Legal Considerations for Farm Owners
Farming brings to mind kinship with nature and a simpler way of life. But the farming industry is highly regulated, and navigating the applicable laws and regulations can be far from simple. A rising world population creates greater demand for food and the farmers who...What Happens to Your Business When You Die
You spend a significant part of your life building your business, and it becomes a major part of your legacy. But when you die, everything you have built could fall apart if you have not taken the time to create a business succession plan. Without a plan in place,...Business Trusts 101: What Entrepreneurs Should Know about Using a Business Trust
Trusts are usually associated with estate planning, but trusts can also apply to business operations. As a small business owner, you can hold the business in a trust instead of using a business entity such as a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. Business...How Do I Start a Home-Based Business?
The number of people working from home has never been higher. During the pandemic, many workers got a taste of the remote-work future and realized that they prefer to work from home. Now, as companies move ahead with return-to-office plans, there is an emerging power...Complying With Estimated Quarterly Taxes
Tax day is one of the most important—and one of the most dreaded—days on the calendar for working Americans. If you have had a side gig or even transitioned to full-time self-employment, you may have to make estimated quarterly tax payments. Not everybody who earns...Using a Deferred Compensation Agreement in Your Business
The war for talent is heating up. A record number of workers have quit their jobs this year, creating a massive problem for employers. While higher pay can help get new workers in the door of your business, wages alone may not be enough to keep them there. Employers...The Basis Optimized Trust (BOT)
The Basis Optimized Trust (BOT) is an advanced option for planning that may yield better results than the more common types of irrevocable trusts, such as credit shelter (bypass) trusts, or qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trusts, which have been the...The BDOT Option for Trusted Beneficiaries
The Beneficiary Deemed Owner Trust (BDOT) is one of several options to consider for “trusted beneficiaries” (pun intended) to whom you are open to giving some access to trust income and/or principal. (Another option might be the Beneficiary Controlled...Listen to our new Radio Ad
Check out our new radio ad, commencing today on the Andy Caldwell Show, K-NEWS 98.5 FM…best talk radio on the Central Coast! Posted with permission of the Andy Caldwell Show and Dimes Media. Click here: Script: Ronald Reagan warned us: “Freedom is never more...California Prop 19 Passed, Urgent Action Recommended
Barring any assistance from a Kraken tentacle or two, it looks like California’s Prop 19 passed. Many families will be negatively affected and you should contact us right away for preliminary legal advice on whether you might benefit from taking immediate...SECURE Act: How It Will Affect You and the Beneficiaries of Your Retirement Accounts
Dear Clients and Students, On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act). The SECURE Act, which is effective January 1, 2020. The Act is the most impactful legislation affecting...President Trump Signs HUGE Tax Increase on Families (SECURE Act)
Yesterday with all eyes focused on impeachment, President Trump signed into law the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, part of the 1,700 page, $1.4 trillion Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865, as amended)....Create a Dynasty Trust before Window Slams Shut
Dynasty trusts may be a tough sell when it comes to some millenials. How long did AOC say we have, twelve years? On the other hand, clients who are sane may benefit from acting now to create a dynasty trust before the window closes in 2026 — or perhaps...Kiplinger’s State-by-State Guide to Taxes
You may find Kiplinger’s updated tax map surprising: Click on any state in the map below for a detailed summary of state taxes on income, property, and everything you buy. Check out our slideshows below, including our picks for the 10 most tax-friendly and the...It Pays to Be Ruthless When Killing GRATs
Using quantitative analysis, we’ll show that the grantor’s choice is almost always clear: If her two-year GRAT is funded with marketable securities and is underwater at all prior to the first annuity date, she should cut her losses and start a new GRAT. That...The Beneficiary Controlled Trust
Outright distributions, even if staged at various ages, signify outdated planning. The Beneficiary Controlled Trust, pioneered by my friend Steve Oshins and his father, fills the gap between outright distribution and extreme asset protection — very...Warren’s Wealth Tax Unconstitutional
While the estate tax is a perennial boomerang, Warren’s wealth tax tomahawk chop flies in the face of the Constitution’s prohibition on unapportioned scalping: The Constitution prohibits federal direct taxes that are not apportioned by population,...Top 10 (11?) Dangers Facing Senior Citizens
Here is a great little slideshow on top estate planning priorities to avoid tragedy and missed opportunity (“Top 10 Dangers Facing Senior Citizen Clients”) which I summarize below (adding a little California-relevant detail of my own), with a link...HEET Trust Can Avoid GST Tax Heat, Teach Grandkids How to Pack Heat, and Help the NRA too!
Our Firearms Instruction and Responsible Stewardship Trust (F.I.R.S.T. Family Trust) takes many forms as it is custom like all our planning, but one variant involves a Health and Education Exclusion Trust. This type of trust allows you to give much greater...
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