Common vs Solemn Probate
Alhambra's Bob Williams describes the difference between Common and Solemn Probate and the pros and cons of each.
Medicare Planning and How to Pick the Right Plan for You
Medicare is a veritable alphabet soup of choices. There’s Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D, and when you get into Medicare Supplements, there are 10 options—A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Make the wrong choices and you could be hit with lifetime penalties that drive up your Medicare premiums and a Medicare plan [...]
Fiduciary vs Suitability Standard
Today we hear the word fiduciary tossed around as some concept that means the same thing by everyone who utters it. Nothing could be further from the truth. A fiduciary, according to Investopedia is: … a person or organization that acts on behalf of another… putting their clients' interest ahead of their own, with a duty to preserve good [...]
Stealth Income Taxes
In 1983, the United States changed the rules of engagement when it unveiled the first Stealth Aircraft—the F-117 Nighthawk. The goal was to make a plane that was undetectable to the enemy. The new design didn’t make it completely invisible to radar, but it made detection much more difficult. It’s possible you may have to deal with some stealth attacks [...]
Ask Bob: Social Security Survivor Benefit
Alhambra's Bob Williams answers a question about collecting a Social Security Survivor Benefit on an ex-spouse's work history if you've been remarried after the divorce.
Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts—a Treasure Chest for Married Couples
There’s an old axiom that says, “All good things must come to an end.” And unless Congress makes some changes, that’s what will happen to the current level of the federal estate tax exemption. As it stands now, every individual can give away $11.7 million of their estate free of inheritance and gift taxes. Married couples have a combined exemption [...]
Common vs Solemn Probate
Probate is a term most people have heard. It’s the court process required to settle an estate when a Will was used as the estate planning tool. What most people don’t know is that there are two types of probate—Common and Solemn. The executor chooses the one that is most appropriate. Common probate is used most often. It’s the easiest. [...]
Ask Bob: Should a Trust be Your IRA Beneficiary?
Alhambra's Bob Williams discusses whether a trust should be your IRA beneficiary rather than an individual.
Embracing Social Security Online
Customer service is mostly dead. It’s probably housed in the Smithsonian along with the T-Rex and TV rabbit ears. As technology has progressed and Millennials have come of age, we have been pushed, sometimes kicking and screaming, to conduct personal business online. The Social Security Administration is no exception. Call the SSA and you will hear, “Offices are open to [...]
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