Honor your legacy with complimentary estate planning


By Lisa Raynor-Keck, UTHealth Houston

A group of people discussing a financial plan

Photo by Getty Images

As a member of McGovern Medical School you devote your careers to patient care, education, and discovery, and a carefully designed estate plan can help protect that legacy, support retirement, and offer an opportunity to leave a lasting gift that reflects your values.

To support you in this important planning, the Office of Development at UTHealth Houston offers a complimentary, confidential estate planning experience through Thompson & Associates, a national leader in values-based estate planning.

By participating in the program you will work one-on-one with an expert, objective third party who helps create an estate plan that reflects far more than a financial picture — it tells your story.

What this guided experience provides

This process helps you create or revise an estate plan that:

  • Communicates your values
  • Captures your priorities
  • Outlines your intentions
  • Protects your assets

It also helps address common questions, including:

  • Do I have enough to ensure long-term financial security?
  • How can I provide for my spouse, children, and grandchildren?
  • How can I pass assets to heirs in responsible and meaningful ways?
  • How can I direct a portion of my estate toward the greater good?

At the end of the journey, you will have a clear blueprint for an estate plan that matches your wishes.

About this special service

Traditional estate planning often focuses on asset protection and distribution, leaving limited time for deeper conversations about values, family dynamics, and legacy gift goals. Thompson & Associates’ independent role and specialized training allow you to move at your own pace and thoughtfully explore what matters most.

Thompson & Associates enhances, but does not replace, the work of legal and tax advisors. Instead, they are able to take the time to add clarity, perspective, and meaning, which can later be executed on by legal professionals.

An added benefit of this approach is the ability to self-direct portions of an estate that might otherwise be collected as tax, giving greater control over lifetime accumulations while positively impacting generations to come.

How the process works

Step 1: Meet with a Thompson & Associates representative to identify the people, values, passions, and dreams that have shaped your life.

Step 2: Review a questionnaire to clarify what you want your estate plan to reflect.

Step 3: Review existing estate documents, discuss fiduciaries, and incorporate your net worth statement.

Step 4: Receive recommendations for a comprehensive, values-based estate plan.

Step 5: Work with your own legal financial advisors to implement the plan using those recommendations.

What’s not included

There are no obligations, hidden agendas, or pressure to move forward. Thompson & Associates will not:

  • Solicit funds directly or indirectly
  • Sell or offer products or services
  • Manage money or provide legal or accounting services
  • Share personal information without prior written consent

Learn more or get started

To learn more, visit go.uth.edu/giftpanning (external link), email [email protected], or call Cassidy Kenyon at 713-500-3463.

Appointments are held on the second Monday and Tuesday of every month, either virtually or at the University Center Tower.