Category: Wisdoms

  • From Charity is Received Income

    If you are concerned about how your investments are performing in today’s financial markets, you are not alone. Whether you are trying to build a retirement nest egg, or already living on one, it is important to make informed choices. Sometimes people would like to help support the mission of an organization such as ours,…

  • Planning for Incapacity

    In our lifetime, we have seen incredible advances in medical science. Think back 30 years. In 1982, a heart bypass operation was a really big deal. It meant weeks in the hospital and very risky surgery. Today, surgeons barely have to cut us open to reach into our bodies with instruments that enable them to…

  • Better Business Bureau: Scammers Take Advantage of Health Reform

    Con artists are always seizing on the public’s financial struggles and confusion in order to make a quick buck. Not long ago we saw them come out of the woodworks during the housing crisis and now we are seeing a pattern again as health care reform laws are upheld. Scammers are already trying to cash…

  • Our Kupuna, Our Kuleana

    Decades of service protect seniors from fraud This year, Hawai‘i’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) will be turning 67 years old. The bureau was here from when Hawai‘i became a state to when one of its citizens became the U.S. President — and it’s still going strong. In fact, you could say that the BBB is a kupuna…

  • Are You a Planner?

    The end of your life begins now While more Americans are living longer, they will inevitably cope with one or more chronic conditions and disability. Recent statistics reveal that more than 70 percent of individuals in their 80s have some degree of dementia or diminished capacity. In order to ensure that your wishes are followed,…

  • Having ‘The Talk’ with Your Loved Ones

    Where do they want to be cared for and how? Recently, I reached my 50s, along with millions of other aging baby boomers. I can still remember when I was in my 20s and I thought 50 was old—really old! But, baby boomers are revolutionizing how we think about age … and, also about how…

  • Big Plans for Small Businesses

    How to plan for retirement as a small business owner If you’re a small-business owner, protecting yourself and your business goes beyond securing proper insurance agreements and building an emergency financial cushion — it also means ensuring that your savings will sustain you throughout retirement. Most people have retirement savings plans sponsored by their company, however, in…

  • Estate Plans Explained

    How Can I Be Sure My Family Won’t Fight After I’m Gone? Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to guarantee that there will be no fighting among your loved ones after you are gone. There are plenty of difficult emotions to deal with after the passing of a loved one, and conflict can easily…

  • Time for Thanks!

    Join in on healthy, summer events Every once in a while an opportunity comes along to say, Thank you. We never grow too old to express our thanks, and we should graciously receive thanks from others. In truth, being thankful should be woven into the fabric of life. This is true for individuals and it…

  • The Third Guarantee: Change

    An often-heard quote about lifetime guarantees is the one about death and taxes. I would suggest that there is a third guarantee — that life changes. Nothing stays the same. So, once you’ve completed your estate plan, you’ll want to review it every so often to address life’s changes. What could a review with your estate planner…

  • Lookout: Contractor Scams

    Recently, across the Islands, senior citizens have become the target of “contractor” scams, where scammers perform home improvement and repairs that ultimately cheat or rip off consumers. Senior citizens are often the target of these scams primarily because they are more likely to be home during the day, have some form of steady income or…

  • Who’s on First?

    The humor behind the classic comedy routine, Who’s on first?, comes from the fact that the speakers are using identical terms to mean different things. Yet they both pretend not to recognize the problem. The language of estate planning can raise problems for the uninitiated, and the problems may not be funny at all. The…