Estate Planning Insights – Helpful New Laws During the Coronavirus Disaster
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Congress recently passed two very important federal laws that were signed into law by the president in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak. This column is a summary of key points that may be of benefit to you — my dear readers — and your family members. The first law....
Estate Planning Insights – Tax Filings, Payments and other Considerations
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Most of us have heard of the option of preparing your will online. In the old days, you could go to a bookstore and buy a form book containing fill-in-the-blank legal forms such as a Durable Financial Power of Attorney, Last Will and Testament, Health Care Power of Attorney,....
Estate Planning Insights – Secure Act: Big Changes to IRA, 401(K) Rules
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist On Dec. 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement — or SECURE — Act was signed into law by President Trump. The SECURE Act made some major changes to the way that retirement accounts must be distributed, especially after the original account holder passes away. Most....
Estate Planning Insights – Estate Planning Update for 2020
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Happy New Year! The start of a new year often brings changes in state and federal laws that could affect your estate and Medicaid planning. The following is the 2020 update of important numbers to be aware of as you go about your planning. • How much money and property....
Estate Planning Insights – Tom Petty’s Heartbreaking Estate Story
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist ’Tis the season to be jolly and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year . . . except for when it’s not. Most of you, like me, are probably busy preparing for the holidays. Estate planning is probably the last thing on your mind. What’s on....
Estate Planning Insights – The Basics of Medicare
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist In last month’s column, I discussed the financial impacts of delaying your application for Social Security, applying early and applying right on schedule at your full retirement age. I also noted that even if you decide to delay applying to receive Social Security retirement income benefits, most people should....
Estate Planning – When to Claim Social Security Retirement Benefits
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist If you are about to retire, I have some good news — and some not so good news — for you. The good news is that as a result of advances in science and health care treatments, today’s generation of retirees is living longer than ever before. At age....
Estate Planning Insights – Non-Resident Alien Gift and Estate Tax
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist This is the third column in my series on international estate planning. I started with the basics of international estate planning in July. Then, last month, I discussed some of the gift and estate tax issues associated with transferring assets to a non-citizen spouse. In this column, I’ll cover....
Estate Planning – More on International Estate Planning
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist In last month’s column, I introduced you to the basics of international estate planning. I explained the Internal Revenue Service’s definitions of a U.S. citizen, a non-resident alien and a resident alien. The definition of a resident alien is different for income tax purposes and for gift and estate....
Estate Planning Insights – International Estate Planning
Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist The world today is increasingly interconnected. Global travel is commonplace these days, as is moving to another country for work or other opportunities. International marriages are also more commonplace. So, what do these facts have to do with estate planning? See more articles by Ethan by visiting https://okuralaw.com/blog/
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