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It’s graduation time! Even though the ceremony looked quite different this year because of COVID-19, it still means your “baby” is all grown up and preparing to head out into the real world. But, before your child (or grandchild!) plans to head off for college or pursues other endeavors, it’s important to think about a few life changes now that he or she is an “adult” in the eyes of the law. Blocked By HIPAA Laws From a legal standpoint, you may be surprised to learn that you now need written permission to make any important medical or financial decisions on your adult child’s behalf because of HIPAA regulations. For example, if your child needs medical records for college or an internship, you won’t be able to reach out to…

I am sure that images of doomsday preppers just flashed through your mind as you thought of trying to plan for something that seems irrelevant and a little out there. While having an emergency kit may seem absurd, there are countless reasons why you should have a contingency plan.   For starters, our nation is still in a pandemic. This crisis may have gone to the back of your mind as more chaos and trauma enters the world, but the virus has not disappeared. While not highly probable, it is still possible to contract COVID-19 and spend a few days in the hospital. Across the nation, COVID patients are in isolated wings where they are unable to have visits from their friends and family. In this scenario, having a bag with…

The 2020 Election Cycle did not come as a surprise to the millions of voting Americans. However, with everyone’s eyes fixed on who would be the Commander in Chief for the next four years, lawmakers and state governments attempted to catch citizens off guard with propositions that raised taxes while eliminating important processes that have benefited families.  In California, one such example is Proposition 19 which deals with Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties Amendment (2020). This piece of legislation is designed to raise taxes on inherited homes by eliminating the parent-child exclusion from reassessment under California Proposition 58.  Under the current law (as stated in California Propositions 13, 58, and 193), property tax rates on residential real property are calculated at a rate of…

This women’s history month, we want to take some time each week to share with you the story of an important women in U.S. History. Over the four weeks, the women we talk about may be familiar figures with unfamiliar stories and others may be people you’ve never heard of before! We hope that through sharing their story you will gain a new perspective on the women who have made significant contributions to the formation of this county.` First up, we have the poet Emma Lazarus who lived in the 1800’s. If her name sounds familiar, you might recognize her for her most famous work, “The New Colossus” a poem written in 1883 inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Her work was so moving that several lines are inscribed on…

Warren Buffett is calling for higher taxes on the rich and recently told Congress to raise taxes. The GOP debate will undoubtedly argue against raising taxes, period. While the President may very well make a case for higher taxes and closing loop holes for the rich, but tax cuts for the middle class. The only thing these people can agree on is to continue to disagree and fight about it, just as they did over the debt ceiling. They're all out of control. And the simple truth is, "Taxes will go up in 2013!" However, if you're a business owner, self-employed professional such as a doctor, chiropractor or dentist, real estate professional or real estate investor you don't have to be subject to the ever changing wind of politics. You…