Here’s one celebrity savvy about estate planning. Actor and producer Brad Pitt has an estate plan that will keep his money away from his ex and benefit his children through a $250 million trust. After reading about so many celebrities who fail to plan for the future, it’s refreshing to…
Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
Leaving a Legacy? Expand What That Means
Your legacy is far richer than your assets and possessions. Planning to pass on a legacy to your family becomes more rewarding, when it includes non-tangibles, like values and treasured family stories. Who wants to think about death, dying and bank accounts? Not too many people do. That’s why so…
Another Facet of Social Security to Learn: The Earnings Test
If it seems like every time you start to understand Social Security, there’s something else to learn, you’re right. However, this is an important part of your retirement income, so it’s important to understand. The Social Security earnings test is a way that the agency determines the limit of the…
How Does a Corporate Trustee Differ From a Family Member?
Most of us consider naming a friend or relative with a background in finance or law to be a trustee for our family, but there is an alternative that is important to consider. A corporate trustee will have a very different approach to managing a trust, and depending on your…
Preparing for the Realities of Aging and Dementia
A healthy life where you retain all your faculties and enjoy yourself, is definitely preferred to decades of dementia. We don’t get to choose, but we can plan. As Baby Boomers continue to change the face of aging, and so many embrace the idea of genetic testing, many are confronted…
Aging Parents and the Important Conversations to Have Now, Not Later
The roles are reversed when parents age. You can’t count on them to take the lead in having discussions about money, health, aging and other concerns that come in the later years. When you were a kid, your parents were in charge. Now your parents are older, and you must…
Robert Indiana, LOVE Artist’s Estate in Litigation
“The man who took care of Robert Indiana in the last years of his life, told a probate court hearing Wednesday that he was paid roughly $250,000 a year to tend to the aging artist, whose estate and legacy are now the subject of acrimony and lawsuits.” Under questioning by…
More Information Equals A Better Outcome in Retirement Planning
Most people who work for a living dream of retirement. However, for many workers, the idea of retirement comes with its own worries. Will there be enough money? Will I be healthy enough to enjoy it? Money and health are the two biggest worries about retirement. There are other unknowns:…
Are You or Will You Become a “Solo Ager”?
“Solo agers or Elder Orphans face unique challenges, as their needs begin to change.” Did you know that a study from the Pew Research Center says about 20% of the 75 million baby boomers don’t have children—a figure that’s double what it was in the 1970s and one that’s expected…
Dementia and Estate Planning, From a Voice of Experience
Professionals who have had clients with family members suffering from dementia have a greater understanding of the challenges these families face. However, living through the experience personally is totally different. When a loved one receives a diagnosis of dementia, as described in this deeply personal article from Financial Advisor, “The…