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Computershare If your employer is publicly traded and you own stock in the company, you may be acquainted with Computershare, one of the largest share registry providers in the world. Computershare manages direct stock purchase plans that let employees and often the public buy company shares without using a broker or paying commissions. Employees and other investors own their shares directly with the company as registered shareholders rather than through a broker or other intermediary. Computershare manages the program at no cost to the shareholders. Dividend investment plans are usually included. The low cost is attractive. For employees, payroll deduction programs encourage investment throughout their careers, sometimes spanning decades. In my practice, I see retirees with enormous sums in Shell, Exxon Mobil, or Chevron stock at Computershare. A buy and hold strategy has served these people well. Computershare is relatively new to the U.S. Founded in Australia in 1978, it bought Equiserve in 2005 and acquired Shareowner Services from Bank of New York Mellon in 2012. Computershare’s foreign roots still show. Log in to a U.S. account, and you can’t download forms without being redirected to the Canada Investor Centre. Read their beneficiary designation form, and you will discover that the laws of Ontario apply. That’s an awkward choice of law unless you plan to renounce your U.S. citizenship and retire to Toronto. Computershare’s approach to powers of attorney is little better. If you’re still logged in, look at the Account Update/Inquiry Form. Your agent gener-
Dr. Jennifer Shroff
Dr. Nancy Behazin
Now iN Bellaire!
StriviNg to improve gi HealtH iN tHe Bellaire CommuNity
Dr. Jennifer Shroff and Dr. Nancy Behazin are now accepting appointments at ut physicians Bellaire multi-specialty Center. They are board-certified gastroenterologists interested in managing a variety of symptoms including acid reflux (GERD), constipation, diarrhea, unintentional weight loss, and bloating. In addition, they perform screening colonoscopies for colorectal cancer prevention. Gastrointestinal symptoms can be debilitating; our goal is to improve our patients’ GI Health and overall well-being. Call for an appointment 713-572-8122 6700 west loop South, Suite 520 Bellaire, tX 77401 www.utphysicians.com
ally can’t do anything without a “General Power of Attorney” that’s less than six months old. In other words, you have to sign another form every six months, or your agent is shut out. The one exception: Your attorney must certify that “the document is still in full force and effect and the grantor is still alive.” Will your attorney do that? I won’t. If you’ve retired or are no longer participating in a stock purchase program, consider moving your Computershare holdings to a broker. A discount broker might actually charge more than a full service broker. I’ve asked several financial advisors, and every one has agreed to hold such transfers in an unmanaged account, without charge, as a courtesy to existing clients who want to hold those shares indefinitely. In each case, the client was then able to designate beneficiaries and designate agents, giving family easier, less expensive access to their holdings on death or disability. We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. Foreign nationals and international families welcome. Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified – Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop South, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, www.rwhpc.com
Your smile can last forever Anna Maria Salas, D.D.S., M.S. Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics
713-481-4885 3642 University Blvd., Suite 102
Houston, TX 77005 w w w. w e s t u o r t h o . c o m
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