THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2022 PROJECT | FROM Page 1 Page 17 Trident Logistics Center will be Cheap Basic Cell Phone Plans for Penny Pinching Seniors Dear Savvy Senior, A few months ago, I read a column you wrote on extremely cheap smartphone plans for budget-conscious seniors. Can you do a similar column for those of us who still use basic fl ip phones? My old 3G fl ip phone is about to become obsolete, so I’m looking for the cheapest possible replacement. I only need a simple cell phone (no data) for emergency calls when I’m away from home. Penny Pincher Dear Penny, For many seniors, like yourself, who only want a simple basic cell phone for emergency purposes and occasional calls, there are a number of super cheap plans available from small wireless providers you may have never heard of. Here are some of the best deals available right now. Cheapest Basic Plans For extremely light cell phone users, the cheapest wireless plan available is through US Mobile (USMobile.com), which has a “build your own plan” that starts at only $2 per month for 75 minutes of talk time. If you want text messaging capabilities, an extra $1.50/month will buy you 50 texts per month. US Mobile runs on Verizon’s and T-Mobile’s networks and gives you the option to bring your existing phone (if compatible or unlocked) or purchase a new device, while keeping your same phone number if you wish. If your fl ip phone is becoming obsolete, as you mentioned in your question, you’ll need to buy a new device, which you can do through US Mobile if you choose their plan. They off er the “NUU F4L” fl ip phone for $39 for new customers. Or you can purchase an unlocked phone through retail stores like Walmart or Best Buy, or online. One of the best value fl ip phones right now is the (unlocked) “Alcatel GO FLIP 4044 4G LTE,” available at Amazon.com for $80. Some other super cheap wireless plans worth a look are Ultra Mobile’s “PayGo” plan (UltraMobile.com/PayGo), which provides 100 talk minutes, 100 texts for only $3 per month. And Tello’s (Tello.com) “build your own plan” that starts at $5 per month for 100 talk minutes and unlimited texting. Both Ultra Mobile PayGo and Tello also run on T-Mobile’s network and will let you use your existing phone (if compatible or unlocked) or buy a new one. Senior Targeted Providers In addition to these super cheap plans, there are several other wireless companies that cater to older customers and off er low-cost basic plans and simple fl ip phones. One of the least expensive is through TracFone (Tracfone.com), which offers a 60-minute talk, text and web plan for $20 that lasts for 90 days. That averages out to $6.66 per month. Three other providers that are popular among seniors are Snapfon (Snapfon.com), which off ers a 100 minutes and unlimited texting plan for $10. Consumer Cellular (ConsumerCellular.com), which provides an unlimited talk plan or $15 per month. They also give 5 percent discounts to AARP members. And Lively (Lively.com), maker of the popular Jitterbug Flip2 senior-friendly fl ip phone. Their cheapest monthly plan is 300 minutes of talk and text for $15. Subsidized Plans You also need to know that if you’re on a government program such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income or food stamps/SNAP. Or, if your annual household income is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines – $18,347 for one person, or $24,719 for two – you might also qualify for free or subsidized wireless plans from various carriers via the federal Lifeline program. To find out if you’re eligibility or apply, visit LifelineSupport.org. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. at 781-286-8500 or Info@advocatenews.net call he Adv cate Ne spapers For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers developed in two phases and at full build-out will consist of two state-of-the-art logistics facilities totaling 668,500 square feet, with associated parking areas. The Global Oil tanks on the southern portion of the property will continue to operate at this time, and environmental engineer Kevin Trainer said the project will have a separate fi ling for the second phase of the project when it is ready to get underway. “The work will be decommissioning and demolishing the above-ground storage tanks and then construction of the new building and facility,” said Trainer. “There are not going to be direct impacts to the wetlands resource area itself.” The tanks and piping in the fi rst phase of the project have all been cleaned and certifi ed as having no product remaining in them, Trainer said. “So – one thing – I think it’s self-evident, but there’s a tremendous environmental benefi t that the tanks are no longer storing product and transferring product in that phase one area,” said Trainer. “The possibility of future spills from those tanks and pipes has been eliminated.” Trainer said his fi rm, Verdantas out of York, Maine, has been retained by the new owner to conduct response actions, assessments and cleanup activities for any potential spills at the property during the demolition and construction phases. “We will have a presence on-site and we will respond if there’s contamination encountered, and we will conduct the investigations and cleanup that’s required under the Massachusetts contingency plan,” said Trainer. Over the history of the property, Trainer said, there have been 60 documented releases or spills on the property, with fi ve that are still active response areas that are currently being addressed. The majority of the releases have been remediated and determined to have no signifi cant risk, he added. There are several areas of impacted soil on the property that cannot be built upon, but Trainer said the new development will not be touching those portions of the property. “This type of project is up the MASSHEALTH AND YOUR HOME R egardless of the value of your home, so long as your spouse is living in your home, it will not be considered a countable asset even if you were to go into a nursing home and qualify for MassHealth benefi ts. Furthermore, so long as your spouse is living in your home, MassHealth Estate Recovery will not be able to fi le a lien against it. If your home is held jointly, title should be transferred as quickly as possible to the healthy spouse who is still living home. If not, if the healthy spouse were to suddenly die fi rst, title would vest 100% in the spouse who is living in the nursing home on MassHealth. The Estate Recovery Unit would then be able to recover against the equity in the home as the home would be part of the nursing home spouse’s probate estate. The transfer can be made either prior to or after admission into a nursing home. Transfers between spouses are never considered disqualifying transfers subject to the five-year look-back period. Once the transfer of the home takes place and the nursing home spouse is approved for MassHealth benefi ts, the spouse still living at home should consider, as one option, transferring the home to an irrevocable Trust in order to protect the equity in the home for the benefi t of children. The fi ve-year look-back period will commence once title has been transferred to the Trust. Although each family’s circumstances are diff erent, and what might be good for one family might not be good for another, married couples and single individuals need to consider transferring the home to such an irrevocable Trust long before the need for a nursing home arises. One big advantage is the avoidance of probate. The home will pass to your intended benefi ciaries pursuant to the terms of the Trust. The home can be sold at any time even after you place it into an irrevocable Trust. Since the Trust is structured as a grantor-type trust, the IRS Section 121 capital gain exclusion will still be retained. For a married couple, the capital gain exclusion on the sale of the home is $500,000. For a single person, the exclusion is $250,000. If rental property is placed into the Trust, the net rental income or loss is passed through onto the married couple’s or single person’s Form 1040. Consequently, the much higher ordinary income tax rates and capital gains tax rates associated with Trusts are avoided. Joseph D. Cataldo is an Estate Planning/Elder Law Attorney, Certifi ed Public Accountant, Certifi ed Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a Master’s Degree in Taxation. fairway for us; believe it or not, this is really what we do,” said Dan Connaughton, Link Logistics vice president of development for the eastern region. “We try to unlock these more environmentally challenged sites, redevelop them, repurpose them, clean them and turn them into state-of-the-art logistics facilities that will bolster local and regional economies.”
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