Small California estates with assets worth $150,000 or less may be settled without formal probate proceedings, using relatively simple transfer procedures. However, if the gross estate exceeds this amount and it contains assets which must pass through probate, the estate can expect to incur substantial expenses.
Financial markets are now navigating the negatives of “bumpy” trade negotiations and the positives of a more accommodative monetary policy. We expect our U. S. Federal Reserve Bank will leave interest rates alone through the remainder of the year, and neither raise nor cut rates in 2019.
The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017)1 is the most significant tax legislation since the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The law entails consequences for all taxpayers. Some of these consequences are beneficial, some are adverse. Below is a summary of the most significant changes organized by taxpayer category (individual, business, investor). These changes are further subdivided according to those who may be ‘helped’ and those who may be ‘hurt’ by the new law and what the net effect of this change is.
Residents of San Diego County frequently count their homes as one of the most valuable assets on their balance sheets. In one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country, decisions related to the sale and purchase of property are vastly more impactful. As such, an appreciation of the market dynamics at play is critical to making informed financial planning decisions.
Over half of Americans over the age of 65 will require significant long-term care at some point in their life. Long-term care entails assistance with two or more activities of daily living including; eating, bathing, dressing, transferring, and elements of hygienic maintenance.
Positive news, along with affirmations by our U. S. Federal Reserve on the outlook for interest rates, have helped stock values rebound. Solid Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing reports are showing the economy is still growing. Unemployment is at the lowest level in over a half-century with 304,000 non-farm jobs added in January, while wages are growing. As a result, we do not see a recession this year as likely, but 2020 may be more probable.