Planning for the future isn’t just about what you leave behind; it’s also about how you live today.
Yet far too many retirees assume that a simple will is enough to protect their assets, their wishes, and their loved ones. In reality, effective estate planning involves proactive decisions, coordinated professionals, and a clear vision for both your life and your legacy.
In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller speaks with elder law attorney Wendy Goidel to surface overlooked strategies that can help families navigate the real-life complexity of aging, incapacity, and generational wealth transfer, from durable powers of attorney to personal care instructions and legacy letters.
What you’ll learn:
- The core legal documents that every retiree should have, and how to make sure they actually work
- How trust funding, titling, and beneficiary designations often make or break an estate plan
- Why long-term care costs derail even well-built retirement plans, and how to prepare early
- The overlooked value of legacy planning tools like ethical wills and caregiver instructions
- And so much more!
Connect with Wendy Goidel:
- Goidel Law Group
- LinkedIn: Wendy K. Goidel, Esq.
- (631) 390-5600
Connect with Larry Heller:
- (631) 248-3600
- Schedule a 20-Minute Call
- Heller Wealth Management
- LinkedIn: Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, CPA
- YouTube: Retirement Unlocked with Larry Heller, CFP®
About Our Guest:
Wendy K. Goidel, the founding and managing member of Goidel Law Group PLLC, dedicates her practice to estate planning, elder law, and estate and trust administration. Wendy helps individuals of all ages and stages to achieve their estate planning goals while protecting themselves, their loved ones, and their hard-earned assets. She provides services in a compassionate and caring manner while respecting the dignity and promoting the independence of her clients. Recognizing that conversations about disability and death are difficult and emotional, Wendy is committed to diffusing tension and eliminating stress. She earns her clients’ respect and confidence and creates lasting relationships with them and their family members so that their planning will work for them through all phases of their lives.
An out-of-the-box thinker, Wendy developed and implemented Concierge Care Coordination®, a holistic practice model which seamlessly integrates geriatric social work with legal planning.
Wendy created fellowship programs with two New York universities designed to encourage social work students to enter the field of gerontology and to promote collaboration between law and social work students. She gives back to the community and sponsors multiple programs for individuals with cognitive impairment and their care partners. Wendy has been honored for her commitment and contributions to several adult day programs on Long Island and was named as one of the Top 50 Women in Business by the Long Island Business News. For a decade, Wendy served on the Executive Board of Make-A-Wish, Suffolk County, NY. She is a graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo Schoo
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