Long-term care is one of the most personal topics in financial planning, and also one of the most frequently avoided.

Melissa Joy, CFP®, is joined by Pearl Planning colleague Alexa Kane, CFP®, to unpack how families can think about care earlier and more realistically.

This conversation goes beyond nursing homes to explore in-home care, assisted living, and memory care, along with the emotional and financial realities families face when care is needed. Melissa and Alexa explain why long-term care planning often affects women more heavily, why waiting until later in life can limit options, and how today’s long-term care solutions differ from the policies many people remember from past generations.

Rather than assuming insurance is the answer for everyone, they walk through how Pearl Planning approaches long-term care thoughtfully, weighing costs, health considerations, family dynamics, and alternatives. The discussion also highlights what modern hybrid policies are designed to do, how underwriting works, and what options exist for those who cannot or choose not to pursue insurance.

Key takeaways include:

• Why long-term care planning is often a bigger issue for women
• How rising care costs can impact retirement plans and family decisions
• The importance of starting the conversation earlier than most people expect
• The difference between traditional long-term care insurance and newer hybrid options
• Practical alternatives to insurance, including self-funding and housing-based strategies

This episode offers a calm, realistic framework for approaching a difficult topic and encourages listeners to plan ahead before long-term care becomes an urgent decision.

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