News & Articles

  • Close-up image of a W-9 tax form used for taxpayer identification and certification.

    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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  • Couple reviewing financial documents with an advisor during a trust-focused financial consultation.

    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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  • A parent and child share a playful outdoor moment, representing the family legacy and financial security a revocable living trust in California is designed to protect.

    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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  • Happy seniors after their children helped them use a financial power of attorney in California to manage their finances.

    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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  • A professional raises his arms in a moment of achievement, reflecting the financial security and peace of mind on how a trust can protect assets for vulnerable loved ones.

    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

    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: worried woman reviews laptop warnings at home

    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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  • 3 steps How to Managing Your Parents Bank Accounts

    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

    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,senior doing yoga.

    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

    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: couple reviews suspicious mail and reports at home

    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: senior couple checks laptop and phone for suspicious alerts

    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

    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: couple reviews paperwork and laptop at home

    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: older couple reviews tax forms with a laptop at home together now

    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: daughter helps mother spot suspicious card charges together

    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: daughter helps aging parents review bills

    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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  • Advisor reviews financial with older couple, showing how to help your clients find the financial assistance

    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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  • Family portrait at home illustrating how can I support my elderly parents with daily care

    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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  • Mother hugs young daughter outdoors, illustrating Special Needs Trusts: Consider These Things

    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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  • Three service technicians stand by company truck, promoting service special needs trust and local savings

    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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  • Young couple meets advisor about Three Ways Trust Beneficiaries Receive Their Inheritance

    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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  • Adult daughter with aging parents, illustrating Parents' Responsibilities in a warm home setting

    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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  • Adult son helps older parents review a smartphone, showing how to decrease your parents financial decisions with age

    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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  • Adult daughter with older parents, showing ways to help your parents with their finances

    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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  • Daughter hugs older mother at home, showing loving support for aging parent care and daily comfort

    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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  • Senior couple reviews trustee papers on a couch at home, looking over documents beside a laptop

    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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  • Advisor shows tablet to older couple during talk on 3 steps before hiring a professional fiduciary

    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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  • Three generations talk on a sofa, illustrating Testamentary Trust vs Living Trust differences

    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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  • Three adults discuss the difference between a power of attorney and health care proxy over coffee

    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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  • Older couple at laptop discussing 6 senior scams to be aware of in 2020 at home

    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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  • Two women review documents and tablet during a meeting about how long a court accounting takes

    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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  • Couple smiles at laptop, planning ahead for how to make next year’s tax season more successful

    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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  • Man works through tax paperwork with calculator at desk, illustrating the 2021 Tax Deadline guide

    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?

    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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  • Daughter hugs her mother on sofa, showing what to consider before moving your aging parents at home.

    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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  • A professional fiduciary shaking hands

    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

    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 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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  • A hand over another offering some support, which is a fitting metaphor for the answer to the question, How do you talk to an aging parent about finances?

    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

    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

    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?

    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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  • Seniors clap and smile around a table, enjoying top holiday activities for seniors this year

    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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  • A senior sitting and making the most of retirement after their child learned how to get a power of attorney for a parent to help them manage the finances that were holding them back from making their golden years as fulfilling as possible!

    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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  • Multigenerational family smiling together, reflecting eldercare support and planning in Riverside

    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

    Read More ...

  • Multigenerational family smiles outdoors, illustrating beneficiaries and family support

    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

    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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  • Advisor meets older couple at home, explaining reasons for a private fiduciary in California

    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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  • A senior couple struggling with their finances who need trustee services in california

    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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  • Advisor reviews papers with older couple, illustrating the benefits of creating a trust at home

    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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  • Adult son and daughter comfort father in wheelchair, sharing caregiving responsibilities

    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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  • An elderly couple enjoying retirement after their child answered the question , How do I talk to my parents about their spending habits?

    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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  • A trustee shaking hands with an expert in California trust accounting, smiling because he will some help.

    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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  • Older couple looks concerned at laptop, illustrating most popular senior scams in 2021

    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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  • A picture of an elderly couple,smiling and able to enjoy their golden years because their children got elder care financial services for them.

    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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  • Advisor explains the benefits of hiring a private fiduciary to an older couple at home

    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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  • Older couple looks worried at laptop while learning how to avoid scams targeting seniors at home

    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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  • Adult daughter with older parents, illustrating How to Discuss Your Parents Finances

    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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  • Older woman reviews tablet with advisor while learning how to help aging parents manage finances

    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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  • Trust distribution

    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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  • Three generations of family smile together while discussing power of attorney and conservatorship

    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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  • Family discussing how to avoid probate in California

    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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  • Older couple meets advisor at kitchen table to review documents and plan finances for tax season

    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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  • A CPA is your best option for a trust accounting and providing a reliable CPA services, which is a crucial consideraton when choosing a trustee.

    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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  • tax season

    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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  • Young woman talks with older mother in bedroom about The Oldest Child Syndrome and family care

    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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  • law | gavel| smith marion co cpa | legal | trust | accounting

    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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  • Parents and teens discuss trustee communication and a parent trust during a family meeting at home.

    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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  • Advisor explains A Beginner’s Guide to Trusts and Trust Accounting during a calm office consultation

    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

    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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  • The difference between a will vs living trust in California explained by Smith Marion CPA

    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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  • Woman discusses executor options with a client during a private office consultation

    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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  • Senior couple reviews tablet while discussing Transitioning Your Elderly Parents’ Finances together.

    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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  • Seniors enjoying retirement after their kids used a durable power of attorney for asset management.

    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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  • An elderly person and their child holding hands and working together after their child learned the answer to, How do you talk to an aging parent about finances.

    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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  • Someone having a conversation with someone about taking over erderly parents finances.

    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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  • A couple enjoying retirement stress-free after their child learned the signs to step in by answering. How do you know if your parents are struggling with money?

    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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  • Daughter and elder mother talking about how to get power of attorney for a parent inddors at home.

    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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  • A fiduciary financial advisor at a table with papers and calculator managing the finances of a client whois learning about the difference between a conservatorship vs. a power of attorney.

    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

    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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  • Two women meet with a trustee advisor at an office table during a warm, supportive planning session.

    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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  • Woman reviews bills and laptop at home while filing the final tax return after someone dies

    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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  • Young parents meet advisor with child to discuss how long trust inheritance may take to receive now.

    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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  • Advisor meets young couple, explaining 3 considerations before choosing a private fiduciary indoors.

    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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  • Advisor explains Distribution vs. Disbursement to senior couple during home estate planning meeting

    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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  • Senior couple reviews living trust paperwork together at a table in a bright home interior

    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?

    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

    Read More ...

  • Smiling couple at home with piggy bank, illustrating what are the benefits of having a trust

    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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  • Advisor reviews finances with older woman, illustrating 4 ways to watch parents’ financial well-being

    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

    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

    Read More ...

  • How to Reduce Scammer and Spam Calls

    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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  • older woman on phone

    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

    Read More ...

  • A senior who is calculating his tax deductions after reviewing the key advantages to capitalize on for elderly individuals filing their tax returns.

    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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  • Two women talk across a desk with a laptop during a trustee planning meeting in a modern office

    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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  • Old man and young woman, benefits of using a professional trustee

    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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  • Older woman and younger advisor review trustee documents on a tablet while seated on a sofa at home.

    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 reviews trustee paperwork and finances together at home table with laptop and documents open

    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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  • Woman helps senior sign power of attorney documents at a table while reviewing paperwork together

    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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  • Two older men jog through a park, illustrating ways for seniors to stay healthy and active

    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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  • Four seniors stretch outdoors together, showing the benefits of daily exercise for seniors

    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

    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

    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

    Read More ...

  • Senior-Friendly Activities for the Holidays

    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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  • Four seniors walk outdoors in coats, smiling and enjoying senior-friendly activity ideas for winter

    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

    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

    Read More ...

  • How Do You Know when is Trust Accounting Is Accurate

    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

    Read More ...

  • Four older friends walk arm in arm outdoors, smiling as they plan retirement at 65 or 85

    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 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

    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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    ERC, or Employee Retention Credit, is a tax credit available to businesses that kept employees on payroll through the slowdowns and shutdowns that occurred as

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    3 Important Areas of Business Growth That Occur Over Time

    Overview: Common ways businesses develop over the years, and how your company compares Both for-profit and nonprofit companies develop over the years in ways they

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  • Small Business Tips How to Develop a Good Work-life Balance

    Small Business Tips: How to Develop a Good Work-life Balance

    Overview: Learn what a good work-life balance looks like and how to accomplish that for you and your team We hear a lot about work-life

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  • Housing Authority Peer Group Review 2022 Spring Connection Meeting Highlights

    Housing Authority Peer Group Review: 2022 Spring Connection Meeting Highlights

    Overview: See what took place at the Spring Connection Meeting for housing authorities in Charleston, South Carolina this past May The Spring Connection Meeting took

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  • 9 Surprising Benefits of Short Daily Walks (Only 15 Minutes Per Day)

    9 Surprising Benefits of Short Daily Walks (Only 15 Minutes Per Day)

    Did you know these surprising benefits of walking for 15 minutes each day? If you’re looking for ways to improve work productivity, this one’s for

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  • Electric Vehicle Purchases & Taxes 3 Important Points to Consider

    Electric Vehicle Purchases & Taxes: 3 Important Points to Consider

    Overview: These 3 tips can help you take advantage of the available Federal Tax Credit when purchasing an electric vehicle On the market for a

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  • Family enjoying a budget-friendly summer vacation on the beach.

    4 Expert Tips to Plan the Perfect Budget-friendly Summer Vacation

    Overview: These professional financial tips will help you plan the perfect summer vacation on a budget With summer finally here, many of us are ready

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  • 6 Underrated Benefits of Joining a Peer Group for Nonprofit

    6 Underrated Benefits of Joining a Peer Group for Nonprofits

    Overview: Learn some benefits of joining a peer group to help your nonprofit organization grow Why should you navigate the complexities of managing an organization

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  • How Blockchain Technology Could Affect the Future of Auditing

    How Blockchain Technology Could Affect the Future of Auditin

    Overview: Here’s why CPA auditors have started to use blockchain for simplified auditing First proposed in 1991, blockchains were made popular in 2009 with the

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  • How to Have Productive Team Meetings (that Don’t Suck)

    How to Have Productive Team Meetings (that Don’t Suck)

    Overview: Are team meetings making you feel anxious, bored, or unmotivated? Here are some tips for more enjoyable (and productive) team meetings. Unproductive meetings waste

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  • Helpful Tools and 7 Professional Tips to Track Company Spending

    Helpful Tools and 7 Professional Tips to Track Company Spending

    Tips to Track Company Spending and Avoid Overspending   Overview: Easy tips from a professional accounting firm to help you keep track of where your

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  • How to Calculate Business Vehicle Expenses

    How to Calculate Business Vehicle Expenses

    Overview: Learn how to calculate your vehicle’s expenses if you’re using it for business Using vehicles in pursuit of a trade or business has many

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  • 6 Tips for a Successful Strategic Planning Meeting

    6 Tips for a Successful Strategic Planning Meeting

    Overview: Tips to help make your strategic planning session one that is well worth the time invested In order to lead a great strategic planning

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  • How to Pick the Right Accounting Firm to Work at.

    How to Pick the Right Accounting Firm to Work at.

    How to Choose the Right Accounting Firm for Your Career Overview: Choosing the Right Accounting Firm – Smith Marion: You’ve just finished your accounting training

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  • How to Get the Most Out of Your Internship

    How to Get the Most Out of Your Internship

    3 Professional Accounting Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Accounting Internship Overview: Smith Marion's Joey Harding, Senior Associate, gives 3 pieces of advice

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  • PIC-NG Guidance For Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVS)

    PIC-NG Guidance For Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVS)

    Is there any guidance regarding PIC-NG for Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)? Summary: Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) funds allocated to the PHA for HAP (both funding

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  • When a Nonprofit is Required to Have an Audit

    When a Nonprofit is Required to Have an Audit

    When is a non-profit required to have an audit performed by an independent certified public accountant? Overview: Non-profit entities are regulated by both federal and

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  • What to do before setting up a corporation

    What to do before setting up a corporation

    An easy 5-step guideline to successfully incorporate your business in 2021 Whether you’ve been in business for a while or you’re a start-up, you may

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  • Determining the right accounting software for your needs

    Determining the right accounting software for your needs

    Small business tips: Determining the right accounting software for your needs Guidance to better understand general accounting software options so you can choose one that

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  • Maximize professional bookkeeping or accounting services

    Maximize professional bookkeeping or accounting services.

    “Bookkeeper” (or bookkeeping) is the only common word in the English language to contain three pairs of double letters in consecutive order — it’s also

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  • How to prepare your nonprofit organization for the first financial statement audit

    How to Prepare Your Nonprofit Organization for the First Financial Statement Audit

    Preparing Your Nonprofit Organization for Its First Financial Statement Audit Key Steps to Ensure a Smooth First Financial Statement Audit As your nonprofit grows and

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  • What you need to know about hidden payroll processing fees

    What you need to know about hidden payroll processing fees

    Tips for Finding a Cost-Effective Payroll Processing Company Key Tips to Choose an Affordable and Reliable Payroll Provider Are you concerned about Hidden Payroll Fees

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  • Did You Know Virtual Currency is Taxable

    Did You Know Virtual Currency is Taxable

    Virtual currency transactions are taxable by law just like transactions in any other property. The IRS is aware that some taxpayers with virtual currency transactions

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  • Recordkeeping for Small Business

    Recordkeeping for Small Business

    Small business owners should keep good records. This applies to all businesses, whether they have a couple dozen employees or just a few. Whether they

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  • Business, Family, Property - When to Contact Your CPA

    Business, Family, Property? When to Contact Your CPA

    Knowing When to Contact Your CPA for Business, Family, and Property Matters THE WORST TIME TO CONTACT YOUR CPA There are two times you shouldn’t

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  • The Different Component Units

    The Different Component Units

    Blended Component Unit (BCU) vs. Discretely Presented Component Unit (DPCU) Component units is a gray topic that never really seems to get answered despite its

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  • Compliance requirements for new nonprofit organizations

    Compliance requirements for new nonprofit organizations

    Overview: Learn what is required to be a compliant nonprofit organization early on. Like all businesses, starting a nonprofit organization means that you have to

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  • Moving to Work HUD’s self-funding program for Housing Authorities

    Moving to Work: HUD’s self-funding program for Housing Authorities

    Overview: Chad Porter, CPA, CFE provides details on the latest HUD self-funding program, Moving to Work, and it’s flexible spending initiatives. In recent news, HUD

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  • Improve-team-collaborative-performance

    Update! Lean Six Sigma helped us! It can help you, too

    Unlock Business Efficiency with Lean Six Sigma – Smith Marion   Overview: Improve team collaborative performance by systematically removing waste and reducing variation. How Lean

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  • Why nonprofits should report accurate fundraising expenses

    Why nonprofits should report accurate fundraising expenses

    What you should know about reporting fundraising expenses (when NPOs should report; exceptions; effects of cutting corners) There is often reluctance when it’s time to

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  • Kendra Dockham’s #1 benefit of hiring a CPA firm for audits, reviews, and 990

    Kendra Dockham’s #1 benefit of hiring a CPA firm for audits, reviews, and 990

    Learn the benefits of having one CPA firm perform your audit, review, and/or 990 form. Do you know why you should hire a CPA firm

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  • Learn what to look for in a LIHTC auditor with professional advice from Chad Porter

    Learn what to look for in a LIHTC auditor with professional advice from Chad Porter

    Key Questions to Ask When Choosing a LIHTC Auditor     Finding the right LIHTC auditor is more than just Googling the term online. Let’s

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  • How to get a low-income housing tax credit

    How to get a low income tax credit

    Unfortunately due to USPS having unprecedented shipping delays during the Pandemic, When and if you purchase the KEY LIMES, we will ship ASAP, but it

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  • The keys to success SMCo webinar discusses how to have a successful accounting career

    The keys to success: Smith Marion webinar discusses how to have a successful accounting career

    Mastering the Path to a Successful Accounting Career – Smith Marion Accounting firm SMCo successfully holds first Leadership Academy webinar for college students to learn

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  • Getting the most out of individual tax service packages The best package for your needs (standard, executive, or premier)

    Getting the most out of individual tax service packages: The best package for your needs (standard, executive, or premier)

    With full service tax services that are geared toward individual pricing, there is something advantageous for every client. Most accounting firms offer different tiers of tax

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  • How the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD) is affecting the public housing industry

    How the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD) is affecting the public housing industry

    If you have been in public housing for more than 10 minutes then you have probably heard the term RAD at least a dozen times.

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  • Affordable housing for the elderly - How HUD programs are helping older adults with low-cost housing

    Affordable housing for the elderly: How HUD programs are helping older adults with low-cost housing

    If there’s an existing 202 Project with a loan balance or a capital advance that requires a single audit each year, programs like Project Rental Assistance

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