Most families who lived through 2008 have not forgotten it. Retirement accounts dropped hard that year. The S&P 500 lost about 38 percent, and for a household with $1 million invested, that meant watching nearly $400,000 disappear on paper. It was frightening, and it changed how a lot of people think about money. Many came out of it more careful with their money, working with financial advisors and thinking hard about how to protect their retirement savings from the next downturn.
But a lot of those same families have spent almost no time thinking about a different financial threat, one that does not show up in a brokerage statement and does not get covered on the evening news. That threat is long-term care. In 2026, nursing home care in Illinois can cost over $10,000 a month, and unlike a market loss, there is no waiting it out. For Illinois families who want to know whether their estate plan actually accounts for this risk, a Kendall County, IL estate planning attorney can help.