Category: Wisdoms

  • Retiring Into Your Dream Job

    Americans in general have strong work ethic, so a life of extended leisure doesn’t appeal to everyone. With the average U.S. life expectancy estimated at 80.1 years, there’s no reason why you can’t pursue meaningful work in retirement especially if your health is good and your mind is sharp. The desire for activity and income…

  • The Professional Criminal Magician

    Financial abuse of seniors oftentimes goes unreported. Studies have estimated that as few as 1 in 30 cases are brought to the attention of authorities. There are many reasons why these matters don’t get reported. The two main reasons for none reporting are: the abuser is a family member and the victim doesn’t want to…

  • Backwards Planning

    In my 19 years as an estate planning attorney, I’ve noticed that many of the things we do as attorneys seem backward. The consequence of backward estate planning is dire, causing failed estate plans and fractured family relationships. To ensure a successful estate plan, we must reverse the way we view many of the common…

  • Financial: Time for a Retirement Dress Rehearsal

    Two emotions are likely to strike those who are nearing retirement — excitement and fear. Leaving the world of alarm clocks and cubicles is liberating, but feelings of apprehension about entering a new life stage can easily creep in. The responsibility of pursuing your passions and filling each week in a satisfying way can be…

  • Hazardous Internet Documents

    You have seen the commercials. You have heard the radio ads. But before you go to a website to have your estate plan constructed by a computer program, be sure to ask yourself this: You may not have as large an estate as Mr. Fancyshmancylawyer or Mr. Radiobucks, but everything you own is everything you…

  • Legal: Do You Have Four-Legged Children?

    While I was growing up, we almost always had a dog (or two) in the house, and they always became treasured family members. You may have had the same experience, and you would not be alone if you have pets today that you consider to be your “children.” I know people who claim to prefer…

  • Legal: The Family Meeting

    Clients often ask me, “Do you do like they do in the movies, where the attorney sits with the family and reads the will after someone dies?” I tell them that I never do that after someone dies. Most clients then respond, looking puzzled, “You don’t?” I then explain that while I never do the…

  • What Does Gender Have to Do With Retirement?

    When it comes to planning for retirement, women feel less prepared than men. That’s according to the New Retirement Mindscape® 2013 City Pulse index survey, commissioned by Ameriprise Financial. Only 38 percent of women surveyed say that they feel on track for retirement (or the remainder of retirement) compared to 46 percent of men. Women’s…

  • Boo! Now Give Me Your Money

    Fear has always been a tool criminals use to get money from others. Whether it is created by holding a weapon to a cashier to get their compliance, or simply using a verbal threat against someone on the street to make him/her surrender their wealth, a robber wants his victim to believe they have to…

  • Lotteries & Sweepstakes: You’re Not That Lucky

    When Betty Lau (victim’s name changed) of Kaimuki opened her mail, she could not believe how lucky she was to find out that she won the $3-million Australian Lottery. The official looking letter explained that an unnamed company bought her a ticket as a promotional program and the enclosed Gold Credit Card from VISA contained…

  • Home Equity Into Retirement Income

    The long-struggling housing market is finally showing signs of recovery, giving many homeowners more equity in their properties. This is prompting more pre-retirees to consider if, and how, home equity can be turned into a source of cash to help fund their retirement. Home equity represents one of the biggest assets for many Americans. However,…

  • Is Physician-Assisted Suicide Legal in Hawaii?

    A large, well-funded national organization has been taking out print ads and airing TV commercials that claim that doctors in Hawai‘i are providing lethal doses of medication to individuals who desire “aid in dying.” According to the ads and commercials, this is perfectly legal because of a newly discovered loophole inHawai‘i law. As it turns…