People who take good care of their children take good care of their money, and people who take good care of their money take good care of their children. Money can bring about both the good and the bad, depending on how one uses it. So you can imagine how…
Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
More Medicare Coverage For Mental Health Costs May Aid Houston Residents
“Hopefully, older adults who previously were unable to afford to see a therapist will now be more likely to do so,” said Andrea Callow, a policy lawyer with the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Now that 2014 is officially here, it's time to start reviewing the Obamacare provisions that went into…
New Year, New Estate Plan for Houston Residents
Estate planning is a difficult topic to address because it requires you to think about a world without you in it. No one likes to reflect on their own demise, which is why many people simply put estate planning off for another day and only get around to it when…
Inheritance Isn’t Always About The Cash
“Money can be divided pretty evenly, but the teacup that grandma always used? Maybe there’s only a $2 value associated with that teacup, but because of the sentimental value and the emotions around it, that causes the controversy.” While it is easier to think about an inheritance as money or…
An IRA That Protects Heirs From Themselves
One big advantage of the trusteed IRAs: IRA owners can prevent their beneficiaries from spending down the accounts right away. An IRA is a very powerful tool, if you use it right. Your IRA can essentially serve estate planning purposes beyond simple retirement funding in the form of a “trusteed…
Beneficiary Designation Debacle
If your beneficiaries are out-of-date, when you die, your assets could go [to] the wrong people – a former spouse, for example – no matter what your will says. Often, the biggest mistakes we can make when it comes to our estate planning are also some of the easiest to…
Four Business Succession Questions Houstonians Need to Ask
While your goal might be to attract the most qualified buyer that will pay the asking price and lead the company on a path of continued success, it is what you expect of your life post-sale that should constitute how you execute the deal. Done right, a business succession or…
Estate Planning For Your E-mail Account
What would happen to your e-mail accounts if you suddenly died? Are familiar with the notion of a digital estate? What happens to your online bank accounts, emails, social media and your entire digital presence on the web when you pass away? Imagine a world without you in which your…
529 Colleges Savings Plan – “Super-Fund” It!
You can stuff a lot of money into a 529 college savings plan now and then do the same thing at the beginning of 2014 – a strategy that advisers say they are seeing many wealthy clients adopt this year. Funding a 529 College Savings Plan before year-end is a…
Money Talks With Your Parents
Aging parents need to establish a plan and communicate it with their adult kids — and adult kids need to ask their parents about their finances. In our own lives, our parents start and run the money conversations from that first allowance to gearing up for those college loans and…