I recently saw a link to this New York Times article on volunteer travel. It’s not cheap to travel around the world and help people but, for people that can afford it, I can not imagine a better way to plan for your family’s future! Here’s the article for your reading pleasure. LINK

I know you don’t believe the headline but it’s TRUE. 100% true! One of newest and nicest cemeteries in the greater Sacramento valley area does not accept money. Free burial, headstone and even a 15 minute service. What’s the catch? You or your spouse have to have served in the military and been honorably discharged. […]

I was quoted in an article today on Forbes.com. The article is about doing business on the golf course. I don’t have time for golf anymore. The incident I am quoted for happened about 15 years ago. Here is the link to the article.

The end of the year is often a time when I remind people to work on their estate planning now. Why now? Well, first and foremost your estate plan is for your loved ones; family, friends, charities. What better time to think about your loved ones than Thanksgiving and the end of year holiday season!? […]

As an estate planning attorney I often have the pleasure of meeting with retired veteran’s. On this day we are reminded to say THANK YOU!  I forget the other days but am occasionally reminded when a retired vet comes in, often very elderly, with their WWII hats and the like. What an honor it is […]

I remember back in late 2001 when they came up with the major tax changes of 2002. I suppose those can be categorically called the “Bush Tax Cuts.”  It seemed like the ultimate politician’s agreement… a temporary fix to the estate and gift tax laws. How can an estate planning attorney plan with a temporary […]

This blog is about taxes and specifically transfer taxes. That is, gift, estate, capital gains, and general income taxes. This is not a political commentary or a commentary about other aspects of who you vote for. I am only talking about the tax angle. With that caveat said the question is does it matter who […]

I saw this article on Forbes.com and thought it must be about student loans. The article is entitledThere’s No Escape: Death, Taxes and Student Loans. My thought was the article was about how student loan payback can’t be avoided. I know, for example, generally speaking student loan debts are not discharged in bankruptcy. However, I […]

I am an attorney and I get paid for my work. Yes, I admit it.  You are a client and you know that you will have to pay to hire a lawyer. We both know that. However, what you might not know is that there are options for payment. Yes there are some cases where […]

I often clean up other attorneys work after death.  I have one right now that is very typical of what I see.  Couple in their early 40′s find out the husband has terminal cancer so they immediately seek out an estate planning attorney to protect the wife and young child. The husband’s employer has some […]