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Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 12, 2026 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 9 Trusts and Second Marriages A key part of today’s estate planning often involves the use of Trusts in order to provide for a surviving spouse in a second marriage and the children of a decedent from a previous marriage. If all of the assets of the decedent spouse are simply left to the surviving spouse of the second marriage, there exists the possibility that the surviving spouse will simply leave all of the assets he or she receives to her own biological children, thereby disinheriting the decedent’s biological children. If the married couple agrees to execute a joint revocable Trust, upon the first spouse to die, the Trust will then become irrevocable. Alternatively, an irrevocable Trust could be executed from the start. In either case, provision within the Trust can provide for the right of the surviving spouse to receive income generated from the Trust, or the right to use, occupy and possess real estate constituting the principal residence, for example. The Settlor(s) of such a Trust can provide for a child of the decedent spouse to serve as a Co-Trustee with the second spouse upon the death of the first spouse to die. In this event, there is at least a check on whether or not income distributions and principal distributions for health and welfare are not inappropriate. This might apply if the two individuals executing the Trust are not absolutely sure that the surviving spouse will not disinherit the decedent’s biological children and will in fact follow the terms of the Trust and the parties’ original intentions. Also, in a first marriage situtraining. June 29–July 3 – first formal week. July 6–9 – second formal week. July 10 – 10 a.m.-12 p.m. – makeup practice (if necessary). July 10 – 6 p.m. – Pasta Dinner at Prince Pizzeria. July 11 – 9 a.m. – in-house meet at Serino Stadium. July 13 – 16 – retrain week. July 18 – Summer Showdown in Cranston, R.I. July 22 – wrap up. Veterans Day Bricks Proation with all of the children being of the marriage, inserting a testamentary special power of appointment provision in the Trust allows the surviving spouse to exercise this power of appointment via his or her Last Will and Testament in order to reallocate the remaining assets in the Trust upon his or her death. For example, if the surviving spouse felt that one child needed a larger share of the Trust assets in order to survive financially, that child would receive a larger share of the Trust assets than he or she was entitled to pursuant to the terms of the Trust. This special power of appointment provision may be entirely inappropriate when dealing with a second marriage. The reason is that the power could be exercised by the surviving spouse to leave assets to his or her own children and thereby leaving out the children of the deceased spouse of this second marriage. Every family and marriage is different. Only after discussing all of the issues and family dynamics in a second marriage context can you arrive at the optimum set of Trust documents that will best meet your objectives. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation. gram is back The Saugus Veterans Council is pleased to reinstate the Brick Program! After our vendor retired last year (thank you, Del from Pavlok, for working with us over the years), we have found another engraver, who will be taking our orders for Veterans Day! Proceeds from the brick sales are devoted to the upkeep of Saugus Veterans Park. If you are interested in purchasing a brick, a 4x8” will be $100 (three lines) and an 8x8” (five lines) is $200. Please contact Corinne Riley (781-231-7995) for an application or more information. All orders must be in no later than Sept. 10. Savvy Senior by Jim Miller Still Working at 65? Here’s How to Handle Medicare Dear Savvy Senior, My wife and I are approaching 65, but I’m still working and have good health coverage through my employer. Do we need to enroll in Medicare at this point? — Almost 65 Dear Almost, If you or your spouse is still working past age 65 and have health insurance through your job, you may be able to delay enrolling in Medicare without a late enrollment penalty. However, the rules depend largely on the size of your employer. First, a quick refresher: Remember that original Medicare has two parts. Part A, which covers hospital care and is premium-free for most people. And Part B, which covers doctor visits, lab tests, and outpatient care and has a monthly premium of $202.90 in 2026. Higher-income individuals (over $109,000) and couples (over $218,000) pay more. If you’re already receiving Social Security, you’ll automatically be enrolled in Parts A and B when you turn 65, and your Medicare card will arrive in the mail. It will include instructions on how to return it if you have employer coverage that allows you to delay Part B. If you’re still working Start by talking with your benefits manager or HR department to understand how your employer insurance works with Medicare. In most cases, it makes sense to enroll in Part A since it’s free. However, if you contribute to a Health Savings Account, enrolling in Part A will stop those contributions. Whether you should enroll in Part B usually depends on your employer’s size. Small employer If your employer has fewer SAVE THE DATE! Saugus will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, July 4th, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. Please read “The Sounds of Saugus” for more details. (Courtesy graphic to The Saugus Advocate) than 20 employees, Medicare becomes your primary insurance. In this case, you should enroll in Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period, which lasts seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday, your birthday month, and the three months after. If you aren’t receiving Social Security, you’ll need to apply for Medicare. You can do this online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up, by phone at 800-772-1213, or in person at your local Social Security office. If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period, you’ll need to wait for the General Enrollment Period, which runs January 1 through March 31. Coverage begins the first day of the month after you enroll, but a 10 percent penalty is added to your Part B premium for each full year you waited. Signing up on time helps you avoid both coverage gaps and added costs. Large employer If your employer has 20 or more employees, your group health plan remains your primary insurance while you’re actively working. In this case, you generally don’t need to enroll in Part B at 65 if your coverage is adequate. If you do enroll, Medicare will serve as secondary coverage. Once your employment or employer coverage ends, you’ll have an eight-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B without penalty. Check drug coverage You should also review your prescription drug coverage. Ask your benefits manager if your employer’s plan is considered “creditable.” If it is, you don’t need to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan. If it isn’t, you should sign up for Part D during your Initial Enrollment Period to avoid a penalty – typically 1 percent of the national average premium for each month you delay. You can compare Part D plans at medicare.gov/plan-compare. Need help? For free guidance, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program at 877-8392675 or shiphelp.org. You can also call the Medicare Rights Center helpline at 800-3334114. Navigating Medicare while you’re still working can be confusing, but a quick check with your employer and a clear understanding of the rules can help you avoid costly mistakes. Taking the time to get it right now will ensure you have the coverage you need, without unnecessary penalties down the road. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

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