by Ethan Okura | Feb 10, 2016 | Articles
One of the most common mistakes in Estate Planning is: A person will go to a lawyer (or some non-lawyer salesperson will come to their door) and they are talked into “purchasing a Trust” to help protect the person’s assets and to avoid probate...
by Ethan Okura | Jan 6, 2016 | Articles
Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! (That’s Happy New Year in Hawaiian for those of you reading on the mainland). Here is a 2016 update on important numbers used in Estate Planning and Medicaid Planning in Hawaii. How much money and property can a person have at death...
by Ethan Okura | Dec 4, 2015 | Articles, Medicaid and Nursing Home Costs
When people come to us for advice on how to qualify for Medicaid to pay for their nursing home cost, we hear this phrase “Spend Down” all the time. Many people who have researched Medicaid benefits for long term care have heard that they should...
by Ethan Okura | Nov 4, 2015 | Articles
I can already hear you thinking, “Of course I’m going to hear a lecture on why I need an estate plan, coming from an estate planning lawyer!” Well, I decided to check with Google to see what it thought about the topic. I ran the search...
by Ethan Okura | Oct 9, 2015 | Articles
A SHORT EXPLANATION OF THE TRANSFER TAX SYSTEM Have you heard of a Generation Skipping Trust before? Have you been told that it’s a trust that will cut out your children from your inheritance and leave everything to your grandchildren? That’s what the name sounds...
by Ethan Okura | Sep 9, 2015 | Articles
WHICH BUSINESS ENTITY IS RIGHT FOR ME? Last month I wrote about why every American should start a small business—even if it’s just setting up a lemonade stand or buying a condo to rent to tenants. I explained how there are significant tax benefits to business owners...
