Trust Administration’s Cold Case: What If a Beneficiary Goes Missing? A trust is designed to ensure that your assets reach the right hands, but what happens when a key player in this mystery—your beneficiary—vanishes without a trace? Imagine your trustee as a seasoned detective, magnifying glass in hand, sifting through…
Should You Sell, Gift, or Keep Your Home Until Death? A Guide to Making the Right Decision If you’re a homeowner in California, you’ve likely wondered about the best way to pass your property to your loved ones. Should you sell it during your lifetime, gift it now, or hold onto it until death? Each option has tax and financial implications that could impact both you and your heirs. Here’s what you need to know. The Step-Up in Basis: A Key Advantage of Keeping Property Until Death In…
Ensure Your Property Insurance Is Updated After a Title Transfer Transferring real estate into a trust or business entity is a common estate planning strategy to protect assets and avoid probate. However, these transfers can unintentionally impact insurance coverage, leaving homeowners vulnerable if not properly addressed. With the recent Los Angeles wildfires, ensuring adequate…
A Valentine’s Day Love Letter: Writing Your Estate Plan Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love—love for your partner, your family, and those who make your heart full. While chocolates and roses are classic tokens of affection, there’s another way to express your love this year, one that lasts…
Why HIPAA’s New Privacy Protections Matter to You When it comes to estate planning, privacy is everything—especially when it involves your health information. Recent updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) add some important new protections for your sensitive information, particularly around reproductive health care. Let’s break…
