A living trust is a way of holding title to your assets so they will not have to go through probate (a Court supervised estate administration) upon your death. The trust states what happens to your assets if you are...more
Did anyone tell you it was National Estate Planning Week? We were not aware. No one sent us a greeting card to remind us....more
The following are intended to be helpful tips to assist you in clearing some clutter while we have some time at home....more
A common misconception is that when you die with a Will, your heirs avoid probate. In California when you die with a Will and the total assets owned in your sole name exceed $166,250, your estate goes through probate (a court...more
5/31/2020
/ Asset Management ,
Beneficiaries ,
Decedent Protection ,
Estate Planning ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Heirs ,
Inheritance ,
Personal Representatives ,
Power of Attorney ,
Probate ,
Probate Code
With the coronavirus pandemic, many people have asked, “what happens if I die without an estate plan?” Without a properly prepared estate plan, California does your planning for you. ...more
Estate planning is more important than ever as COVID-19 continues its spread. Creating a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care will enable you to set forth your health care desires and enable you to designate the person...more
Last Sunday I learned that my mother’s dear friend who is very active, hikes daily, gardens daily, does senior yoga weekly, eats a healthy diet, and has many volunteer and social commitments that keep her happy, went on a...more
1/30/2020
/ Asset Management ,
Beneficiaries ,
Beneficiary Designations ,
Estate Planning ,
Inheritance ,
Minor Children ,
Probate ,
Retirement Plan ,
Spouses ,
Tax Benefits ,
Tax Planning ,
Transfer of Assets
Congress recently passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act, or the “Act”) implementing one of the most substantial pieces of retirement plan legislation in years, into law....more
1/7/2020
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
Beneficiary Designations ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Eligibility ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Contributions ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Estate Planning ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
New Legislation ,
Part-Time Employees ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors ,
SECURE Act ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Rates
As many in the country mourn the loss of Aretha Franklin, some of us are a bit surprised to discover the Queen of Soul passed intestate, without a will or estate plan....more
It’s impossible to predict what any future president will do, or what Congress will approve. But in light of comments president-elect Donald J. Trump made on the campaign trail, and given that Grand Old Party members will...more
12/1/2016
/ Alternative Minimum Tax ,
Business Plans ,
Capital Gains ,
Charitable Donations ,
Death Tax ,
Estate Planning ,
Estate Tax ,
Income Taxes ,
Mortgage Interest ,
Net Investment Income ,
Repeal ,
Selling a Business ,
Standard Tax Deduction ,
Succession Planning ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Rates ,
Tax Reform ,
Trump Administration
The Department of the Treasury wants to place limitations on valuation discounts that are currently commonly used to reduce asset values in family-owned and closely-held businesses, in an effort to increase tax revenue. The...more
8/15/2016
/ Business Ownership ,
Business Plans ,
Business Succession ,
Business Valuations ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Estate Planning ,
Estate Tax ,
Family Businesses ,
Gift Tax ,
IRS ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Partnerships ,
Succession Planning ,
Transfer of Assets ,
U.S. Treasury