Below are a few important considerations for estate planning for second (or subsequent) marriages. If you find yourself looking at marriage for the second or third time, you may want to browse over to The Des Moines Register for an article entitled “Estate planning for a second marriage” that discusses…
Articles Posted in Probate Attorney
Is Estate Tax Nearing Death Sentence?
The House voted last week to repeal the estate tax, a longtime priority of Republicans that also spurred Democratic charges that the GOP is in the pockets of the rich. The 240-179 vote broke down largely on partisan lines, with seven Democrats voting to repeal the estate tax and three…
Late-Life Marriages Go Beyond the Music Selection
Coming together at 50-plus is different from getting married in your 20s, particularly when it comes to money. "You've had a lifetime of solidifying your money beliefs" and behaviors, says Janet Stanzak, president of the Financial Planning Association. These are some ways to smooth the transition if you're tying the…
Houston Millennials Require New Financial Planning Strategies
Financial planner Joe Pitzl, 34, says Millennials like himself have a different way of absorbing information than their parents and grandparents, and as a result planners in that age group take a more collaborative approach. As reported in a recent USA Today article, titled “For Millennials goal is financial freedom,”…
Retirement and Estate Planning: Tax Codes Kinder to Married Couples
Although some couples remain unmarried to protect their estates, that strategy backfires if you end up paying estate taxes. If you choose not to marry, you and your partner need to educate yourselves on your estate planning and retirement options. If you’re married, you’re able to inherit an unlimited amount…
Caution: Possible Estate Planning Mistakes!
"The costliest errors are ones we make ourselves, often without realizing how much damage we're doing." "Estate planning is intertwined with the financial plan," a newsmax.com article explained, and it’s no secret that many individuals fail to prepare for retirement. When doing an estate plan, the article offers some sound…
Are Houston Boomers Neglecting Their Estate Planning?
"If you are looking at Baby Boomers, they are looking at what their cash flow will be in retirement," says Carol Kroch, managing director, wealth and philanthropic planning at Wilmington Trust in Wilmington, Del. "Can they do the things they want to do? Can they retire? Can they keep the…
Retirement Planning Mishaps Can Impact Houston Seniors
Here are a few of the most common mistakes we’ve seen seniors make in regard to their retirement planning. Sometimes knowing what NOT to do is just as important as knowing what to do. So it is with retirement planning. Physician’s Money Digest lists some of the most common mistakes…
Does Your Houston Estate Plan Need a Charitable Remainder Trust?
When Detroit businessman Dick E. Morand died in 1977, he ensured that his estate would continue giving for decades after his death via a charitable remainder trust. Morand died at the age of 87. He was founder and owner of D.E. Machinery Company and was vice president of Addy-Morand Machinery…
What Lessons Learned from Fox’s “Empire?”
Empire is based on fictitious music company called Empire Enterprises. Lead character Lucious Lyon (played by actor Terrence Howard) is racing to name a successor for his company after learning he has months to live due to an ALS diagnosis. His sons Jamal, Hakeem, and Andre duke it out to…