Author Archives: T.C. Kelly

About T.C. Kelly

Prior to his retirement, T.C. Kelly handled litigation and appeals in state and federal courts across the Midwest. He now writes about legal issues for a variety of publications.

How to Avoid Will Challenges

Last will and testament document with brown pen on desk

Few things are uglier than the spectacle of children or other relatives arguing about an inheritance. The law respects the right of individuals to decide who should inherit their property. Parents may decide to leave property to some children but not to others. They may decide to give more property to one child than to […]

Seniors Should Be Wary of Potentially Unsafe Products

Pills

Updated April 2025 Ordinary products, ranging from food and over-the-counter medications to hand sanitizers and sunscreens, can pose a health or safety risk. Senior consumers can protect themselves by checking product recall lists and safety alerts from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as warnings about unsafe foods posted on the government’s FoodSafety […]

How Seniors Can Replace a Lost Vaccination Card

Senior Woman Getting a Shot

Vaccination rates of older Americans continue to rise. Nationwide statistics reveal that Americans who have reached the age of 65 have the highest rate of vaccination among all age groups. As of October 21, 2021, 96% of Americans ages 65 years or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 84.5% are […]

What Sources of Income Are Available for Retirees?

Money100 dollar bills

Updated July 2025 Ideally, as workers gain experience in a job, their wages increase and their savings grow. When employers don’t offer pension or retirement benefits, workers can still take advantage of individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Unfortunately, the yearly limit on contributions to an IRA is much smaller than the limit on 401(k) plan contributions. […]

Helping Seniors Avoid Falls in Their Homes

Helping the Elderly

Parents make homes safe for children by plugging electrical outlets and cushioning sharp corners. It may seem patronizing to suggest that children should make homes safe for their parents. Aging adults, after all, have learned to avoid the hazardous behaviors that imperil children. Still, older people as a group are more susceptible to certain kinds […]

Resources for Children Who Care for Aging Parents

Hands offering support

The long-term implications of the various surges of the covid variant have ushered into the children of aging parents a feeling of vulnerability and a need to look for more real ways to help.  Though vaccinations are a first, most effective line of defense against a serious illness such as Covid-19 and its variants, vaccinations […]

When Should Seniors Apply for Social Security?

Most individuals qualify for Social Security if they are U.S. citizens or green card holders and have earned 40 “work credits” during their working life. The amount of earnings needed to earn a credit varies each year. In 2024, workers receive one credit for each $1,730 they earn. However, workers earn a maximum of four […]

Expect the Unexpected Costs of Retirement

Social Security and Poverty

Social Security, pension benefits, and savings can combine to help seniors maintain comfortable lifestyles after retirement. Careful preparation and advice from a financial adviser can produce a plan that addresses post-retirement needs and goals. Still, to twist a popular war adage, it might be said that no retirement plan survives contact with the future. Unexpected […]