Check Your Beneficiary Designations Today
What might happen if I fail to update my beneficiary designations on my life insurance policies, bank accounts, and more?
While most of us put off estate planning, failing to take some basic steps towards preparing for your eventual death could come at a significant cost for your...
What to Expect During the Probate Process
During probate, a court supervises the work of gathering a deceased person’s assets and distributing them, whether to pay off creditors or to give heirs the parts of the estate designated for them in the deceased person’s will (or designated by state law if the person died without a will).
Every probate court...
Should I Purchase a Long-Term Care Insurance Plan?
Not many people talk about long-term care, but they should. As the first batch of baby boomers hit the big 65, the conversation will likely gain more traction.
Insurance policies that cover extended nursing care make sense. After all, nursing care and home staff services are expensive. These costs can burn through your...
Estate Planning and the Spousal Fiduciary Duty
When you say “I do” in California, you not only dedicate yourself to your spouse in sickness and in health, but you also become bound by the Spousal Fiduciary Duty. In California, the law imposes a legal duty...
Forget bingo! More Americans are working part-time in retirement – Why Are More Seniors Opting to Work During Retirement?
More Americans are working past retirement than ever before. As baby boomers hit the big 65, more and more are opting to continue working. Why are so many seniors choosing to spend their golden years in offices rather than at home? According to California elder law attorneys, there are a number of reasons,...
Common Oversights in Estate Planning
Many people think their journey is complete once they’ve completed an estate plan. However, these people, no matter how much planning they’ve done, can still fall victim to common oversights in estate planning. When creating an estate plan, you want to be certain that you’ve incorporated all factors into it.
Even the with...
Don’t Have a Will? Here’s What Will Happen to Your Estate
Less than half of all Americans, 44 percent, have a will in place that describes how their estate should be handled after their death, according to the latest Gallup poll. Many people share the view...
Who should you appoint as executor in your will?
You already know you should have a will, but maybe you’re getting caught up trying to decide whom you should appoint as your executor. What does the law say? Can you appoint your family members as executors? What about your brother who lives in another state? Can you appoint more than one executor?
Top 3 ways to reduce federal estate tax in 2017
Federal estate taxes are very high. How high you ask? A whopping 40 percent high. This means that if the value of your estate is above the federal exemption, the federal government will claim 40 percent of what is in excess. That’s 40 percent of your estate taken away from your spouse,...
Federal Estate Tax Repeal Could Mean Tax Increase for Californians
President Trump has proposed completely eliminating the federal estate tax. This controversial tax currently remains at 40 percent, but with a Republican House and Senate, it is possible that the tax will soon be reduced or erased. However,...