Category: Wisdoms

  • Love, Honor and a Final Resting Place

    Many people ask to have their ashes spread at places that hold treasured memories for them, and Disney theme parks are not the exclusive venue for these requests.More often than you realize, human ashes are scattered covertly at sports stadiums, concert halls and golf courses.

  • Are You Ready for Emergencies?

    The wrath of natural disasters has been on full display as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and floods have ravaged large swaths of the world. While our first thoughts go to the victims of these tragic events, it may also cause you to step back and think about your own preparedness for a natural disaster.

  • Part II: Zero Chance of A Lottery Win

    In the October/November issue of Generations Magazine, I explained that it is better to make a logical and legal argument against someone being a winner of a lottery, as opposed to showing them they are a victim of a lottery scam. The following facts prove that you have a zero percent chance of winning a…

  • Family Peacekeeping Methods

    Central to the Hawaiian culture is the value of ‘ohana,’ or family. Maintaining the “family health” was of utmost importance and was achieved through the regular practice of ho‘oponopono. In the article, “To Set Right Ho‘oponopono A Native Hawaiian Way of Peacemaking,” Manu Meyer discusses how families practice ho‘oponopono. Traditionally, ho‘oponopono discussions were facilitated by…

  • An Estate Plan For your Digital Assets

    You have a digital estate if you send emails, participate in Facebook and other social networking sites, do online financial transactions, play internet games, or store photos and other important files in the “cloud.” What happens to your digital estate if you become incapacitated or die? There are both federal and state laws that come…

  • Keep Stock Market in Perspective

    The stock market has enjoyed an extended period of strong performance that dates back to the end of the last bear market in early 2009. While stock market performance can be measured in myriad ways, it’s the Dow Jones Industrial Average that has surpassed several 1,000-point milestones so far in 2017: The Dow first topped…

  • Zero Chance of Winning the Lottery

    Over the years, I have spoken to countless people who believed they had won the lottery. They told me on the phone that they knew it was the real thing or they stopped by my office to show me letters, emails, credit cards or business checks proving they had struck it rich and beat the…

  • A Wise Estate Plan Includes the ‘Whys’

    Estate-planning attorneys offer three types of estate plans: the one-size-fits-all, default “state plan;” the standard “black and white” plan; or the “meaningful” estate plan. If you do nothing, the State of Hawai‘i has the Guardianship and Probate Court, which is a plan for each Hawai‘i resident upon incapacity and death. The state also has the…

  • Charitable Giving: Is It for You?

    Public charities are not shy about asking us for money — they depend on our gifts to carry out their philanthropic purposes. Deciding which charities to support can be a difficult task, because there are many worthy causes and most of us do not have unlimited bank accounts from which to draw. The following are some suggestions…

  • Adjust Your Portfolio for a Soft Landing

    Think about this analogy: When an airplane is preparing to land, it doesn’t descend 30,000 feet in a matter of seconds. Rather, it happens gradually. The pilot adjusts to the landscape and weather conditions to assure a soft landing. In the years leading up to retirement, treat your investment portfolio in a similar manner. Prepare…

  • Part III: Sounds Too Good to Be True?

    By Scott Spallina, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney In the last two issues of the magazine, I shared the lessons about elder abuse that I learned from the experiences of my mother-in-law, “Mary.” As I have mentioned before, tragedies are the fuel for many a con and when my father-in-law had his stroke, my family nearly…

  • The Importance of ‘The Conversation’

    By Stephen B. Yim, Attorney at Law I often stare, somewhat embarrassed, at my creation of legal documents on behalf of my clients — especially after I explain my role — to clearly speak clients’ intentions at a time when they can no longer speak. Inevitably, the black and white legal documentation looks nothing like what my clients expressed…