Most Americans will need some form of Long-Term Care as they age, yet few have a clearly defined plan for how that care will be delivered, coordinated, and funded.  Long-Term Care isn't a product or a place.  It's a stage of life when independence fades, and daily support becomes a harsh reality.   And with the Silver Tsunami already crashing ashore — as 10,000+ Americans turn 65 each day — the advisory community must begin a shift in mindset to treat Long-Term Care as a core component of a client's planning rather than an optional or future concern.  

Furthermore, Long-Term Care Planning isn't a binary.  It exists on a continuum, from reasonable to right.  Some clients may only need a budget-conscious solution that addresses the basics.  Others might need a fully integrated plan that aligns their financial, legal, healthcare, and family priorities.  But without a clear framework, most clients (and advisors) don't even know where they stand.

Think of it like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears — except there are lots of Mama Bears and Papa Bears scattered across the advisory community, each with a different 'hot' or 'cold' opinion on Long-Term Care Planning, but rarely a solution that's 'just right':

• The CPA views Long-Term Care through the lens of tax efficiency and liquidity, often flagging premium outlays as non-deductible, after-tax expenses that tie up capital and reduce flexibility in future income strategies.

• The CFP® professional often assumes that with sufficient assets, the client can self-fund care needs, minimizing the perceived urgency and viewing LTC Planning as a low-probability risk rather than a planning priority.

• The Estate Planning Attorney tends to focus on legal instruments—wills, trusts, and powers of attorney—while assuming that healthcare and caregiving decisions fall outside their domain, leaving critical care coordination gaps unaddressed.

• The RIA proudly wears the fiduciary badge yet thinks it only applies to investments they manage, ignoring one of the most consequential financial risks their clients face.  Failing to address LTC Planning while managing assets that could one day be consumed by care costs is not just an oversight—it's a breach of the very duty they claim to uphold.

• Then there's the baby bear, the LTC Planning Specialist, who may offer something that seems "just right"—but without integration, it's still just a transaction.

Each advisor sleeps in bed based on the comfort zone and context of their advisory role, not necessarily the client's comprehensive planning reality.  Meanwhile, the client is left navigating misaligned advice, undefined responsibility, and growing risk.  Everyone means well, no one takes ownership, and by the time care is needed, the family discovers that no one ever built a plan.

While not every client needs a complex solution, every client deserves to know where they stand.  Some clients will settle for what's "reasonable" based on budget or insurability.  Others want what's truly "right" —a coordinated plan that aligns HALO-projected planning with legal, financial, tax, and family decisions across time.  The job of a planning professional isn't to sell a product.  It's to guide clients toward the "Goldilocks Zone" that's right for them.  

Are you helping clients get there or assuming someone else is?

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