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January 2026
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Resolution Ready Refresh Your Estate Plan
Happy New Year!
WE BELIEVE EVERYONE NEEDS AN ESTATE PLAN.
Whether you traveled abroad, crossed the country, or enjoyed the comforts of home this past season, we hope you had meaningful time with loved ones and the opportunity to rest and recharge as 2025 came to a close. January is often when we put our New Year’s resolutions into motion. While studies suggest that only about 8% of people maintain their resolutions through the end of the year, and many gym memberships go unused, keeping your estate plan current is one resolution that should never be overlooked. Now is an ideal time to review your existing estate plan, especially if it has been several years since you last examined it. Be sure your health care directives accurately reflect your wishes and confirm that your designated health care agents are still appropriate and available to
serve. It is also important to review your living trust to ensure your chosen trustee(s) remain capable of fulfilling their responsibilities and that your beneficiary designations are accurate and up to date. Even seemingly routine life changes can have a meaningful impact on your estate plan. Career changes, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, marriage or divorce, and other major life events are common reasons estate planning documents should be reviewed and updated. As a reminder, Falk Barrot & Associates offers a complimentary trust review every three years . If it has been that long — or longer — since your last review, we encourage you to take advantage of this service. An estate plan works best when it reflects your life as it is today and your most current intentions for the future. Please contact us to schedule an evaluation and begin 2026 with confidence and peace of mind. However, finding the right time or motivation can seem overwhelming. We understand estate planning — discussing death and money — is a daunting task, and that people may struggle to find accurate information. Yet, if they don’t plan, the State of California will get unnecessarily involved, often causing additional delays and expenses. If your friend or family member would benefit from learning more about Living Trusts or Estate Planning, please have them join us for an upcoming Living Trust and Estate Planning Webinar: Wednesday, January 21st, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, February 11th, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 17th, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Please contact Heather at 650-463-1550 or Heather@falkbarrot.com for additional information and registration. Webinars are presented via Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
2026 FEDERAL GIFT AND ESTATE TAX LAW UPDATES
Federal Gift Tax The annual federal gift tax exclusion has been maintained for 2026, allowing each taxpayer to gift up to $19,000 per year to any one individual without reporting the gift and without reducing the taxpayer’s available federal estate tax exemption. A married couple may gift up to $38,000 per year to any one individual. There is no limit on the number of individuals to whom a taxpayer may make annual gifts. However, any taxpayer who gifts more than $19,000 to any one person in a calendar year is required to file a federal gift tax return (IRS Form 709), and the amount in excess of the annual exclusion will reduce the taxpayer’s available federal estate tax exemption at death. Federal Estate Tax The federal estate tax exemption has increased to $15,000,000 for an individual taxpayer and $30,000,000 for married taxpayers. This allows an individual to pass up to $15,000,000 , and a married couple to pass up to $30,000,000 (reduced by any taxable gifts made during lifetime, as discussed above), without incurring federal estate tax liability. Any portion of an estate that exceeds the applicable federal estate tax exemption is subject to federal estate tax at a rate of 40% .
—Heather Russell
FalkBarrot.com
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When Wills Get Weird
FINAL WISHES THAT RAISED EYEBROWS
Money and property are typically the first things that come to mind when we think about a will. And while most are straightforward, some final wishes leave behind a story that’s stranger than fiction. Looking at some of the oddest inheritances ever recorded reveals more personality than practicality. Take Blackie the cat. When British antique dealer Ben Rea passed away, his family was probably more than disappointed to learn that he had left his entire fortune (nearly £7 million) to his beloved pet. That decision made headlines everywhere and turned Blackie into the richest cat in the world. Then there’s the story of John Bowman from Vermont. He believed in reincarnation and was convinced he and his family would return in another life. Not wanting to come back from the dead without the luxuries he was used to, Bowman set up a trust to keep his mansion staffed and ready for his family’s arrival. For decades, mansion staff prepared meals and kept up the house in case the
Bowmans walked through the door. The ritual continued for over 70 years before the funds finally ran out.
Canada gave us the “Great Stork Derby.” In 1926, an attorney named Charles Vance Millar launched a bizarre contest by leaving money to the Toronto woman who had the most children in the decade following his death. The result was a citywide baby boom and years of courtroom battles as families fought over the inheritance. Some wills came with mystery. One wealthy businessman left a coded message among his papers that pointed to buried riches. His heirs initially thought it was a joke, but after looking into it, they uncovered buried treasure worth millions. Of course, these stories are far from the norm. Most wills won’t fund banquets for the dead, start a baby boom, or turn a cat into a millionaire. Still, these strange requests show that estate planning is a personal process, and final wishes aren’t always about money.
BRINGING HOME A NEW PET?
QUICK TIPS TO START PET LIFE RIGHT
Bringing home a new pet for the first time can be exciting and nerve-wracking. One moment, you might be thinking of quiet nights curled up on the couch with your new furry friend, and then suddenly catch yourself worrying whether your carpets and furniture
them any good. Birds, reptiles, and other unusual pets have their own needs, so it’s worth doing a little homework before buying. Routine also makes life easier. Feed them at the same times, build in bathroom breaks, and play regularly. Miss a walk, and your dog will remind you in no uncertain terms. Socialization matters, too. If you have a puppy, try mixing up your walking routes. Exposing it to different streets with new sights, sounds, and smells stimulates it in a good way and reduces anxiety. Kittens should be given space to explore without being pushed. A rescue cat may take weeks before it relaxes, but patience usually wins. And don’t delay that first vet visit. Even if your pet looks fine, an early exam can catch problems and set you up with a vaccine schedule. Some clinics even discount first visits, especially for rescues. The first few weeks as a new pet owner can be messy. Shoes might get chewed, accidents happen, and sleep takes a hit. Over time, though, the rough edges fade into stories. Before long, the same animal that kept you on your toes will become one of the best parts of your household.
will survive. That mix of feelings is perfectly normal, but preparation can help keep your stress levels down.
Start by getting your house ready. Tuck away cords, move toxic houseplants, and set up an area with food and a bed. Puppies and kittens are like curious toddlers. They always seem to find the one thing you missed, so assume anything left out could be chewed, batted, or swallowed.
Food is another early test. For dogs, real meat should be at the top of the list. Cats need the same, since grain-heavy diets don’t do
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The Unexpected Inventions of WWI BORN IN THE TRENCHES
TAKE A BREAK
BOOTS CANDLES CARNATION FURNACE GARNET HOCKEY INSULATE JANUS OPPOSITE RESOLUTION
World War I doesn’t usually make people think of fashion or fitness. The images that often come to mind are mud, wire, and smoke. However, while the war tore borders apart, inventions were also developed that found their way into everyday life. Take the trench coat, for example. Officers needed something lighter than wool when they were slogging through wet ground. London retailers Burberry and Aquascutum designed coats that kept the rain out and had straps for gear. They worked so well that people wore them long after the fighting stopped and never went out of style. The same shift happened with watches. Before the war, women mostly wore wristwatches, and men carried pocket watches on chains. A pocket watch worked fine for civilian life but not while fighting a battle in the trenches. Strapping a watch to the wrist freed up both hands, which made a big difference in combat. Once the habit formed, pocket watches never really came back. Shortages also created new products. Cotton was hard to get, so Kimberly-Clark developed Cellucotton for bandages. Nurses noticed it worked as a makeshift sanitary pad, which led to Kotex. A few years later, the same material was sold in a thinner form as Kleenex, first as a makeup remover and eventually as the tissue we all know. The zipper was also useful during wartime. Known then as the “hookless fastener,” it was sewn into money belts and flight suits. It beat rows of buttons for speed, and the design spread into everyday clothing once the war ended. Even Pilates has roots in that era. Joseph Pilates, a German held in Britain, made resistance gear out of bed springs so men stuck in camp hospitals could stay strong. His idea for keeping people moving became a fitness program that later took over gyms worldwide. It’s strange to think that the same war that brought barbed wire and poison gas also left behind coats, watches, tissues, and a form of exercise. These items have become so integrated into daily life that most people never guess where they started. That’s the odd legacy of World War I.
SKATING SWEATER
Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
Ingredients
• 3 dried guajillo chiles • 2 dried ancho chiles • 1 medium onion, chopped • 4 garlic cloves • 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes • 3 lbs beef chuck roast • 2 cups beef broth • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried oregano • 2 tsp ground cumin • 2 bay leaves • 1 tsp salt • Pepper, to taste • Corn tortillas • Fresh cilantro and diced onion for garnish
Directions 1. Soak dried chiles in hot water for 15 minutes. 2. Process chiles, onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. 3. Place beef in a slow cooker and pour the chili mixture over it. 4. Add beef broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. 5. Cook on low for 8–10 hours or until the beef is tender. 6. Shred the beef using forks, then mix back into the sauce. 7. Fry tortillas in oil until crispy, then assemble tacos as desired.
Inspired by Inspired by SimpleWhisk.com
FalkBarrot.com
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865 Laurel Street, Ste. 4 San Carlos, CA 94070 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Fortify Your Future
2
The Strangest Inheritances on Record
A First-Timer’s Guide to Pet Prep
3
Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
WWI Inventions Still Used Today
4
Why Intentions Matter in Estate Planning
Avoiding Inheritance Misunderstandings BEYOND FAIR SHARES
When it comes to estate planning, many feel the simplest solution is to distribute everything equally to heirs and avoid the fight. That may look nice and neat on paper, but equal splits can feel anything but fair in practice. In a British Columbia case, a mother left her rental property to be shared between her son and daughter. The arrangement looked straightforward from the outside. However, the daughter discovered that her brother had already received close to $3 million in lifetime gifts from the estate, while her gifts totaled $120,000. She challenged the will, and the court agreed with her. In this case, a tidy 50–50 split didn’t square with the history behind it. Situations like this one show how sensitive inheritances can be. Families often read meaning into bequests. Someone who receives a larger share may be seen as being favored, while a smaller one can feel
like punishment. Even if an estate planning decision is practical, like leaving more for a child who needs it most, it can be misinterpreted and lead to resentment. That’s why families need to sit down and talk through these decisions together. It can be tempting to “settle it in the will” and escape the discomfort of hard conversations, but silence can often cause more pain later. Even if uncomfortable, an open discussion gives everyone a chance to understand intentions before it’s too late. Estate planning should be about more than distributing money. It’s also about preserving relationships and leaving behind clarity and a sense of love in inheritance decisions. Achieving this requires a combination of careful planning and honest conversations. It can be difficult, but you can gift your family assets and understanding with the right approach.
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