Personal Finance — The California Magazine https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/ California business, technology, real estate, and culture — reporting on the people building the state's economy. en-us © 2026 The California Magazine Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:32:14 GMT How California State Disability Insurance and paid family leave work https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/how-california-state-disability-insurance-works/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/how-california-state-disability-insurance-works/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Two programmes funded by the same payroll deduction, covering different situations. Most employees do not know they have either until they need one. Nina Sokolov Personal Finance How California taxes capital gains, and why it differs from federal https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/how-california-taxes-capital-gains/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/how-california-taxes-capital-gains/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT California makes no distinction between long-term and short-term gains. Everything is ordinary income, which changes the arithmetic of when to sell. Nina Sokolov Personal Finance When a California property transfer triggers reassessment, and when it does not https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/how-property-tax-reassessment-works-on-a-transfer/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/how-property-tax-reassessment-works-on-a-transfer/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Reassessment resets the tax basis to market value. A small number of transfers are excluded, and the exclusions are narrower than most families expect. Nina Sokolov Personal Finance What to check before buying a home in a California wildfire zone https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/what-to-check-before-buying-in-a-wildfire-zone/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/what-to-check-before-buying-in-a-wildfire-zone/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Hazard designation affects insurance, financing, disclosure and rebuild rules. All of it is knowable before you make an offer. Nina Sokolov Personal Finance Why California home insurance became so hard to buy, and what the options are https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/why-california-home-insurance-got-harder/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/personal-finance/why-california-home-insurance-got-harder/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Insurers withdrew because the modelled risk moved faster than approved rates could. Understanding the mechanism explains what actually helps a homeowner. Nina Sokolov Personal Finance