A well-known business columnist wrote a column tackling the subject of couples and credit. She addressed the issue of one spouse making the other an authorized user on their credit card and opined that only the person who opened the account is liable for the credit card debt.  She obviously is not from Texas. The Great State of Texas is a community property state. We have our own take on spouses,...

You don’t have to wait until spring cleaning to spruce up your estate plan. It’s always a great time to organize your financial records, review your beneficiaries, and update your estate planning documents. Review Beneficiaries Consider reviewing and updating your beneficiaries periodically. A beneficiary is a person you designate to receive property from a bank, brokerage account, or insurance policy after you pass away. To update your beneficiaries, contact your bank,...

No one dies in this article.  There will be no talk of grieving widows or unhappy orphans. Instead, this column will be devoted to a lighthearted topic: deeds and why their wording matters. Community Property vs. Separate Property in Texas Texas, you see, is a community property state. When you are married, your real property is characterized as either community or separate. Property acquired during marriage is presumed to be community property....