One of the challenges of asset distribution comes when your children’s lives have taken different turns. Do you leave your successful daughter the same amount of money that you would leave to a son, who can’t seem to find a direction? It’s not always easy, but decisions do need to…
It is important to understand the basics of special needs planning, so that you can plan for your child’s future. There are many issues to address, but an experienced Houston estate planning professional will be able to help. Special needs planning is challenging. It’s important to have a strong team…
It’s hard because you want to be sure your chosen person understands your wishes, your financial situation and can make good decisions on your behalf. Not everyone can do that. There is considerable responsibility that comes with being named an executor of an estate, explains MoneySense in the article “Should…
The idea that spouses and their stepchildren will share the legal power to make health care decision sounds good in theory, but, in practice, there may be some unexpected side effects. Simple things get complicated in blended families. The idea that stepchildren and a spouse will work together to make…
The foundation of your estate plan is a will, also known as a last will and testament. Depending upon your situation, your Houston area estate planning attorney may recommend additional documents, including trusts. The first part of your estate plan is the creation of a will to provide clear instructions…
No one plans to be elderly and alone, but if you are single and either have no immediate family members or are not close with your family, you need a game plan, if you need long term care of any kind. If you are married, or are close with your…
It seems like families need to spend more time discussing estate plans and their finances, especially if they are blended families, to prevent major disruptions. For the second consecutive year, family conflict was named as the biggest treat to estate planning by estate planning and elder law attorneys and other…
“Financial planning is an ongoing process that examines your goals, situation and finances, in order to determine if and how these goals can be met. It’s not a product-centric process, but often we use financial products like mutual funds, annuities and/or life insurance to achieve goals in the most efficient…
“Iowa Senator Charles Grassley is among those in Congress calling for a crackdown on elder abuse crimes in the country.” The witnesses of loved ones affected by elder abuse incidents testified at a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington. Those witnesses included Pat Blank, longtime Iowa Public Radio host,…
Life insurance is the bedrock of many people’s financial plan. There are more nuances to life insurance, than just buying a policy and paying premiums. It’s not the most fascinating topic, unless you’re in the business, but understanding the basics about life insurance can have big implications for you and…