The basic purpose of a trust is to place authority over assets in a person other than the intended ultimate beneficiary of those assets. The goals to be achieved with trusts in place can range from creditor protection of the beneficiary, providing for an incapacitated beneficiary, preservation of a beneficiary’s government and need-based benefits, to [...]
It will of course be a shock to learn of a loved one’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. The first step will no doubt be to immediately seek preventative medical treatment, but it is just as important to consider the impact on your loved one’s assets and to seek advice on financial and [...]
Although the legal age of majority here in Texas is 18 years old, I have yet to meet a parent that agrees with that definition! If you don’t plan in advance, your child would be able to directly access their inheritance on their eighteenth birthday. If something happens to you and your spouse, would your [...]
When it comes to our clients and their estate planning, most of them want to make sure that their children are treated equally. To that end, a typical client leaves their property in equal shares to their kids. But what about naming an executor (aka the person in charge of administering the estate)? Should [...]
There is no law in Texas that requires an adult child to pay a parent’s nursing home bill out of their own personal funds. Likewise, under federal law a nursing home cannot require you to commit to pay your parent’s nursing home bill before admitting your parent to the facility. However, this does not [...]
It's that time of year again. The administrator of your tax-deferred account (IRA or 401K) will call advising you on your required minimum distribution (RMD). Often, the account holder's response is, "Darn, here's the government making me pay taxes on this money." Therefore, their goal is to take only the minimum distribution and pay the [...]
Many retirees or people considering retirement forget to budget for healthcare when they are planning for retirement. After all, most employees receive health insurance through their employer. However, medical expenses are one of the largest expenses of a retired person, and the costs are often underestimated. There are generally four types of health care [...]
Remarriage for a surviving spouse is highly probably. Have your planned for this? What difference does it make?