Creating your estate plan means being able to outline what assets will be given to which beneficiaries. While you might be focused on caring for your family members and loved ones, you may also decide that you want to take care of favorite charities. This is possible...
When you achieve a reasonable amount of success in life and want to give back to your community in California, you need the right strategy for your estate plan. Choosing the correct charitable remainder trust is essential for balancing your personal financial security...
If you die without an estate plan in California, the state decides how to distribute your property through a process called intestate succession. This means you lose control over who receives your assets, and your estate must go through probate court. Understanding...
Many people feel uneasy when they hear the phrase "tax avoidance." The term is sometimes confused with tax evasion, which involves illegally concealing income or assets from taxing authorities. Estate planning, however, often includes legitimate and lawful strategies...
When you’ve spent your lifetime building wealth through hard work, smart investments and careful financial decisions, you hate to think that all those assets will be gone within a generation or two. Unfortunately, preserving that wealth for future generations can be...
Generally speaking, a life insurance policy is not going to count when considering the assets a person owns and determining what they owe for estate taxes. This is because, although the policy was purchased by that individual, the funds from the payout are not...
Large inheritances can often bring long-standing family tensions to the surface, especially when expectations about fairness and entitlement do not align with the final result. For high-net-worth families, estate planning decisions are rarely just about money....
A dementia diagnosis can create fear for your family. You may suddenly realize your parent never updated a trust, signed a power of attorney or created health care directives. In many families, the first question becomes: “Is it already too late?” In California, a...
You are not obligated to divide your estate equally between your heirs -- even if they might expect you to do so. You should, however, consider explaining to your heirs what you intend to do when you decide to leave unequal inheritances. Leaving your decisions...
Planning for a loved one with special needs requires more than good intentions. It demands careful planning to ensure their well-being long after you’re no longer around to see to it. To avoid unintended outcomes, a special needs trust (SNT) can be just what you need....