It seems like just yesterday we were worried about Y2K and fearing the crash of our computers and technology infrastructure. Fortunately, we needlessly worried about something that never came to pass. A few years ago a friend and I shared a New Year’s Eve in front of my fireplace reflecting on the joys and challenges […]

President Obama recently gave his State of the Union address. In the address, he mentions at least two tax proposals which would substantially impact our clients and both involve the taxation of capital gains. Proposals First, the President proposes to move the top capital gains (and dividend) tax rate to 28%. For those with only […]

Has this ever happened to you? Picture it. You’re standing in line at Starbucks, talking with a colleague or friend, and someone you barely know rushes up to you, practically bursting at the seams to tell you something horrible that had happened. No, I don’t mean a terrorist attack, freeway accident, hostage situation or a […]

As we get closer to the Academy’s Strategic Planning webinar on February 11 at 2pm PT (5pm ET), I have received quite a few questions about what you can expect from this webinar. Your Girl Friday is here to answer all your questions! Great question. While the Academy systems are uniquely designed to transform estate […]

Late last week, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in Bourke v. Beshear, DeBoer v. Snyder, Obergefell v. Hodges, and Tanco v. Haslam. In each of these cases, the 6th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals had upheld state bans on gay marriage and / or the right of states to […]

Benjamin Franklin is well known for his quote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Franklin wrote and spoke many witty sayings relating to mortality issues, some humorous, some serious. His many roles in life, besides being one of the U.S. Founding Fathers, an inventor and scientist, included […]

At the Academy, this past week we wrote acknowledgements for each of our colleagues. It’s an exercise the Academy team repeats each January, reflecting on the prior year and how each person has made a difference for us individually. It allowed me to stop and reflect about each of my co-workers; on their strengths, natural […]

This week I’m at the Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. In the Recent Developments session, we discussed the increasingly lengthy term of trusts. Today, 28 states and the District of Columbia have repealed the Rule Against Perpetuities. (The common law Rule is that an interest must vest, if at all, at the expiration of a […]

Now that the festivities have passed, it’s time to talk about the importance of advance directives. Why? You will do your clients and your community an important service — and help your firm in the process. Thanks to you, your clients have already completed their advance directives. But how much do their families know? Do […]

Happy New Year from your Girl Friday! Have you heard the buzz yet about the Academy’s upcoming webinar? If you haven’t had a chance to check out the details of this webinar that we’re so excited to bring to you, keep reading! I know you’re eager to make this your best year in business yet, […]