A few months ago, a client called me on a Saturday. Not during market hours, not about a trade — on a weekend, and he was shaken. He needed to see me first thing Monday. He was certain he had to help his adult son cover a sudden, sizable tax bill, and he wanted to know how to free up the cash without damaging the plan we'd spent years building.

We met Monday morning. It took about twenty minutes to...

A client mentioned it almost in passing. She'd "taken care of the house." To spare her daughter the hassle and expense of probate someday, she had added her to the deed as a joint owner — a form, a notary, done. She was proud of how simple it had been. It may have been the most expensive sentence in our conversation

A Saturday phone call began the way these things usually do — with a parent trying to protect a child. A longtime client phoned over a recent weekend, frantic, convinced his adult son owed a large, sudden tax bill and needed help covering it. Could we meet first thing Monday?

We met. We also conferenced in his son. Within the hour, the picture changed completely.

Let's say your family did everything right. Your kid studied hard, got into a decent school, borrowed what it took, and walked across that stage four years later with a diploma and a handshake. That's the deal, right?