Independent retirement & care planning · all of UT
Plan for care. Protect your income. Leave a legacy.
Most retirements aren't undone by the markets — they're undone by the cost of care. We help Utah families plan for long-term care, time Social Security, and turn savings into income that lasts. Educational, independent, no pressure.
The reality in Utah
What long-term care costs in Utah (2024)
These are annual costs for care in Utah. Medicare doesn't pay for most of it — a plan does. About 70% of people turning 65 today will need some long-term care in their lifetime.
Source: CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey 2024 — Utah. carescout.com/cost-of-care. Likelihood of care: U.S. Administration for Community Living.
How we help
Four pieces of a secure retirement
Plan for long-term care
About 70% of people turning 65 will need care — and Medicare won't pay for most of it. We help you plan before you need it.
Time your Social Security
When you claim, from 62 to 70, permanently changes your benefit. We help you weigh the trade-offs for your situation.
Build lifetime income
Turn savings into a dependable paycheck — coordinating Social Security, withdrawals, and annuities so you don't outlive your money.
Protect your family & legacy
Right-sized life insurance and hybrid policies protect the people who depend on you and pass on what you've built.
How it works
Get a plan in 3 simple steps
Talk to a planner
Tell us your goals, savings, and concerns about care. No cost, no pressure — ever.
Get a personal plan
We map likely Utah care costs against your savings and compare the protection tools that fit you.
Put it in place & review
We help you act on the plan and revisit it as your life and the numbers change.
Our services
What we help Utah families with
Long-Term Care Planning
A clear plan for how you'd pay for care — before you need it.
Long-Term Care Insurance
Traditional and hybrid policies that cover what Medicare won't.
Social Security Planning
Think through the best time to claim for your situation.
Retirement Income & Annuities
Dependable income you can't outlive, matched to your goals.
Life Insurance & Legacy
Protect your family and leave a legacy without overpaying.
Medicaid & Asset Protection
Understand how Medicaid fits — and when to involve an attorney.
Independent & in your corner
A planner who treats your money like family's
Brian Penner helps Utah families understand long-term care, Social Security, and retirement income in plain English — with the patience to make sure you understand every option before you decide. No pressure, ever.
Meet Brian Penner →Resources
Planning guidance & Utah data
Power of Attorney & Advance Directives in Utah (2026)
Utah replaced its advance-directive law on January 1, 2026 with the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act (Title 75A, Chapter 9) — and the old “75-2a” citation is retired. Sign nothing and Utah picks for you from a 10-class default surrogate ladder where adult children and parents share one class and ties are settled by majority vote. The two documents sign differently (health care POA: one witness, no notary; financial POA: notarized), and 8 financial powers — including changing a beneficiary designation and waiving a joint and survivor annuity benefit — exist only if your document expressly grants them. Then there’s the part families discover at the worst moment: Social Security does not accept a power of attorney at all, and Medicare and the IRS each want their own form.
Read →
What Long-Term Care Insurance Costs at 55, 60, and 65 (2026) — and Why Waiting Gets Expensive
A couple both age 55 pays about $5,010 a year combined for $165,000 in long-term care benefits each, growing 3% yearly; wait until 65 and the same design runs about $7,030 (AALTCI 2026 Price Index) — if you still qualify, because about 30% of applicants in their 60s are declined and roughly half after 70. The buy-early math is stronger than the sticker prices suggest: the 55-year-old couple pays only ~6% more in total premiums by age 85 but walks into their 80s with a benefit pool worth about $400,500 per person versus $298,500. Plus the 56% price spread between insurers for identical coverage, why a single woman at 60 pays $4,550 versus $2,610 for a man, and what the underwriting clock means for Utah families weighing when — and whether — to buy.
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Selling Your Home in Retirement: A Utah Guide (2026)
Utah house prices rose 124% in the ten years through 2026 Q1 and 4.2× over thirty (FHFA), so a long-held Utah home can blow past the $250,000 capital gains exclusion without being a mansion. Married couples get $500,000 and usually owe nothing — but a widowed seller keeps that $500,000 only if the house sells within two years of a spouse's death, and Utah isn't a community property state, so the basis step-up generally covers only the decedent's half. On a $450,000 gain the difference runs about $47,600 once you add federal capital gains tax, the 3.8% net investment income tax, Utah's flat 4.5%, and the Medicare surcharge that lands two years later — which Social Security won't waive, because a home sale isn't a qualifying life-changing event. Here's the whole sequence, plus the care-facility exception and the Medicaid trap.
Read →Got questions?
Plain-English answers
Does Medicare pay for long-term care?
Generally no. Medicare covers only short, skilled care after a qualifying hospital stay — not ongoing custodial help, assisted living, or extended nursing-home stays. That gap is exactly what a long-term care plan addresses.
How likely am I to need long-term care?
About 70% of people turning 65 today will need some long-term care, according to the U.S. Administration for Community Living. Around one-third may never need it, while about 20% will need it for longer than five years.
Do you charge for your time?
We provide free, no-pressure planning conversations. When you choose to put a product in place, insurance companies pay us — so our guidance costs you nothing. We'll always explain how any product works.
Is this financial or tax advice?
No. Everything we provide is educational, to help you understand your options. We are not a government agency and do not provide financial, tax, or legal advice — we coordinate with your other professionals when needed.
Do you serve my part of Utah?
Yes — we serve families across all of Utah, from the Wasatch Front and Utah County to St. George, Moab, and rural communities. Most planning is done by phone or video, with in-person available.
Let’s build your plan
Get a free, no-pressure planning conversation with an independent advisor who serves all of Utah.