"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…
Articles Posted in Probate Court
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…
Death and Debts: What Can You Do?
Sometimes, a loved one’s estate may include debt. Do you know what to do should if you are the spouse or heir that inherits debt? If you aren’t sure what to do with a loved one’s debts after they pass – or what to tell others to do with your…
Paper Stocks – What Did Ronald Read Teach Investors?
Individual investor Ronald Read has made the news because his personal investing strategy relied heavily on paper stock certificates. Today, investment advisors encourage individual investors to convert stock certificates to electronic form and consolidate stocks with a professionals so that heirs will have an accurate record of ownership. In addition…
Coach Dean Smith Leaves Legacy to Players Via Trust
Legendary Coach Dean Smith's estate is making news and not for vast wealth. The North Carolina basketball coach left $200 each to almost 200 players via his revocable trust. Typically, trusts are a private matter but Coach Smith's legion of admiring basketball players shared the news via social media. Revocable…
Divorcing? Re-Visit the Details of Your Houston Estate Plan
Once you're divorced you should immediately create a new estate plan — a will or revocable living trust, a healthcare power of attorney, and a living will ("pull the plug") designee. Read on for more estate planning must-do’s regarding divorce. A recent article in the The Huffington Post, titled “Divorce and…
“House of Cards” Offers Life Lesson: You Are Entitled to Nothing
Frank Underwood is not a real person. He’s the crooked politician portrayed by Kevin Spacey in the Netflix series “House of Cards” who claws his way into the White House by manipulating the press and ruthlessly crushing anyone that might get in his way. But sadly, with one line, he…
Don’t Just Think about Your Houston Estate, Plan It!
The sad truth is that most of us — some 70% of adult Americans — have neglected to write a will. Some think their assets are just too puny to worry about, others worry that the costs of writing a “last will and testament” are too high. But wills aren’t…
Distributing Houston Estate Among the Kids – Who Gets What?
In the book The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After 50, author Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz poses the following scenario: “I’m confused about how to divide my estate between my children, who have different needs and financial resources. Is it best to divide it into equal parts?” This question is directed at…