In this season of [giving thanks], please don’t blame battered taxpayers if they pause when asked for what are they grateful. Considering the punishment being dished out to working Californians and the middle class by the Legislature and the governor, it may take them a moment to refocus on the good.
My clients always want to provide for maximum protection for their heirs. Yet, they usually want it coupled with flexibility so that heirs get the maximum benefits from their inheritance. Traditionally, getting more protection often came at a price: Less benefit, less flexibility, and/or less attractive tax consequences.
Hello everybody. Most everyone hopes that 2018 will bring about a strong economy, an end to high taxes, world peace, and other important things like that. As the legal writer for the Apartment Owners Association, my hope and 2018 New Year’s Resolution wish for AOA members is more modest, but nonetheless extremely important. In fact,…
If you’ve missed some of the prior articles, basic guidelines on successful investing are in my book “Stairway to Wealth” available at LuLu.com. Continued from Part 26: William J. Bernstein has written on this. In terms of loss to overall wealth, he identified four sources of risk: (1) inflation; (2) deflation; (3) devastation, and (4)…
Q: I have tenants who have not paid rent and are claiming they have bed bugs. Can I give them a three day notice to pay rent or quit before I inspect the unit?
Michael Weinstein, the leader of AIDS Health Care Foundation which underwrote the Proposition measure “MS” that would have restricted housing developments within the City of Los Angeles to a voting protocol, apparently has sufficient “bonus” funds to underwrite a statewide ballot measure which would repeal and eliminate the protections afforded to apartment owners throughout the…
While nothing is certain yet about tax reform, it appears likely that Congress will pass, and the President will sign, some version of H.R. 1, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, this year. Both the version passed by the House, and the version passed by the Senate, either eliminate or substantially limit your ability to…
Tom Corley was a broke CPA, wondering why some clients were so much better off. He studied hundreds of wealthy people and more than 100 poor Americans. What he learned made him famous, wealthy, and impactful. This piece summarizes many of the key points of his book, Success Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy…
To: Carolyn Shining, Shining Law Firm Most recently, I was invited to a workshop involving Recycle L.A. and all of the major trash haulers were present. It was an interesting discussion. Generally, the concept is flawed and bankrupt – it’s just absolutely silly! People have a perception that greenhouse gases and environmental issues that emanate…
The housing crisis is one of the most widely discussed local issues in San Francisco. While virtually everyone agrees that to solve the housing shortage (not crisis) we need to build more housing, almost every proposal to add even a few units is met with the same tired arguments: congestion, parking, blocked views, and a…