Estate Planning Smarts

"This best-selling book for baby boomers and their parents covers all the ramifications of the 2010 estate tax overhaul" (Publishers).

This is the third printing of the 4th edition, with revised back matter and therefore fewer pages

An all-you-need-to-know introduction to ensuring that your wealth and wishes are protected and preserved for family and loved ones Smart Ways to determine what you are worth with a smart and easy step-by-step process Smart Advice on life insurance, power of attorney for health care and finances, long-term care insurance, and appointing a personal guardian for your children Smart Strategies on avoiding probate and how trusts can help you and your loved ones avoid costly legal fees and devastating estate taxes Smart Tips on what you should know when creating a will, deciding on a living will, and taking a hand in planning your funeral Quick reading and easy referencing with a comprehensive index and loads of sidebars and tables Smart Guides take readers seriously. They satisfy even the most curious person's desire to know the essentials about any of a wide range of topics—from vitamins to mutual funds to stress relief. It's all about good reading and expert information. The choice is yours.

"This little book contains a wealth of estate planning information that every successful woman needs to know. Wynne Whitman makes complicated subjects comprehensible and outlines a plan of action that any woman can follow." --Liz Pulliam Weston, "the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet" (Nielsen/NetRatings); author of Easy Money, Your Credit Score, and Deal with Your Debt "Thanks to Wynne Whitman''s great advice, I''ve learned everything I need to know to ensure my stellar Grey Goose collection goes to the right person. But more importantly, I now know what I need to do to protect my assets as well as Chuy''s." --Chelsea Handler, best-selling author of Are You There, Vodka? It''s Me, Chelsea and My Horizontal Life; host of Chelsea Lately on E! Entertainment Television "I''ve worked hard all my life to support my family and was wondering what the future held for them when a friend sent me this book. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Here are the answers. Very clear with tons of information, especially about wills and how to help the family in the future." --Sally Jessy Raphael, Emmy Award-winning talk show host "This book is a must read for smart women (and men). The author''s humorous writing style gets you up to speed painlessly on estate planning essentials--so your children have guardians, so you avoid taxes, and so your money and other assets go to the right people. Don''t have a will, trust, living will, or durable powers of attorney? Get them, immediately after reading this book." --Greg Karp, syndicated personal finance journalist and author of Living Rich by Spending Smart Too many women still haven''t taken control of what will happen to their wealth and their assets. If you don''t plan, the government will decide who''ll act for you when you''re sick...who''ll manage your estate when you die...who''ll get everything you''ve worked for. Everyone needs to plan, but women face unique issues that are often ignored in "typical" discussions of estate planning. Smart Women Protect Their Assets offers the specific guidance women need to safeguard their futures and control where their assets will go. Leading estate planner Wynne A. Whitman offers smart, up-to-date, and easy-to-use advice for the scenarios millions of women will face. You''ll discover how to protect children of a previous marriage...give gifts the right way...do the easy planning that may save you nearly a million dollars...get the Living Will and Power of Attorney you simply must have...and a whole lot more. Written by a woman for women, this is a quick, focused, engaging, and practical book packed with simple checklists and "what-to-do-next" advice: information every woman can act on, right now. Are you risking everything? What you could lose if you don''t start planning now How to choose the right estate planning instruments for your situation Wills, trusts, and "fancier" options: Which are right for you and those you care about? What if you get sick and can''t act for yourself? Make sure the right person is there to make the right decisions How to provide peace of mind to your loved ones Get organized and tell your loved ones exactly what you want How to discuss life''s toughest topics Bringing it up with your husband, partner, or significant other

Now in its second edition, Smart Tips for Estate Planning gives you what you need to avoid the trap of having an inappropriate cookie-cutter Will and estate plan. Instead, you will learn how to legally take advantage of tax breaks, avoid unnecessary probate fees, thwart creditors, and establish trusts for your children and grandchildren. Canadians who use the ideas in Smart Tips for Estate Planning will be able to develop fully customized estate plans that protect families, safeguard assets, bring peace of mind, and leave a legacy for future generations. Not only is this book packed with great information and knowledge in an easy to read format but the stories at the end of each chapter bring real life into theoretical planning.

Most adults have not done proper estate planning, either recently, or at all. We want to protect the ones we love, but so many fail to even have conversations about their estate planning wishes. If you know the right questions to ask, and take the time to answer them, you are well on your way to implementing the kind of planning that can protect your family... and you, should the need arise. Planning does not need to be difficult or challenging. Dealing with potential crises in advance, through a proven system, can also represent a significant savings in time, worry, and money. This book is a resource for today and years to come, making legal topics approachable and less confusing, so you can stay focused on what really matters - protecting you and your loved ones.

What could be more tragic that having your life savings squandered and your family left unprotected? Many Canadians risk these consequences because they do not know how to plan for their estates after they die. With Smart Tips for Estate Planning, you will learn the critical knowledge necessary to maximize the value of your estate and provide the maximum protection for your loved ones. Written in an easy-to-read and practical style, Smart Tips for Estate Planning simplifies concepts that are unfamiliar to many people. The estate planning strategies in this book were once used by only the wealthiest and best-advised Canadians, but now they are available to you and your family. Smart Tips for Estate Planning gives you what you need to avoid the trap of having an inappropriate cookie-cutter Will and estate plan. Instead, you will learn how to legally take advantage of tax breaks, avoid unnecessary probate fees, thwart creditors, and establish trusts for your children and grandchildren. Canadians who use the ideas in Smart Tips for Estate Planning will be able to develop fully customized estate plans that protect families, safeguard assets, bring peace of mind, and leave a legacy for future generations.

Get your arms around wills, trusts, probate, inheritance taxes, and other important estate planning essentials Estate Planning For Dummies teaches you the ins and outs of estate planning. It’s all about drafting wills, dealing with probate, assigning powers of attorney, establishing living trusts, and beyond. Think you don’t have enough assets to merit estate planning? Think again. This everyone-friendly guide walks you through building a solid estate plan, whatever your current financial situation. In easy-to-understand language, you’ll learn the ins and outs of estate planning, including what happens to your stuff—cash, real estate, businesses, retirement funds, everything—when you pass away. This new edition is updated for the many recent changes in estate taxes and inheritance law. Make sure your assets get into the pockets of your heirs or wherever you want them to go, and learn how to accomplish it the For Dummies way. Understand state and federal estate and inheritance taxes Build an air-tight will and make sure your heirs get as much as they can Protect your estate’s privacy even after you’re gone Plan for the transition of a family business Prevent disagreements and uncertainty among your heirs Figure out how to pass on your digital assets This friendly guide is a must for people of any age in the process of drafting their wills and planning where their assets ultimately end up.