Stanley and Iris is a movie that sneaks up on you. While you may or may not be able to relate to middle America, most of us somewhere in our background at least had a taste of it. This delightful movie puts you right there in the middle of it. Every day factory worker, Iris …

Conveying our family and belongings from one location to another has existed forever. The vehicle of choice to make the trek has changed over the years. First, there was the horse and buck board, some years later emerged the station wagon, suburban, van, minivan, SUV, and now the Ford Flex. Ok, yes, I know I …

Earthquake in Japan, nuclear meltdown, tensions in the Middle-East, rising gas prices, high unemployment, soaring deficits, and the European debt crisis—wow, what an incredible list of things to worry about! Yet, the equity markets continued to move higher. How can this be? I would argue that seeing the market go up during times of worry …

I sat there freezing my buns off wondering if I would be safe or not. I convinced myself it’s just a Little League game and those rugrats are only eight-years-old. Dangerous would certainly not be the word description I was looking for here. That is, until a ball flew out of no where and landed …

When I see new clients, one of the first things I ask them is whether they have any existing estate planning documents. Is there a Trust, Will, Financial Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive? Often I find out that clients have to search through their files to bring me the requested paperwork. Documents are …

Q. My spouse and I live in Blackhawk. Our home has significantly decreased in value since the peak market a few years back and now we are thinking of ‘short-selling’ it. I’ve heard that the success of a short sale depends heavily not only on the amount of the mortgage forgiveness but also on the …

It happens to all of us: new golfers, expert golfers and professional golfers. One good shot followed up with a bad shot. Good one day, bad the next. Lowest round ever and the next time you go out it’s as if you haven’t touched the club in a year. Holing every putt on the front …

The last six months have been nirvana for Bay Area baseball fans. The Giants won the World Series, the championship trophy toured the region to give fans an up close look, spring training was a six week party, the World Championship banner is hanging from the flag pole, and the players received their diamond encrusted …

Q. Do snails become immune to snail bait? A. Snails do not build up immunity to the typical baits. This can occur with some insects when they are repeatedly exposed to non-lethal dosage of a chemical. Their immune system builds up a resistance over several generations. This is not the case with the Brown Garden …

Since the euphoria of the Giants first World Championship, the sports scene has become something of a bummer. The two sides of the Pro Football dispute are nowhere close to an agreement. We just witnessed maybe the worst NCAA final basketball game ever. The reigning home run champ is on trial. Let’s see if we …