Estate Planning

Carroll D. Dortch Guest Columnist, Okura & Associates One of the best ways to protect the assets that you give to your children is by using a generation-skipping, transfer tax-exempt trust. These are often referred to...

ESTATE PLANNING INSIGHTS By Ethan R. Okura Last month, the Hawai‘i Legislature passed a bill that gives terminally ill patients the option of taking prescription medication that will cause them to pass away peacefully in their sleep. On April 5, Gov. David Ige signed House Bill 2739, the “Our Choice, Our Care Act,” signed into....

ESTATE PLANNING By Ethan R. Okura

ESTATE PLANNING By Ethan R. Okura

Having just enjoyed the 4th of July weekend just about a month ago, one thing is certain: Summer is here! I don’t know where all the time is going, but 2014 is flying by...

ESTATE PLANNING INSIGHTS By Ethan R. Okura Spring is in the air! So what does that mean? It means it’s time to do your spring cleaning — time to get rid of all the junk that you’ve accumulated over the past year, deep-clean the house and freshen it up. It also means that it’s time....

ESTATE PLANNING By Ethan R. Okura

Ethan R. Okura Hawai‘i Herald Columnist To plan your estate properly, it is important to understand “stepped-up basis.” When you buy property (for example, real estate or stocks) your tax basis in the property is the...

ESTATE PLANNING INSIGHTS By Ethan R. Okura One of the most important things you should do as you work on your estate planning is to authorize someone to make decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated and can no longer make your own decisions. The person you authorize is called your agent. You can....

ESTATE PLANNING INSIGHTS By Ethan R. Okura As you probably know, the United States is one of the most litigious countries in the world, with more people suing each other than almost anywhere else in the world. There is one lawyer for every 252 citizens in the U.S., as compared to only one lawyer for....