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How to stretch an inheritance

Josh Cretsinger — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:39:00 CDT

Q: I want my son to get an inheritance after I die, but I don�t want him to get it all at once. I�m afraid he would waste it instead of using it for necessities. How can I make sure he only gets a little bit at a time?

A: You need to create a trust and leave the inheritance to someone else who can hold the money for your son and give it to him in small amounts.

Don�t gamble with your estate

Josh Cretsinger — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:29:00 CDT

Last month I answered the following question: �Who gets my property if I don�t have a will?�

I explained in that column that if you die without a valid will, you die intestate. If you don�t have a proper estate plan in place, a probate court will have to determine your heirs according to state law. If that happens there�s a good chance the court will not distribute your property the same way you would have. The court has no particular concern for the best interests of you and your family.

Who gets my property if I don�t have a will?

Josh Cretsinger — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:13:00 CDT

If you die without a will�or some other means of transferring your property�your assets will be distributed according to Texas law.

It can be tricky to figure out �who gets what� because the answer depends on several factors. I can�t cover every detail of the law in this article, but I can hit the high points.

If you�re not married when you die�this would include single persons and widowers�but you do have children that survive you, all of your property will go to your children.

Isn�t it time you updated your estate plan?

Josh Cretsinger — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:34:00 CDT

If you have had any kind of estate planning documents prepared in your lifetime � documents such as a will, a trust, or powers of attorney � you deserve to be congratulated. Most people still believe that estate planning is only for the rich and they fail to provide even the most basic protection for their families.

Want to avoid probate? Let�s talk.

Josh Cretsinger — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:27:00 CDT

Last month I had an eye-opening conversation with a gentleman about estate planning. From the very beginning, he told me that one of the goals he wanted to achieve � in fact, it was at the top of his list � was to avoid probate. Above all else, he wanted his property to go directly to his children, completely unmolested by the court or any blood-sucking attorneys.

Avoid these �poison pills� when planning your estate

Josh Cretsinger — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:19:00 CDT

Over the years, I’ve learned that the most difficult estate planning problems do not involve legal or technical issues. They involve human nature. It’s easy to tell someone which estate planning documents they need. It’s impossible to tell them how people will react when they die.

Estate planning documents should be tailored to fit your specific needs

Josh Cretsinger — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:12:00 CDT

About a month ago my doctor told me that he paid a lawyer to have a trust prepared as part of an estate plan. My youngest son tells me that you can buy a fill-in-the-blank form for a trust at the office supply store. Is the fill-in-the-blank form the same thing as the trust that my doctor has? If so, why would you pay a lawyer to get a trust?