Florida Court of Appeals Makes State an Asset Protection Haven

Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled that a debtor cannot be compelled to turn over a stock certificate in a company located outside of Florida. In this case the debtor owned a myriad of foreign corporations, based in the Netherlands, the Bahamas and the...

California Private Retirement Plans Encourage Savings

Corporate pension plans, or defined benefit plans, which provide lifetime income to retirees are growing closer to extinction.  In 1979, 38% of workers in the private sector were covered by these plans and now the figure has declined to less than 15%.  Public...

When Is Privacy Legitimate?

As part of the Treasury Department’s battle against money laundering, stricter disclosure requirements are at hand for beneficiaries of bank and financial accounts. Regulators have pulled back from the most onerous proposals, which would compel banks themselves...

Asset Protection For Lawsuit Risks

Protecting your personal and business assets against liability risks and lawsuits has two key parts:  setting up the proper legal structures that insulate assets from liability claims (as permitted by law) and taking steps to discourage lawsuits based on a “Deep...

New Taxes May Hit Californians Hard

California is hoping its wealthiest residents will turn its budget black — and keep it there. The Golden State gets six out of every ten dollars of revenue from income tax, and thanks to a November ballot measure pushed by Governor Jerry Brown, it’s going...

How Data is Searched to Find What You Own

Before the Internet, separate bits and pieces of information about your life were scattered in dusty file drawers and county records around the country. Your birth certificate, driving records, insurance file, marriage licenses, and loan applications were maintained...