by Ethan Okura | Aug 5, 2019 | Articles
Last month I wrote my column on the basics of International Estate Planning. I explained the definitions of US Citizen, Non-resident Alien, and Resident Alien. The definition of a Resident Alien is different for Income Tax purposes than it is for Gift and Estate Tax...
by Ethan Okura | Jul 15, 2019 | Articles
by Ethan Okura | Jun 7, 2019 | Articles
FRAUDULENT STUDENT LOANS AND IDENTITY THEFT By: Ethan R. Okura Sometimes you can do everything right, but have everything go horribly wrong. Sometimes you do nothing at all, and still have everything go very wrong. In the United States, you’re supposed to be innocent...
by Ethan Okura | Apr 11, 2019 | Articles
Many of my past columns have focused on how to structure your estate plan to protect your home. I’ve discussed protecting your primary residence and other real property from probate through the use of revocable and irrevocable trusts, through joint ownership or...
by Ethan Okura | Mar 11, 2019 | Articles
By: Ethan R. Okura Back in December of 2009, my father, Sanford K. Okura, wrote an excellent article titled “Tenants by the Entirety.” It explained the pros and cons of holding property as “tenants by the entirety” as opposed to holding them in revocable trust(s). At...
by Ethan Okura | Feb 20, 2019 | Articles
By: Ethan R. Okura It’s that time of year again. No, not Valentine’s Day…and I’m not even talking about President’s Day. I’m talking about Taxes! Your personal income tax return isn’t due until April 15th, and if you’re like many people, you might file for an...
by Ethan Okura | Jan 5, 2019 | Articles
By: Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Happy New Year! The following is a 2019 update on important numbers used in estate planning and Medicaid planning in Hawai‘i. How much money and property can a person have at death without paying estate taxes? At the end of...
by Ethan Okura | Dec 20, 2018 | Articles
By: Ethan R. Okura Happy Holidays! This is the time of the year when we make an extra effort to be thankful for all that we have. We focus on the spirit of giving and we wrap up presents for our family and loved ones. This thought made me chuckle a little at a recent...
by Ethan Okura | Nov 8, 2018 | Articles
By: Ethan R. Okura There’s no question about it: Saving for retirement is not easy. There are quite a few types of retirement accounts. Each has its own rules and tax benefits, although, for the most part, they tend to be similar. The amounts you can contribute,...
by Ethan Okura | Oct 14, 2018 | Articles, Trusts and Wills
The Role of the Successor Trustee: What Am I Supposed to Do Now? By Ethan R. Okura We have often seen this scenario: A parent, sibling, or dear friend has finally gotten around to doing their initial estate planning. You are so happy for them. And then you...
