Caring for children with special needs can require a lot of financial and logistical planning to ensure they're experiencing the best quality of life possible. There is much thought and planning that goes into caring for a child with special needs. And that planning should go beyond your lifetime, just…
Not only can dementia lead to poor financial decision-making; it can also make sufferers susceptible to financial fraud. You cannot predict whether or not you or your spouse will develop dementia later in life. But because dementia is such a real possibility to face for many Houston households, it is…
"We say to people: 'If you do nothing, your money will go to the state. Is that what you want?' That's enough to make them want to consider something else," says Andrew Russell, a certified financial planner in San Diego. If you have no spouse or children, you may feel…
So how do DAPTs work in a marriage to protect assets? Do they need to be set up before the marriage? Can they be set up during the marriage? Marriage might be that last step in bringing two people and two lives together. Nevertheless, that moment often causes one to…
[Dr. V.J. Periyakoil] and her colleagues wanted to learn more about the attitudes of young doctors toward advance directives. So the researchers asked what choices they would make for themselves if they were terminally ill. How do people make their end-of-life decisions? Everyone varies medically, intellectually and culturally. In addition,…
It’s not that there are different estate-planning tools for each sex. But women are likelier to live longer, they’re likelier to be custodial parents and, speaking generally, women often approach the topic differently than men. Do you think estate planning for women is different than it is for men? Gender…
One of your first considerations should be where to keep your money. When you move abroad, you will most likely need to open a bank account in the new country in order to pay local bills. An increasing number of people are retiring on foreign shores. If you’re thinking about…
What is the $5 million federal estate-tax exclusion, and how does it work? Now that "tax time" is over for many Americans, the subject of taxes may not come up as often. In fact, when it comes to the estate tax you may not think about it until you sit…
"This plant will definitely outlive me," said Ms. Scoratow, a landlady who is 63 years old and in good health. "After I pass, I don't want her to go unloved." Your estate plan should include everything that is dear to you. Once you are gone you'll want to make sure…
Estate planning isn't exactly my idea of fun, but it's absolutely necessary. Just like you're planning for retirement, you need to plan for the inevitable. If you have taken the vow of “until death do us part,” have you considered what will happen if you are no longer here? Does your…