A well-planned estate is a wonderful legacy you can leave your heirs — instead of untangling a messy estate, they can follow concrete steps, allowing them to take care of business while mourning their loved one. Document gathering can be overwhelming when it come to a loved one's passing. What…
Articles Posted in Tax Planning
It’s Time Again: Year-End Planning for Houston Families
As 2014 dwindles down, it’s time to consider your year-end planning. The holidays will be here before you know it, and that means the end of 2014 is near. Have you started your year-end planning yet? A recent article in the Physician's Money Digest, titled "10 Financial Planning Tips for…
Why Should Houston Residents Have a Will?
"If you make a will you can distribute the wealth as per your wish and avoid many hassles. It particularly becomes more complicated if there are immovable properties involved and there are disputes on the values of such properties," says Ashish Kehair, EVP and head – private wealth and international businesses, ICICI Securities. Why…
Reverse Mortgage Schmortgage … Look at Other Options in Houston
Home equity loans can be problematic if not done correctly and require careful attention to the rights of the surviving spouse, if you are married. And of course, the end of the process means you or your heirs give up your home. There are other ways to tap into your…
Houston Residents: What Can Happen If You Don’t Sign Your Will!
The legal dispute surrounding the roughly $200 million estate of the late Charlotte developer Henry Faison has been resolved, with his company winning forgiveness of more than $100 million in loans he’d extended to it. In this recent court case filed by Faison's sons, Jay and Lane, they asked…
Supreme Court Ruling Says IRAs Not Protected from Bankruptcy
As a result, financial advisers and families are taking steps to shield IRA assets for children and other beneficiaries in case those heirs ever find themselves in bankruptcy proceedings. Is your IRA protected from creditors in the event of bankruptcy? Not anymore. Because of the recent unanimous high court decision,…
Are Online Estate Planning Forms Worth the Risk for Houston Families?
The online forms you come across may or may not work. These forms tend to not be state specific which means your will may or may not be valid. If you are going to take the time to draft a will or any other estate planning document (which you should),…
Living Trust Advantages for Houston Families
A revocable living trust is similar to a will in that it indicates how you would like your assets to be distributed after your death and can be amended anytime. While you should always have a will, a living trust—which is simply a trust set up during your lifetime as…
Talking to Your Kids about Your Houston Estate Plan
Talking to family members about estate planning and legacies can be difficult and even painful. Those discussions, however, will almost certainly be less painful in the long run than the stories children may make up after parents are gone about why they made the choices they did. Should you tell…
Consider These Inheritance Planning Questions for Houston Estates
Making decisions about the disposition of your assets can be an emotionally fraught and time-consuming process. Take small steps and seek expert guidance to realize your plans for the financial care of your families. Who gets what when it comes to your estate? The process of distributing your assets is…