We know you’re one of the ones who get it. You’re a bull-by-the-horns kind of human. You’ve got all manner of insurance. You wear your seatbelt and apply sunscreen daily. You understand that everyone has an estate plan - and you know that even if you haven’t inked a will, trust or some combination of the two, your state has one for you by way of laws. Last we checked, no one makes it out of this life alive.  

We’re a week and half into 2025 and as the news has shown us, life changing events can happen quickly. While we can’t avoid all of life’s disasters, we can somewhat prepare ourselves for them.  

So what is estate planning? It’s a plan for how you and your assets are handled should you become incapacitated or die. The plan may include the creation of wills, power of attorneys (who’s going to act on your behalf in a manner you’ve instructed in the event you are unable), trusts, guardianships, end-of-life wishes, healthcare directives and/or life insurance.

If the concept seems overwhelming, we get it - we prefer to think of it as bossing other adults around. That seems much more fun. And before you try and tell us you don’t have an estate - EVERYONE has an estate. Have you seen how much your Garbage Pail Kids card collection is going for these days? You’ve got an estate. Time to plan.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing a comparison and our perspective on some of the popular online estate planning tools. Because you’re not alone - we’re not getting out of here alive either.

No, we’re not talking about your phone number. You’re a grown up and should have that one memorized by now. We’re also not talking about your financial numbers, although we’ll dive deeper into understanding those in an upcoming newsletter. 

We mean your health digits. We’re talking body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (we just watched Babygirl and definitely felt ours rising), total cholesterol, and blood sugar (both of which are still recovering from our movie theater snacks).  

New year, same old reminder to schedule your annual physical. Because heart attacks are out. Being healthy is cool. And staying healthy is even cooler. 

We don’t know your mom and dad but it’s unlikely your parents intend to head into the fourth quarter of their life with a goal of making things more difficult for themselves and/or you. The path to your guest room, the ER, and probate court are paved with good intentions. 

Modern day society has taught us to revere independence. Heck - our country dedicates a day in the middle of summer to celebrate it. But rarely does one make it through the end of their life without needing support. Translation - talk with your parents about what they want to happen as they age. 

If it’s anything like the conversations we’ve had with our own parents, it’ll be slightly less uncomfortable than the time we scratched their car they asked us not to take. Still feeling uneasy? We think this article is a good place to start. And look on the bright side, they can’t ground you. 

Donut holes are out. We’re not referring to the beloved breakfast treat, those can stay, we mean the Medicare Part D coverage gap that ended on December 31, 2024. Effective January 1, 2025, stand-alone Medicare Part D plans and drug coverage in Medicare Advantage plans now have a $2,000 out-of-pocket annual limit for covered medications. Of course, like too much of any good thing (we’re looking at you fried dough covered in sugar), there are impacts and trade-offs.

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, we’ll continue to see changes and improvements to Medicare coverage. By continuing to talk to the experts and dig through the details, we’ll share what we learn. Because working smarter, not harder, is also really in for 2025. 

Lavar Burton expanded our minds with Reading Rainbow and Return of the Jedi blew them the same year. It was 1983 and then-President Ronald Reagan took action to reform the national program that ~68 million Americans rely on monthly. That number jumps to ~73 million Americans when you include Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates the total gap between Social Security cost and income over the next 75 years is $22.6 trillion. Slightly less than the cost of buying a home these days. 

Is this issue solvable? Absolutely. But it’ll take some work and come at a cost. Professor Alicia Munnell, a Boston College economic professor recently outlined a number of potential fixes. 

A tax increase for both US employers and employees could help bridge the gap. And enacting a cost–of-living increase halt could provide a stopgap while larger, more meaningful reform is identified. Neither are particularly popular moves but we elected a president, not voted for homecoming king, so here’s to hoping a system we’ve all paid into can be reformed and maintain solvency in the years to come.

If you can still fit into jeans you owned in the early 2000’s, you’ve earned the right to simply refer to them as pants. The world is hard enough, let’s hold off on prematurely aging ourselves.

Lying to anyone is lame. But lying to your adult children, especially when the expectation of senior care exists, can make a difficult time more challenging. We get it. Losing agency as one ages is scary stuff. We don’t want it to happen to us either. Here at Gray Monster, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve the sometimes uncomfortable experiences that exist while we support our aging loved ones. We liked this perspective on why parents lie to their adult children and hope it serves as a reminder that we’re all human. And we’d like it to serve as a catalyst for how we might better work together to ensure the needs of all family members are met in a more truthful and transparent manner. 

Remember those commercials from the 80’s? “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” 

2025 is the year to minimize the unnecessary hazards where we live. Mom and Dad have a home with stairs? Start discussing how you might retrofit their stairway to better accommodate their needs. By increasing lighting, upgrading traction, adding handrails, and installing a chair lift, you can easily maximize your parents independence. They may be cute but it’s unlikely they want to star in a Life Alert commercial. Plus, who doesn’t want to be the good kid. 

The changes noted in the Medicare & You 2025 handbook are officially official. You know - that light read sent to the 65+ crowd around September last year. Because you’ve got things to do and pickleball isn’t going to play itself, we dove into all 126 pages and will share the deets in an upcoming newsletter. Spoiler alert - barium enema coverage is on page 35.

Good-ish news for the nearly 73 million Americans that receive Social Security and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly. The 2.5% cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) will be reflected on all 2025 beneficiary payments. Bad-ish news, inflation is still hovering around 2.4%.

The songbird who put Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on the map, Dolly Parton, turns 79 this month. We’re celebrating Miley Cyrus’s godmother by listening to Jolene on repeat, ensuring next year's Spotify Wrapped will include an artist other than Taylor Swift. Guess you could say we’re entering a new era…

We love to laugh as much as you. We recognize that levity can be a light during life's darkest moments. And we’re heartbroken from the footage and stories coming out of California. For some of us here at Gray Monster HQ, it’s the state that raised us. 

Gray Monster is building a community. Much like the communities we live in across America, in moments of need, we lean in and we help. But we’re not there and we don’t know where our resources can be most effective. If you know an older adult who’s been displaced by the Los Angeles fires, or a senior center whose residences have been impacted, we’d like to help. Please, contact us with details and we’ll do our best to support them. Reach out to us at: [email protected]

Our love to all those impacted, especially those in their golden years who call the Golden State home. No matter how old you get, you never forget where you’re from.