108: Is Your Loved One Really Safe in Their Nursing Home?
Absolute Trust Talk
It’s a scenario you’d never want to imagine — let alone experience — but it happens more often than you’d think. After doing hours and hours of research, and asking all the right questions to a list of skilled nursing facility candidates for a loved one who needs long-term care, you decided on what you believe was the best option. Later on, you come to find out that your loved one failed to receive the care they were promised and showed signs of abuse. If you’re like many people, you may have thought that facilities like the one you chose were guided by a sense of duty to the...
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107: What Are Commonly Overlooked Money Issues When Splitting Assets in a Divorce?
Absolute Trust Talk
Whether you’ve experienced it yourself or have seen it happen to someone close to you, you’re likely to agree that there aren’t many life events that are more emotionally taxing than divorce. Two lives that have been bound together — by law and through shared experiences — are severed, and with that comes the necessities required to complete that break. The emotional component, however, often makes every step in the process as contentious as it can be, with both parties not only going to the mat to look after their own best interests but sometimes — let’s face it — also...
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106: What’s Left of the Presley Estate? Lessons Learned from Elvis & Lisa Marie
Absolute Trust Talk
Ever since the mid-’50s, when “That’s Alright Mama” hit the airwaves and marked his rise to stardom, Elvis Presley has been lauded as one of the most galvanizing figures in the history of popular music. He became a household name as quickly as anyone ever had in his pre-social media time and would go on to have an incredible 149 songs make the Billboard Top 100 Pop Chart. He would also become the ultimate Las Vegas fixture — the prototype creator of what is now known today as the “Las Vegas Residency.” Sold-out concerts, hit songs, packed theatres. Elvis generated a LOT of money....
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105: AB Trust: Do You Have One? Do You Need One?
Absolute Trust Talk
Ever open a closet drawer only to discover something from your past that’s long since been rendered obsolete? More often than not, this obsolescence comes by virtue of outdated technology — or, in the case of clothing, because of a shift in what’s considered fashionable. Think VHS players, a Sony Walkman . . . parachute pants. While you probably wouldn’t expect to find any such relics within the realm of estate planning, they might just exist there too. If you’re married, an excellent case in point is the AB trust you’ve been holding onto for quite some time — maybe without...
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104: Two Years After its Passing, Has Proposition 19 Delivered on its Promises to California Homeowners?
Absolute Trust Talk
California’s Proposition 19 was passed as a constitutional amendment about two years ago amid quite a bit of confusion. A large part of this stemmed from the misleading rationale that positioned it mainly as a means to extend a financial lifeline to Californians whose homes were destroyed by wildfire or other natural disasters. This paved the way for them to transfer their property tax base to a new home in any of California’s 58 counties and thus rebuild their lives after such a tragedy. Obscuring things further were also some takebacks from the homeowner benefits offered, which largely...
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102: Bay Area Housing Market Prices, Trends, and What’s Next for 2023
Absolute Trust Talk
For most of us — especially those nearing retirement age or are already there — our home is our most valuable asset, so it’s impossible not to focus on the many factors that affect its worth. While prices tend to go up over time, it’s short-term, as of late, that have caused some rather dramatic changes. When the pandemic hit, the primary residence became a hot commodity. Why? Because people were spending 24/7 in their homes, working, and living in one space. In the Bay Area, that caused a roughly 20% appreciation in specific areas like Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. A stark...
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101: What Does My Family Need to Know About My Estate Plan Before it’s too Late?
Absolute Trust Talk
The quest to follow a client’s wishes will always top the list of priorities for any conscientious estate attorney — keeping all parties concerned out of court likely runs not far behind — and while there’s no failsafe way to ensure that priority #2 is 100% achieved, having an honest and open communication among family members about your estate plan is the best way to stack the odds in your favor. The subject of estate planning can make family members feel a little uneasy, even when some of its most obvious aspects are often left unspoken. For example, where to find the estate planning...
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100: Tips and Tools for Buying a Home Despite Rising Interest Rates
Absolute Trust Talk
Since, for nearly everyone, a home mortgage represents the biggest — and most important — loan of all, rising interest rates have made home buying more of a challenge. But if you happen to be a prospective homeowner, that’s no reason to give up. The connection between the Fed raising interest rates and experiencing more pain in your wallet when you apply for a home loan is often misunderstood — the relationship isn’t quite as direct as you might expect. And while you can’t help but notice that home loan rates are higher than they were just a few months back, from a historical...
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099: A Creative Solution to the Special Needs Housing Challenge
Absolute Trust Talk
Caring for someone with special needs is not only challenging but often isolating as well. The responsibilities that come with this role are emotionally heavy and offer no real “time off,” so caretakers spend a big part of their lives feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of their everyday lives. These responsibilities are usually for the long haul, and a good deal of the strain that comes with being a caretaker for someone with special needs centers on making the proper long-term preparations. Future housing considerations certainly top that list. When faced with significant challenges, we...
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098: What Are the Top Ten (Plus) Estate Planning Myths?
Absolute Trust Talk
Considering what might potentially hang in the balance, logic would suggest that when it comes time to prepare an estate plan, nearly all of us would stick to a “just the facts” approach, steering clear of secondhand and ill-conceived advice from friends or flat-out inaccurate information that’s been handed down from generation to generation. But let’s be honest, estate planning can have its complexities and be confusing, so often, the information we have from our peers might be all we have. The problem is, when it comes time to put an estate plan into action, it’s usually too late...
info_outlineThe thoughts around becoming a naturalized citizen can be, well, daunting. Many wonder if it’s worth the time and effort. Absolute Trust Talk guest and immigration law expert Nadia Yakoob encourages all clients, and those wondering about the process, to take the time and make an effort because the benefits far outweigh taking no action at all.
Nadia has been practicing immigration law for 18 years. She immigrated to the United States at the age of ten with her family after living in Singapore, Malaysia, the UK, and France. Her personal experiences have shaped her approach to her work and her clients. Nadia joins Kirsten in the studio for a new episode of Absolute Trust Talk to discuss everything about becoming a naturalized citizen: the requirements, the length of the process, details about filing, what the interview is like, even if it’s possible to have dual citizenship. An interesting and informational episode you don’t want to miss.
Top Takeaway from Episode #020:
- It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s not as difficult as you may think.
- The benefits are more than worth it.
Time-Stamped Show Notes:
2:56 – Nadia discusses the advantages of becoming a naturalized citizen
6:15 – Are there disadvantages to going through the naturalization process?
7:58 – Nadia shares the four requirements necessary to become a naturalized citizen
16:25 – Nadia discusses how she helps her clients through the process
20:02 – What does the naturalization interview process look like?
24:25 – This is how much it costs to file for naturalization.
25:29 – Kirsten asks Nadia to share how long the whole process takes
27:38 – Kirsten discusses the importance of naturalization and estate planning
Episode #020 Freebie:
How do you become a naturalized citizen? What are the requirements? What documents do you need? What does the process look like?
There are many advantages for a foreign national to acquire U.S. citizenship through naturalization. While the process might seem daunting – it does require some paperwork, time, and diligence – it’s not as overwhelming as many believe. Immigration law expert Nadia Yakoob is sharing with listeners a unique tool that discusses the benefits of acquiring U.S. citizenship, what the requirements are, what documents are necessary, plus a checklist to ensure you have all the information needed.
Click here to access your free copy!
Resources/Tools/Links Mentioned In This Episode: