Leona Helmsley (1920-2007) - Hotelier, Real Estate Investor Leona Helmsley was an American businesswoman known for her flamboyant personality. She had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean. Leona was a condominium broker in 1968 when she met and began her involvement with then-married multimillionaire real estate entrepreneur Harry Helmsley. Harry Helmsley divorced his wife of 33 years and married Leona in 1972. Together the couple concentrated on the … [Read more...] about Famous Estates – Legacy Champ or Chump?
Thought for the Day:
Stop being who you were and become who you are. Paulo Coelho … [Read more...] about Thought for the Day:
Leaving Your Passwords
We have talked before about the importance of making sure that your digital assets are taken care of after you pass away. As a reminder, digital assets are things that you possess on computers only. They include your social media accounts and any digital files that you have. Making sure that someone can access them after you pass away is vital, but not always easy to do. There are some options. The first option is to write down all of your accounts, including user names and passwords. This … [Read more...] about Leaving Your Passwords
Texas History – What was the First River Authority in Texas?
A constitution adopted in 1917 authorized creation of conservation and reclamation districts, now known as river authorities, for flood control and water management that exceeded the capabilities of local political units. The first river authority, Brazos, was established by legislature in 1929. In 2008, a total of seventeen (17) river authorities exercised management of water supply, water quality, flood control, and conservation within their statutory areas. … [Read more...] about Texas History – What was the First River Authority in Texas?
Famous Estates – Legacy Champ or Chump?
Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) - Entrepreneur Cornelius Vanderbilt was the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history. Following his first wife’s death in 1868, Vanderbilt went to Canada to marry a cousin from Mobile, Alabama, named Frank Armstrong Crawford. It was Crawford’s cousin’s husband, Holland McTyeire who convinced Vanderbilt to endow what would become Vanderbilt University, named in his honor. Vanderbilt gave $1 million, the largest charitable … [Read more...] about Famous Estates – Legacy Champ or Chump?
Thought for the Day:
Begin each day as if it were on purpose. Author Unknown … [Read more...] about Thought for the Day:
Your Estate Plan and Pay on Death Accounts
One of the bigger problems in estate planning today is how easy it can be to leave property to other people after you pass away. It used to be that almost everything was handled by a Will. However, today, you can have pay on death accounts and beneficiaries on retirement accounts. If you are not careful, then your various documents can contradict each other. For example, you might have a savings account that you want to leave to your children. You create a Will and state your wishes for the … [Read more...] about Your Estate Plan and Pay on Death Accounts
Texas History – How Many Prisoner of War (POW) Camps were in Texas?
By the end of 1943, when the need for basic training of armed forces recruits slackened, the federal government had established POW camps in or near nineteen (19) communities in Texas. As the labor shortage became more acute, the Office of the Provost Marshal General (PMGO) contracted more POW camps throughout the state. By the end of 1944, there were seventy-two (72) POW camps throughout Texas. … [Read more...] about Texas History – How Many Prisoner of War (POW) Camps were in Texas?
Deciding on a Professional Trustee
We have discussed before about the possibility that some people might want to consider hiring a professional Trustee to handle their Trusts instead of relying on a friend or family member. That has sparked questions about how to decide in individual cases. The best thing to do is to talk to your attorney about it, but here are some factors the attorney would use to help you make a decision. 1. How large is the Trust? If a Trust is small, then it is probably a waste of resources to hire a … [Read more...] about Deciding on a Professional Trustee
Thought for the Day:
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." Edith Lovejoy Pierce … [Read more...] about Thought for the Day:
