by Ethan Okura | Jul 13, 2021 | Articles
When you sign an estate planning document such as a revocable living trust or a will, you appoint someone to handle your assets for you. The person you choose to handle things for you is called a “fiduciary.” A “fiduciary” is in a position of great trust and...
by Ethan Okura | Jun 28, 2021 | Articles, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY by Ethan Okura | Jun 28, 2021 | 0 comments In my last column, I wrote about the Advance Health-Care Directives which contains a “Power of Attorney for Health Care.” I explained that it is a different document than a Durable Power of Attorney,...
by Ethan Okura | May 14, 2021 | Articles, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives
ADVANCE HEALTH-CARE DIRECTIVES by Ethan Okura | May 14, 2021 | 0 comments Everyone should have Advance Health-Care Directives. “Advance Health-Care Directives” are instructions which you are giving now (while you can still make decisions) about how you want doctors...
by Ethan Okura | Apr 12, 2021 | Articles, Probate
by Ethan Okura | Mar 1, 2021 | Articles, Trusts and Wills
MORE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS OF THE GENERATION SKIPPING aka “LEGACY” TRUST by Ethan Okura | Mar 1, 2021 | 0 comments This month’s column will explain in more detail the potential advantages and disadvantages of generation skipping trusts. A Generation Skipping Trust is a...
by Ethan Okura | Feb 2, 2021 | Articles, Trusts and Wills
GENERATION SKIPPING TRUST also known as a LEGACY or DYNASTY TRUST by Ethan Okura | Feb 2, 2021 | 0 comments Today, I want to talk about a term that is often misunderstood in estate planning: The Generation Skipping Trust. A generation skipping trust does not mean...
by Ethan Okura | Jan 8, 2021 | Trusts and Wills
For most couples who do not have trusts, if one dies, everything goes to the spouse. If a married couple will have more than $5.49 million of assets (including life insurance death benefits), then having everything go to the spouse could cause an estate tax problem....
by Ethan Okura | Dec 11, 2020 | Trusts and Wills
Although a Revocable Living Trust is good for avoiding probate (and for married couples, an A-B Trust can reduce or eliminate estate taxes), it cannot protect your home from nursing home costs. Some years back, the State of Hawaii passed a Medicaid rule: If your home...
by Ethan Okura | Nov 12, 2020 | Trusts and Wills
Last month we shared information on funding your Revocable Living Trust. This month we decided to go back to the very beginning and explain what a Revocable Trust is and how they started in the first place. What is a Revocable Living Trust? Trusts began in...
by Ethan Okura | Oct 12, 2020 | Articles, Trusts and Wills
If you have an existing estate plan, you are probably already familiar with the benefits of creating a Revocable Living Trust. One of the biggest advantages of a Revocable Living Trust is the ability to avoid probate. Probate is a court process when a...
