieboylo, President and CEO of the National MS Society. "As awareness for the challenges of MS and the importance of charitable giving are among those crucial tools, RV4TheCause means a great deal to the Society and we are most appreciative to Marty to be a beneficiary of his creative endeavors."
"The creativity and dedication that helped Marty build a reputation as an expert in estate and financial planning for people living with chronic diseases are also evident in his efforts to help those living with Parkinson's disease ," said Todd Sherer, PhD, CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. "We are grateful to partner with RV4TheCause."
"Despite not currently having a cure or disease-modifying treatments, advance planning is one of the benefits of early detection of Alzheimer's disease," said Ruth Drew, MS, LPC, Director of Family and Information Services at the Alzheimer's Association. "The Alzheimer's Association encourages families to begin planning when the person living with Alzheimer's can still be involved in the decision making process and before a crisis arises. For help with planning, call the Association's 24/7, toll-free helpline at 1-800-272-3900."
"The COPD Foundation is pleased to join the partnership with RV4TheCause," says John Walsh, president of the COPD Foundation. "Finding a cure is a common goal for our organization and we're grateful for this opportunity to create more awareness of COPD and knowledge as to how to plan for those living with COPD."
"Serving clients living with the challenges of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis or other chronic illnesses so they can best manage their legal and financial affairs is a vital part of providing comprehensive estate planning services for every attorney and accountant. The Ultimate Estate Planner is proud to partner with RV4TheCause in its efforts to build awareness and knowledge on this important and human aspect of practice," says Phil Kavesh, Esq., President, Ultimate Estate Planner.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY. The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In 2010 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $159 million to programs and services that assisted more than 1 million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $37 million to support 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org.
ABOUT THE MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION. As the world's largest private funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program, and has invested over $264 million in research to date. www.michaeljfox.org.
ABOUT THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. The Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Their vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.
ABOUT THE COPD FOUNDATION. COPD is an umbrella term for a group of lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory asthma, and bronchiectasis. The COPD Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3), was established to speed innovations to make treatments more effective and affordable, to undertake initiatives that result in expanded services for COPD'ers and to improve the lives of individuals affected by COPD and related lung diseases. The COPDF's activities focus on achieving these results through research, education and advocacy programs that will lead to prevention, and someday, a cure for this disease. http://www.copdfoundation.org.
CONTACT INFORMATION: To learn more about the RV4TheCause program, the press can contact Marty Shenkman at O: 201-845-8400/C: 201-563-4967, shenkman@shenkmanlaw.com, or visit www.RV4TheCause.org, www.chronicillnessplanning.org, or www.facebook.com/rv4thecause.
Subscribe to our email list to receive information on consumer webcasts and blogs, for practical legal information in simple English, delivered to your inbox. For more professional driven information, please visit Shenkman Law to subscribe.