Remember the classic Abbott and Costello comedy routine, “Who’s on First?” The speakers use identical terms to mean different things, but neither recognizes the problem. The longer they banter, the… Read More »
Posts By Author: Scott Makuakane
Estate Tax Update: Beware of What’s Around the Corner
After spending a lifetime of earning, saving, and investing—and paying income and capital gains taxes all the way along—you may wonder why our government feels entitled to tax the value… Read More »
Family Business Succession Basics
Only about 25% of family businesses survive for 15 years or more, and only about 25% of the “survivors” will survive the transition to the next generation. Many factors contribute… Read More »
Give While You Live
Kingdom Advisors founder Ron Blue takes an interesting approach to estate planning. He advocates lifetime giving as a way to assure that the objects of your bounty are worthy recipients… Read More »
You have to Plan to Win
The clock will wind down on all of us some day, and most of us are going to need some level of long-term care before it does. Winning the game… Read More »
What NOT to do with your Estate Plan
Problems with your estate plan may not become apparent until it is too late to fix them. Here are some common pitfalls: Estate planning is serious business, and you are… Read More »
Passing on the Family Business
Only about 25% of family businesses survive 15 years or more, and only about 25% of the “survivors” will survive the transition to the founders’ descendants. Many factors contribute to… Read More »
What is a Trust?
A trust is created when a person transfers “stuff” to a trustee, who will manage the stuff for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. “Stuff” includes real property—such as… Read More »
Hiring a Caregiver is Tricky
You may be tempted to treat a caregiver as a “private contractor” in order to avoid the humbug of tax withholding and buying the right insurance policies. You would do… Read More »
Legacy of Aloha
Estate planning is the process of protecting that which is important and then passing those important things on to our loved ones and future generations. Many concepts that are central… Read More »