ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Surrender Charges on Whole and Universal Life Insurance If you are over age 60, live in California, and have surrendered a whole or universal life insurance policy, you may have paid a surrender penalty. You may also have suffered a tax loss on the surrender.  The California Insurance […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Government Announces Record Whistleblower Awards Earlier this year, record whistleblower awards were paid out on two separate cases.[1]  In the first, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reported that two whistleblowers would receive a combined $61 million in awards.  The SEC’s previous record was $30 million.  Separately, the […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Actions You Can Take Notifying Bank, Lender and Credit Reporting Agencies Each year millions of Americans are victims of identity theft. Thieves access bank accounts, credit cards, online payment services, and home equity lines of credit. You need to know what you should do and what your rights […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER  The Arbitration Clause In Your Fitbit Contract Consumer products often come with written terms and conditions, usually a little pamphlet in the box. The terms and conditions are mini-contracts and the manufacturer claims you agreed to the terms when you made your purchase.  Your Fitbit comes with terms […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER What Does the Law Mean by “Undue Influence”? Isolated seniors may be victims of “undue influence” by others who lead the vulnerable senior into a transaction or contract that causes injury. Persons exerting undue influence over seniors include caregivers, insurance agents, financial advisors, fiduciaries, and others who seek […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Elder Abuse Is An Epidemic Millions of Americans have suffered from elder abuse in one form or another. Most cases of elder abuse go unreported according to government agencies and nonprofits who work to protect seniors.  As our population ages, the incidents and forms of elder abuse will […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER FINRA Cracking Down on Faulty Annuity Replacements Cracking Down on Exploitation The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is looking closely at brokers guilty of churning their clients’ annuities. The churning (or replacements) resulted in heavy surrender charges, fees, and tax bills for the cheated clients. The San Francisco […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Elder Law: Planning, Prevention, and Protection May has been designated as National Elder Law Month by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), a professional association of lawyers dedicate to improving the quality of legal services provided to older Americans. The aging population in America is exploding […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Beware The Hype Annuities Are Complex And Dangerous To Your Pocketbook Annuities are complex, long-term insurance contracts, especially deferred annuities. Agents and carriers often sell inappropriate or unsuitable annuity contracts to consumers, especially seniors. Agents and companies pitch the annuities as sound retirement investments offering income security late […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Closed Bank Accounts Banks routinely close inactive accounts and our California Elder Abuse attorneys have seen this happen to seniors especially.  An account may have been opened years ago and forgotten or addresses changed. Banks close accounts due to inactivity over periods of time. When a bank closes […]