News & Articles

When and How to Gather W-9s for Your Trust
A trustee who waits until tax season to track down a vendor’s taxpayer ID number is doing the hardest version of an easy task. Form
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When Beneficiaries Question How a Trust Is Managed
When a beneficiary starts asking how a trust is being handled, the trustee’s best response is documentation and a clear process, not a defensive explanation.
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Revocable Living Trust in California: A Family Guide
What Is a Revocable Living Trust in California? A Complete Family Guide For many California families, a revocable living trust is the cornerstone of an
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How Can a Financial Power of Attorney Help Manage Your Parents’ Finances?
If your parents are reaching an age where they need you to help take care of them, it is normal to feel unprepared to manage
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How a Trust Can Protect Assets: Professional Reflecting on Financial Planning Success
Protecting Your Legacy: How a Trust Can Protect Assets for Loved Ones Struggling with Substance Abuse Planning for the future is never easy — and
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How To Help Elderly Clients in Less Than 15 Minutes
As an attorney, you may be limited when it comes to assisting your elderly clients with financial matters outside your scope of work. However, this
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Top Scams to Look Out For in 2022
Each year people are conned into sending money or providing sensitive information that puts their finances and themselves at risk. The types of scams that
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How to Managing Your Parents’ Bank Accounts
As your parents get older, they may find that managing their finances has become a confusing and difficult task. Neglected accounts can result in unpaid
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How Attorneys Can Help Clients with Alzheimer’s or Dementia
As an attorney who provides legal assistance to the elderly, you’re likely often asked to prepare a power of attorney or other legal documents to
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6 Tips For Seniors to Stay Busy While in Isolation
As a senior, the world can feel like a dangerous place right now. The threat of COVID-19 has all America’s isolating themselves in their homes.
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Senior Financial Management Resolutions for 2022
When the new year begins, folks make an effort to ditch bad habits and form good ones. Exercise and financial goals are the top resolutions
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New Scam Alert: Attacking Los Angeles
In the digital age, phone scams are becoming increasingly more common. Especially around tax season, we find that scammers are working full throttle to steal
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IRS List of Tax Scams in 2022
Tax season may be over but tax scams happen all year round. Recently the IRS released their Dirty Dozen tax scams list and it may be
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How To Get A Tax Deduction From Investing In Your Health
As tax season rolls around, virtually everyone is looking for ways to minimize their tax bill. When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in
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Tax Scams to Watch Out For Post Tax Season
Tax season is a busy time of year for adults. When it comes to your finances, you want to be certain that you are filing
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A Guide to Tax Filing for Seniors
As you age, tax season continues to be the one annual event that you spend the rest of your year preparing for. When it’s time
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5 Scams That Steal From Elderly Seniors
As the most experienced CPA in the Inland Empire specializing in caring for the financial and personal needs of elderly seniors, I have seen and heard
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5 Signs You Need to Help Your Parents With Their Finances
For those of us with living parents who are elderly seniors, it is possible that they will one day need help with their finances. Adult
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How to Help Your Clients Find The Financial Assistance They Need
How to help your clients find the financial assistance? As we age, our mental capacity to handle our own finances diminishes. You may notice your
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How Can I Support My Elderly Parents From Another State?
There comes a time in everyone’s life where the roles we play with our parents reverse. They have always taken care of you, but as
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Special Needs Trusts: Consider These Things
If you’re a parent of a special needs child, you want to be sure that they are taken care of. A special needs trust (SNT)
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What Can a Special Needs Trust Pay for in California?
For people with disabilities, government benefits are critical to their ability to survive and finance basic life necessities. But survival is the bare minimum, and
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Three Ways Trust Beneficiaries Receive Their Inheritance
There’s a lot that goes into creating a trust, and that includes distributing the trust assets once the grantor is gone. This process is more
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What to Expect When Taking Over Your Elderly Parent’s Responsibilities
Helping your parents responsibilities with their finances brings plenty of emotions to the surface. They may not want to relinquish control to one of their
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How to Decrease Your Parent’s Financial Decisions As They Get Older
Maintaining our independence and protecting our financial well-being are often the primary concerns as we age. However, as the son or daughter of your aging
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10 Ways to Help Your Parents With Their Finances
As you spend time with your parents, you may start to notice small signs that they need help managing their finances. They may think they
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Tips For Taking Care Of An Aging Parent In Your Home
After making the tough decision to move your aging parent or loved one out of their home and into a safer space, the next stage of the
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Who Should Be Your Trustee?
Choosing the right trustee is one of the biggest decisions you will make. Most people select a spouse or a child to manage their assets.
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3 Steps To Take Before Hiring A Professional Fiduciary
As seniors age and lose the ability to properly manage their financial affairs, it is likely that someone will need to step in to handle
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Testamentary Trust VS Living Trust | What’s The Difference?
The key difference for Testamentary Trust VS Living Trust is a living trust is created while the grantor is still alive and a testamentary trust
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The Difference Between a Power of Attorney & Health Care Proxy
When a loved one is in the hospital, there can be confusion and uncertainty about what to do when difficult decisions need to be made
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6 Senior Scams To Be Aware of in 2020
Every year scammers find new approaches to get ahold of your personal information and your finances. We find that most of these scammers will target
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How Long Does A Court Accounting Take?
Court accounting is an important part of being an administrator or executor of an estate for a deceased friend or relative. When it comes to
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How To Make Next Year’s Tax Season More Successful
The early bird gets the worm applies to many situations in life, and that includes getting the most out of your tax return. Planning ahead
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What Should I Do If I Missed The 2021 Tax Deadline
The federal income tax filing due date for the 2020 tax season has come and gone despite an extension from the federal government. Due to
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What Assets Should I Include in My Trust?
You’ve created your living trust, and now it’s time to start thinking about what you should put in it. Even though it may seem like
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What To Consider Before Moving Your Aging Parents
Parents spend a large portion of their lives looking out for their kids. Even as they enter adulthood, many parents are still a huge source
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What are the Responsibilities of a Professional Fiduciary?
At some point in your life, you may decide that you need a fiduciary to handle your affairs. This can happen at any time and
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How To Decide Who Will Take Care Of Aging Parents
Taking care of your aging parents is a big responsibility, and is a subject that deserves a lot of time and consideration. Not only will
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The Steps to Take After a Trust’s Final Accounting
The time has come to follow through with your duties as a trustee. In the coming weeks, you will need to distribute the final income
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How Do You Talk to an Aging Parent About Finances, Pt. II?
When the time has come to have a difficult conversation with a parent about their finances, tact is essential. If this conversation is difficult for
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Elder Care Accounting Services: What You Should Know
As you age, your financial situation may change and you may have to make a decision that can be tough. But it can also be
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How Smith Marion Co, CPA Can Help You Retire by the End of 2020
If you’re hoping to retire soon, you need a plan and a partner. Going into retirement unprepared, can have damaging effects on the retiree’s health,
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What Should I Do If a Trustee is Mismanaging a Trust?
As much as you may think you can trust someone, you always want to be careful, especially when it comes to taking care of precious
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Top Holiday Activities for Seniors to Try this Year
The holidays are upon us, which is the high tide of family togetherness every year. While having more active celebrations with friends and family is
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How to Get a Power of Attorney for a Parent in California
As an adult, you want to do everything you can to maintain your parents’ well-being. But as your parents age, their financial and legal situation
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4 Benefits of Eldercare Services & Financial Management in Riverside
As you age, eldercare services and financial management become more important. Give yourself and your parents peace of mind by taking extra measures to ensure
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When Are Beneficiaries Entitled to Distributions?
The process of creating a trust can be complicated, and the handling of assets can be just as difficult unless you know what to expect.
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The Difference Between a Private and Professional Fiduciary
Named in a private agreement or appointed by the court, a fiduciary is someone who assumes responsibility for someone else’s financial affairs when they have
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Reasons for a Private Fiduciary in California
Do you need help with your financial accounts? Is there no one you can trust to manage your finances? Depending on your situation, you may
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How Do Trustee Services in California Help Seniors Manage Assets?
parents are no longer able to manage their finances and assets? Eventually, time catches up to everyone, and with age, finances become increasingly difficult to
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The Benefits of Creating a Trust
Whether you’re getting an early start on your estate planning or have been procrastinating, creating a trust could give you a little more peace of
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How To Share Caregiving Responsibilities For An Aging Parent
The responsibility of caring for an aging parent often falls on a child or close relative. Often, the sibling that doesn’t work full time or
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How Do I Talk to My Parents About Their Spending Habits?
Are you worried your parents have developed reckless and irresponsible spending habits? Helping them rein in spending is essential to minimizing stress, avoiding trouble down
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What is the Purpose of a California Trust Accounting?
California trust accounting is an important form of protection for beneficiaries and trustees during trust administration. Think about an accounting like the financial story or testimony
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Most Popular Senior Scams in 2021
From the original Ponzi scheme in 1920 to snake oil salesmen in the 19th century, scams are nothing new. As the decades have passed, scams have
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What Are the Elder Care Financial Service Options in California?
As people get older, they naturally need more help to live independently, preserve their dignity, maintain their quality of life, and make the most of
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The Benefits of Hiring a Private Fiduciary
A private fiduciary is a licensed professional hired to manage your trust when you become incapacitated or pass away. Hiring a private fiduciary is a great option
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How To Avoid Scams Targeting Seniors
It’s no secret seniors are a major target for scammers. In fact, it’s estimated they lose more than $3 billion a year to fraudsters according
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How to Discuss Your Parents Finances
As your parents grow older, it may be more challenging for them to oversee their finances. As their son or daughter, you may feel that
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How To Help Your Aging Parents Manage Their Finances
It can be a tough topic to think about, and perhaps even more difficult to address, but it’s very likely there will come a day
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How Long Does It Take to Distribute Trust Assets?
Typically, distribution of trust assets will take 12-18 months for a beneficiary to receive trust assets in a trust account distribution. This time can be
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The Difference Between A Conservator And A Power Of Attorney
When a loved one becomes unable to make decisions or manage their finances, it may become necessary to have someone act on their behalf. That
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How to Avoid Probate in California: 7 Proven Strategies
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling a person’s estate after death. In California, probate can be time-consuming, public, and expensive, often taking 9 to
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How to Help Aging Parents Before Tax Season
As we grow older, we become independent and learn to handle things on our own. However, in our golden years, independence becomes complicated and easy
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Trust Accounting: Choosing the Right Trustee
When choosing a trustee, it is easy to trust a family member, friend, or associate with this considerable responsibility. However, trustees have obligations that go beyond being trustworthy,
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2022 Tax Season Tips for Seniors
Tax season is officially here. January 24th, 2022 marked the first day that the IRS will be receiving tax returns for 2021. With an earlier
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The Oldest Child Syndrome
Mom and Dad had a trust and they chose their oldest child, who lives three hours away, as their successor trustee. When Mom and Dad
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Inside Trustee Family Trouble with Smith Marion Co, CPA
For over 25 years, we have been in the business of helping our clients with their financial matters. In our many years of experience, we’ve
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3 Tips to Manage the Communication with Your Siblings When You are The Trustee of Your Parent’s Trust
You recently found out you are the trustee of your parent’s trust. It is very likely that during the next few months you will feel extreme
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A Beginner’s Guide to Trusts and Trust Accounting
As people age, it’s important to consider your best options to live the rest of your life comfortably and take care of those you leave
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Trust Benefits for Seniors to Consider
A trust may take effort and time to plan, but it can be worth it for individuals who are planning a will or retirement or
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Will vs. Trust: What’s the Difference and Which Do You Actually Need?
Quick Answer A will takes effect after death and requires court supervision through probate to distribute assets. A trust holds and manages assets during your
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Who Can I Name as Executor When I Have No Family or Friends I Trust?
Selecting an executor can be very overwhelming when you don’t have many suitable choices. An executor is an important role and a big responsibility for
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Everything You Need To Know About Transitioning Your Elderly Parents’ Finances
One day, there will come a time when your aging loved one or parent can no longer take care of things they once did. This
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Durable Power of Attorney for Asset Management & Seniors
There are legal tools that can help get professional help while enabling them to maintain their independence and dignity, such as a durable power of
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How Do You Talk to an Aging Parent About Finances, Pt. I?
Your parents can be a source of endless wisdom, but a time eventually comes for a difficult conversation about money management. As we age, we need
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How to Prepare for Taking Over Elderly Parents Finances
Do you think you will have to step in and help your parents manage their finances but don’t know how to prepare for that transition?
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How Do You Know if Your Parents Are Struggling with Money, Pt. I?
Many parents need help with their finances as they age, but they rarely reach out and ask for help. Still, you should stay vigilant and
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How to Get a Financial Power of Attorney for a Parent
It is never easy to relinquish autonomy. However, as we age, this is inevitable. While your parent may resist the notion of a power of attorney
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Conservatorship vs. Power of Attorney: Understanding Both & The Difference
The main difference with Conservatorship vs. Power of Attorney (POA) is who grants the authority and when it’s established. A power of attorney is granted
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Tax Filing for Seniors: 4 Reasons You Need Professional Services
Doing your own taxes may seem like a good idea, but if done incorrectly, you could run into trouble. Misinformation may lengthen the time it
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Top Mistakes Trustees Should Avoid with Trusts
Trusts are just one way that people plan out their finances responsibly after death. As a trustee, it’s your duty to fulfill the responsibilities you
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How to File the Final Tax Return After Someone Dies
Taxes are not likely to be the first thing that comes to mind when someone passes, but there are tax matters that need to be
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How Long Will It Take To Receive My Inheritance From a Trust?
Almost every aspect of creating a trust can be complicated. From picking a trustee to deciding how the trust assets will be distributed, there are a number of
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3 Considerations Before Choosing a Private Fiduciary
A private fiduciary is a person or institution who has the legal duty to act and manage your assets once you die or become incapacitated.
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Distribution vs. Disbursement: What You Should Know
When it comes to trusts, it can be difficult to know who does what and what your responsibilities are. The most important role in a trust is
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Living Trust: What is it and Why Do I Need It?
We’ve heard it for years – the only sure things in life are death and taxes. Preparing for the end of life is one of
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What is Senior Money Management?
As seniors age, they will likely begin having difficulties managing their finances, including day-to-day financial affairs. As bills and important paperwork piles up, it’s easy
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What Are the Benefits of Having a Trust?
A trust gives you the opportunity to have control over what happens after you pass. It’s a good feeling when you know that your property
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4 Ways to Keep an Eye on Your Parents’ Financial Well-being
Are you striving to help your aging mother and father retain their independence (and their financial security) for as long as possible? There comes the
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COVID-19: New Scams to Watch Out For
Coronavirus isn’t the only item that should be on your radar right now. Scammers are making their comeback as they capitalize on the vulnerability and
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How to Reduce Scammer and Spam Calls
Every year, thousands of people lose money to telephone scams — and the number is growing exponentially. Scammers are quickly adapting to more discreet and
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Senior Scams to Watch for in 2020
Millions of seniors are targeted by scammers every year. Not only are seniors more likely to be targeted, but they lose more money on average
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Deductions Seniors Filing their Tax Returns Might Not Know
With age comes new opportunities, and this is especially true for seniors filing their tax returns. Many seniors are unaware of the tax deductions that
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Everything A Trustee Can Do For You
If you are the beneficiary of a trust, you should know everything that a trustee can and should be doing for you. Trustees, as a professional
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Benefits of a Professional Trustee
A professional trustee is a licensed professional that manages your trust when you become incapacitated or pass away. In the same way an executor handles your assets,
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6 Common Questions Trustees Ask
Becoming a trustee is a big responsibility, which is why we want to make sure that if you are taking on this role that you
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Family Pressures & Responsibilities When You Are the Trustee to Your Parent’s Trust
When you are the chosen trustee for your parent’s trust, many different actions need to be taken when your parent passes away. These include organizing
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Why Setting Up A Power Of Attorney Is Crucial For Your Future
It’s a story that rings true for too many families, and usually doesn’t produce the ending they might have hoped for: a person becomes incapacitated
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Ways For Seniors To Stay Healthy
As we age, it’s important to take care of all aspects of our lives, from our finances to our physical wellbeing. Staying active is a
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The Benefits Of Daily Exercise For Seniors
Exercise is an important activity for people of all ages, but it’s even more crucial for seniors. Regular exercise can help improve your cardiovascular health,
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The Cost of Isolation to Seniors
According to Medicare Advantage, “Senior isolation is one of the biggest threats to the health of America’s seniors, while it remains among the most difficult to
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Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: How You Can Help Seniors
It’s never easy to hear that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. But it’s important to know that those with Alzheimer’s
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Senior-Friendly Activities for the Holidays
The holiday season is in full swing. It’s a time to be around loved ones and enjoy each other’s company. Family and friends of all
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Senior-Friendly Activity Ideas for Winter
In the colder months, people often prefer to stay indoors and bask in the warmth of their homes. Rather than stay in all winter, independent
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How to Help Your Clients Find The Financial Assistance They Need
As we age, our mental capacity to handle our own finances diminishes. You may notice your aging clients begin to have difficulty with relatively simple
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How Do You Know if a Trust Accounting Is Accurate?
Trust accounting in California is an essential protection for beneficiaries that ensures the trustee is administering the trust per the probate code and the terms of
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When will you retire? Have a plan before choosing between 65 or 85
When will you retire? When talking about retiring from your job in the future, you might be considering the financial aspects. You ask, “How much
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Why You Need A CPA That Can Help Through Every Stage of Life
Why You Need A CPA? As we age and go through different life stages, certain complexities often present new financial challenges. You may find that
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How to Talk with Your Parents About Their Retirement Finances During the Holiday Season
Discussing retirement and finances with your aging parents isn’t always easy, but it is a necessary conversation to have. Families need to have a general
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A Guide to Trust Accounting for Irrevocable Trusts
Many different kinds of trusts exist, but they fall under two categories: revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts. Understanding the difference between the two is crucial
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Warning Signs Of Elder Financial Abuse
Growing older does make us wiser, but even those of us with decades of life experience can fall victim to scams and abuse. Elder financial abuse happens
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Reasons to Get Power of Attorney for a Parent with Alzheimer’s
When your aging parent begins to show signs of dementia, it can be difficult news to handle. Adult children often struggle with what to do
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How Soon Should I Set Up Power of Attorney in California?
A power of attorney can be set up for anyone regardless of age. However, most conversations about assigning a power of attorney happen in the sunset stage
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What Types of Assets Are Subject to Probate?
The probate process is the judicial process in which a will or living trust is being accepted in the court of law. Since people acquire
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How to Avoid Probate With Living Trusts
Most people want their money and assets to be passed down to their children and other individuals that are important to them – instead of
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3 Ways to Generate Income When You’re Retired
Many aging adults fear the possibility of outliving their retirement. With a longer life expectancy, an increasing cost of living, and rising health care costs,
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Signs Your Aging Parent Might Need Help Managing Their Finances
It's rarely one mistake that tells you an aging parent needs help with money. It's a pattern, a shift away from how they've always handled
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Trustee Services in California: Managing Finances for a Parent with Dementia
When your parent has dementia, it can be difficult to discuss, but you owe it to them to get them the help they need. When
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Trust Accounting 101: How Do I Prepare a California Trust Accounting?
Trust Accounting 101: How Do I Prepare a California Trust Accounting? A California trust accounting is an important form of protection that offers a window for
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How Do You Take Care of Elderly Parents’ Finances in California, Pt. I?
So your parents are aging and preparing to relax and enjoy retirement. But that doesn’t mean their finances will follow suit. As your parents enter
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How Do You Take Care of Elderly Parents’ Finances in California, Pt. II?
As your parents begin to age, remember that we all eventually need help with maintaining our financial well-being. Still, it is normal to ask, ‘How
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How Trusts for Elderly Parents Help Manage Their Finances
Taking control of elderly parents’ finances is complicated, to say the least. From ensuring they maintain eligibility for benefits and long-term care to generating income
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How Can I Protect My Elderly Parents from Scams and Fraud?
Are you worried your parents may be vulnerable to scams and fraud? Or maybe your parents have already fallen victim, and you want to make
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How a Probate Court Accounting in California Helps in Court
Are you a beneficiary who is contemplating suing a trustee or a lawyer representing a beneficiary filing a suit against a trustee? If so, you
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The Duties of a Trustee
Being appointed a trustee is a big responsibility that comes with a list of obligations. As a trustee, you’re required to manage the assets of
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Key California Trust Accounting Requirements
A trustee wields considerable power over a trust. However, there are mechanisms in place to ensure a trustee is adhering to the law and complying
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Debunking Common Trust Accounting Myths
Throughout history, we have used myths to explain the unexplainable. Without the help of modern science, it would be impossible to answer questions like where
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Common Trust Accounting Mistakes to Avoid
Trust accounting is an essential form of protection for beneficiaries and trustees alike. Working with an expert in probate accounting like Smith Marion & Co. ensures
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Elder Care Financial Services: The Benefits of Daily Money Management
Perhaps you see piles of unopened envelopes and concerning notices when you visit your parents, or maybe they are struggling with simple math and writing
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What Are the Three Duties of a Fiduciary?
What Are the Three Duties of a Fiduciary? If you are a California senior, an adult child helping a parent from another state, or a
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What Makes a Good Auditor?
What Makes a Good Auditor: The Qualities Every Nonprofit Should Look For When your nonprofit prepares for an audit, you need more than someone who
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Who Is Considered a Fiduciary?
Who Is Considered a Fiduciary? If you’re managing money for a California senior as a local resident, out-of-state adult child, or trusted family member in
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What Are Fiduciaries Not Allowed To Do?
What Are Fiduciaries Not Allowed To Do? If you are a California senior, an adult child helping a parent from another state, or a family
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What Are Fiduciary Services
What Are Fiduciary Services? Unfamiliar with terms like trustee, executor, or power of attorney? Many California seniors and their families feel the same uncertainty, especially
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Strategic Planning That Makes Audits Easier
Strategic Planning for Nonprofits That Makes Audits Easier A two-page plan, quarterly reviews, and one clear owner per process Strategic planning is more than
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What is included in an estate inventory?
What is included in an estate inventory? An estate inventory is a detailed list of the person's possessions and their value at the time
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Does a Beneficiary Have a Right to See the Trust in California?
Does a Beneficiary Have a Right to See the Trust in California? Yes, but timing and status matter. In California, beneficiaries (and even certain
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Top 3 Audit Pitfalls Nonprofits Should Avoid
3 Audit Pitfalls Nonprofits Should Avoid Preparing for an audit isn't just about closing your books once a year. It's about cultivating healthy, sustainable
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What is a Private Fiduciary in California?
A private fiduciary is a great option for those needing critical services. Seniors may be the top age group to hire one, but any
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What is the Penalty for an Inaccurate Trust Accounting?
Trust accounting in California is an essential form of transparency and, ultimately, protection for beneficiaries. Legally, trustees must provide beneficiaries with this financial statement
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What to Do if My Parents Got Scammed?
Scammers prey on some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and seniors are prime targets because they are often in a state
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How a Trust Accounting Can Uncover Trust Embezzlement
Trusts are a popular way for people to leave behind inheritances for their loved ones and take care of them when they are no
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A Beginners Guide to A Court Accounting
Losing a loved one doesn't only cause grief, it can also bring along a slew of new responsibilities and questions. Many people find themselves
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I Have No One to Be the Executor of My Will. What Should I Do?
When writing your will, you are creating a map detailing how you want your estate to be managed to care for your loved ones
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Trust Accounting: What is Guardianship of the Estate?
When a child inherits significant assets, they often lack the maturity to manage them responsibly. A guardianship of the estate is a legal tool
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Can I Get an Extension on my Tax Deadline?
Need some more time to get that 1040 filled out and signed? There are certain circumstances in which a person is not able to or
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Tax Change Explained: Miscellaneous Deductions on a Schedule A
One of the most significant changes brought about by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) last year was the elimination of certain personal
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Complete Guide to the Final Distribution of Estate Assets
Closing an estate is a complex, emotionally charged situation and having to navigate the probate process to reach the final distribution of estate assets
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What Happens to a Bank Account When Someone Dies Without a Will in California?
Losing a loved one is overwhelming, and dealing with their financial affairs can make the process even more complicated. If someone dies without a
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How Do I Monitor My Elderly Parents’ Finances?
If you notice that your parents are having difficulty managing their finances, immediate intervention is crucial. Poor money management poses a direct threat to
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Can a Trust Protect Assets from a Lawsuit?
Certain types of trusts can protect assets from lawsuits, which professionals at a higher risk of lawsuits commonly use. Revocable trusts, also called living
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How to Stop an Elderly Parent from Giving Money Away
So, your parent is squandering their estate on lavish gifts or questionable purchases. Watching a beloved parent make questionable financial decisions can be heart-wrenching.
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How to Talk to Siblings About an Aging Parent’s Care & Finances
As your parents age, you and your siblings will have to have some tough conversations. Many people want to avoid having these conversations for
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What is Intestate Succession in California?
Intestate succession in California refers to the probate process that distributes property and assets when someone dies without a will or when someone passes
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Estate Administrator vs. Executor: What’s the Difference?
When a loved one passes away, navigating the legal and financial maze of settling their estate can be overwhelming. Whether someone has named you
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How to Find an Executor for My Will in California
So, you are creating a will and devising an estate plan that will cement your legacy and ensure your loved ones are taken care
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California Court Accounting: What is Included?
When someone passes away without setting up a trust or only has a will, it is sometimes difficult to determine how their property will
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How Long Does It Take to Receive Your Inheritance from a Will in California?
Losing a loved one is never easy, and the process of settling their estate can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to receiving your
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How a Trust Accounting Can Uncover a Misappropriation of Funds
When someone becomes a successor trustee, they gain substantial power over a trust and its assets. Unfortunately, for some trustees, the temptation to use
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Setting Up a Trust in California to Help Your Senior Parents
As your parents age and retirement looms, they need help maintaining their independence and ensuring they are taken care of. Even though they may
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Disbursement vs. Distribution: What’s the Difference Between a Disbursement and Distribution?
So, you just lost a loved one, and now you’re drowning in paperwork, bombarded with legalese, and worried about where the money’s going. Dealing
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What Happens to a Trust When the Trustee Dies in California?
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Planning ahead created peace of mind. As of April 1, 2025, California raised the estate value threshold for residents needing a trust. You no longer
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As healthcare costs rise, more families are thinking ahead about long-term care and how it might impact their financial security. Nursing home expenses can be
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Managing a trust, especially after the death of a loved one, can create tension, questions, and confusion. Trust beneficiary rights in California are often misunderstood,
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