Estate Planning

Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist In Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet,” when the forlorn, young prince is debating whether to end his own life, he asks the question: “To be or not to be?” The question should...

Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist “Do I need a trust?” This is the question that I hear most when people find out that I am an estate-planning attorney. The question is usually prompted by a...

Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist During the past two and a half months of lockdown, I’ve had some time to walk around the neighborhood or take breaks from working at home to ponder life, and I’ve come to some interesting realizations. Here in Hawai‘i we’ve been fortunate because COVID-19 has not killed many people....

Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist At the time of this writing, it has been only six weeks since Governor Ige’s stay-at-home order went into effect. And yet, somehow, it feels like it has been going on for months. The world feels like a different place. Daily life has been disrupted for most people, and....

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....

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,....

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....

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....

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....

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....