Estate Planning Books

I am a wills and probate attorney in Texas. Certainly, I am the first to admit that the law of estate planning can be difficult to navigate. John Ventura, with this Estate Planning book, makes the navigation simple. He guides you, step by step, through wills, trusts, and the like, without ever missing a beat. I even purchased a copy for my own mother! If you want an easy read, with excellent advice, you're in great hands with John Ventura's "Kiplinger's Estate Planning."

I HAVE A MUCH BETTER INSIGHT AS TO HOW IT ALL WORKS WITH REGARDS TO WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES. IT'S A RELIEF TO KNOW THAT YOUR SPOUSE AND KIDS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR. EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ASSETS TO BE SUBJECT TO THE ESTATE TAX, FOR ME, IT'S A RELIEF TO HAVE A PLAN. EVEN WITH OUR MINIMAL ASSETS-CAR; HOUSE; A PET-IT'S GREAT TO HAVE SOME PEACE OF MIND, KNOWING WHAT HAPPENS. AND, IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN THE BASIC ASSETS, THIS BOOK HELPS YOU WITH THE MORE COMPLICATED THINGS, SUCH AS INVESTMENTS AND LIFE INSURANCE. WRITTEN BY ATTORNEY JOHN VENTURA IN UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

What happens to all of one's belongings if one is randomly and tragically killed in a bus accident? Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy is a complete and comprehensive guide to estate management, whether one carries an estate worth millions or worth less than thousand. It's a guide for anyone about how to make sure one's will is carried out when one makes a purchase of metaphorical agricultural land. Kiplinger's Estate Planning is a must for anyone worried about their friends and family and wants to leave them something when the time comes, and is also highly recommended for community library finance collections.

My book came with an insert about the most recent changes in estate tax law. I was really impressed that the publisher would go to the trouble. The book was very helpful and I made a lot of notes, which I used when I checked out several lawyers about estate planning for my family. The lawyers were very surprised that I had such a good background and could ask questions. The book helped me decide which lawyer to choose. Everything worked out very well and I've given the book to my brother. Now he is doing estate planning, also.

Other books on subject were dense, overkill. This one is easy to read and very clear. Removes intimidation and preps you to make choices, talk with lawyer intelligently. Great diagrams and illustrations. Fast read.

It seems like "living trusts" are a fad and I was somewhat cynical, but I also admit I didn't understand what they were. The book gave me the info I needed to work intelligently with a lawyer, which I really needed to do. Before I read the book I thought I might go to one of those do it yourself paralegals, which would have been a HUGE mistake. I took my knowledge and shared it with everyone in my family and now we are all very pleased that we've done estate planning that really takes care of all of our concerns.

I'm an estate planning attorney practicing in California. I'm always on the lookout for publications that I feel will be good reference resources for my clients who want to do a bit of additional homework on their own. I highly recommend this book.

It covers a wide range of issues that should be addressed during the planning process. But the book's breadth does not come at the expense of substance: the author provides reasonably detailed, accurate information and solid advice in a highly readable way.

This book is not a substitute for working with a professional to prepare your estate plan. However, it can help you get the most out of your relationship with your attorney and other advisors.

This is a good book to carry around with you and read while you're waiting to pick your children up from practice. It's organized well, in small bites, with a short question followed by an in-depth answer ( that rarely goes beyond two pages). He covers everything from Wills and Trusts to how to protect your grandkids' inheritances if their parents get divorced. It's a good book and well worth the investment. It''ll help you ask your lawyer the right questions.

I recently read the new edition of "A Parent's Guide to Wills & Trusts" by Don Silver, an estate-planning attorney. What I found most appealing about the book is the way he discusses the most delicate issues in a question-and-answer format that anyone can understand. Even if you already have a will, living trusts, power of attorney, living will, health care power of attorney and other estate planning documents in place, these should be updated regularly. The information provided in this book could help you better understand the issues and be able to communicate with your advisers in a more informed manner. I strongly recommend it!

can't believe a lawyer can write so lucidly and make the estate tax rules so clear. nancy randolf greenway has taken a complex subject and made it understandable....with humor, too. i recommend this book to everyone over the age of forty....a must read before wasting time on an estate-planning professional's billing clock.

A delightful, readable, and informative book.

I have been an investment professional for 27 years. One of the most common concerns I encounter is the concern that investors have of retaining the corpus of their estate for their children. Yet, estate planning is a complicated field populated by attorneys CPA's and others with specialized knowledge. The "average man" feels overwhelmed. Now, I have found a source to which I can refer them. Greenway and Shotwell have done an excellent job of explaining the basics of estate planning and have done it with such humor that the book becomes engaging reading rather than a dry estate planning tome. Kudos to the authors!

Only two types of people should read "Passing the Bucks": people who own businesses and people who will someday die.

It is Norman Pappas' factual yet enjoyable presentation of personal financial essentials that separates "Passing the Bucks" from similar books. Believe me, I've struggled to read many of them in an effort to understand how to keep Uncle Sam at bay and preserve the results of a lifetime of work for my heirs and business partners. Now I've finally got it!

The author is an obvious authority on wills and trusts, business succession, insurance, estate taxes, corporate benefits and personal financial planning.

However, it's the WAY he brings it all across that makes it all so digestible. You can almost see this book - and its chuckle-filled Q&A format - as a TV series with Jerry Seinfeld or Tim Allen as the baffled businessman (hey, they're just sitting around counting their money now anyway).

The ease of finally understanding the alphabet soup of trust options (GRIT, GRAT, CLAT, CLUT, QTIP) makes us want to put together a plan NOW to protect our assets. I never realized that my children might only see 27% of my IRA dollars! And who knew that it costs me $155 to make a gift of $100 while I'm alive...but $222 to give the same $100 in a will when I'm gone? I know now!

As Mr. Pappas says, we and our accountants and lawyers are too busy putting out the day-to-day brush fires to deal with the forest fire that's just over the horizon.

I now feel confident that the people I love will be the biggest beneficiaries - literally - of my having read "Passing the Bucks."

Norman Pappas has made good on the promise in his book's title; it really does help the reader understand the obstacles to passing wealth from one generation to the next - and how to go over, under, and around those roadblocks.

This is a solid, common sense, easily-read guideline for those who are wise enough to learn from others how to preserve what it took a lifetime to build.

In "Passing the Bucks", Mr Pappas, a highly successful life underwriter and financial planner provides the highly affluent with an epicurean feast of wealth preservation techniques that he has used in over twenty-five years of hands on experience. The book is divided into two sections. The first deals with the passing of business assets, the second with personal assets. While written in a voluble question and answer format, the book is also a compendium of wealth transfer ideas that can and should be saved for future reference. Mr Pappas states that estate planning is a perpetual process that cannot be done in one afternoon with a group of professional advisors. The issues are complex and unique to each individual and must be continually reevaluated in the face of changing personal situations and governmental regulations.

"Passin the Bucks", is not, and does not claim to be a substitute for professional advice. Instead it should be used by the individual to gain knowledge so that he/she can come to the table with his/her advisors armed with the knowledge to carry on an efficient and intelligent discourse. With a little time and effort this volume will provide the affluent individual with information needed to preserve assets that have been acquired over a lifetime. So long as the government, through odious tax policy, continues to destroy family bussinesses and conficates already taxed personal assets, people like Mr. Pappas will be a welcome savior.

CGJM@AOL.COM

This book really impressed me with the legal help I was searching for. Inheriting money with no knowledge of business, it really helped me with the questions I needed answered and many more I hadn't even thought of. It was ordered for our library and after reading it, I ordered one right away so I could add it to my library and start setting up my estate right. A must for any person needing legal advice and knowledge how to manage his investments.

Plan Ahead: Protect Your Estate And Investments by Frank Eberhart is a highly practical resource for non-specialist general readers seeking to put their personal estate and finances in order, as well as generally protecting their families against the inevitable. Written in no-nonsense, easy-to-understand terms, "user friendly" chapters, Plan Ahead presents straightforward information as to what happens to one's assets when one dies, the effects of the latest tax laws, what the different types of trusts are and how they can be used to ensure financial security for family members, understanding the basics of various types of investments, and a great deal more. Plan Ahead is a very highly recommended primer -- especially for the novice beginner in estate and financial management planning.

A must read for beginners or advanced, trusts, wills, investments and new tax laws and how they affect you, very impressed!

This is a really good estate investing book. Practical advice and loaded with real, verifiable information. For example, how many other real estate investment books mention and then draw insightful conclusions from the Property Owners and Managers Survey conducted by the U.S. Census bureau?

Er, for what it's worth, I'm the author of Quicken for Dummies and QuickBooks for Dummies and a CPA in the Seattle area... so I'm pretty picky about the business and investing books I recommend--especially to clients. I do heartily recommend this one!

In reading several Real Estate books in the last couple of years, I have found that most of them assure you quick money, just by following their advice. Unfortunately, most of these get-rich-quick promises end up being deceptive and misleading.
Finally, I came across a book that sidesteps these fantasies and provides a real view of what it takes to succeed in the Real Estate market. Marc W. Andersen, Ph.D. has done an excellent job in putting together a book, that in my opinion, is a must read for anyone who is serious about investing in Real Estate, whether experienced or new to the field.
The book offers a step by step through the whole process: from selecting a piece property, location, renting, operating expenses, to financing, taxes, and when to sell. It contains very detailed information and plenty of data and tips that will help the novice or the expert, to make the best possible decision when investing in Real Estate. Common questions like: should one buy a condo or a detached single family home? Should one finance 80%, 90% or 100% of the value of the property? How much can I rent it for? What are the tax implications? Should I manage the property myself or have it administered by a third party? When should I sell? Will be answered with professional and clear detail.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone, experienced or not, who wants to increase his/her chances of successfully investing in Real Estate.

Don't believe what the "gurus" tell you! This book is a well-researched, easy-to-follow learning guide on how to make the right decsions when investing in real estate. It is the type of book you will refer to time and time again throughout your investing experiences.

I've been reading quite a few real estate books in the last few months.....I'm a beginner...This has been the best one to date....Clear and to the point...! The book has given me enough confidence to go do my first deal..Cant Wait!

This is an amazing book!! It really offers a financial "road map" to anyone interested in getting started in investing in real estate. It is easy to read and very easy to follow. The author outlines several steps that should be followed in order to be successful in real estate. The book clearly "spells out" how to stay clear of financial "pitfalls" and how to stay on track to buying and selling real estate wisely. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in making big money in the world of real estate investing!

Well, I just finished reading the book...It was thorough, succinct, and gave me a clear road map for the coming months as I begin my first steps into real estate investing.

How ironic that the only other Amazon review of this exceptional book, labels it "brilliant, historical research"....

Ironic because the very presence of Mono Lake is long history, and the lake itself is "brilliant", something which most Californians apparently don't comprehend.

And yes, this book itself is brilliant....It may not discuss all the ramifications of water in Callifornia's future, and it doesn't much touch on California's future itself, but it definitely shows us all how we can still fight the forces of "development".

But then, Mono Lake is already "developed"...Keep up the fight!

In this version of the story, it's David Gaines - the graduate student from U. C. Davis. And Goliath is none other then the water company brought to life by William Mulholland and friends. Storm Over Mono has all the makings of a biblical tale, however, it reads much more like a case study for a class in environmental law.

The small, but scrappy, Mono Lake Committee along with California Trout and others used their dogged persistence to protect one of the more unique ecosystems in all North America. John Hart recounts this critical conservation battle in American history with the greatest of precision and detail -- real, high-stakes stuff with a happy ending.

A little background: Mono Lake rests in an arid basin just below the shadow of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California - unfortunately, not quite far enough from the long arm of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Referred to as the "Mono Extension", L.A. Water and Power drained Lee Vining and Rush Creeks. Over decades, this water project diverted critical fresh water flows into Mono Lake - lowering the lake's level and rising it's salinity.

With the lake's ecosystem faltering in the 1970's, a group of "bird freaks" from the University of California at Davis saw the clear signs in their research and sounded the alarm. Members from this research group, including David and Sally Gaines, led the efforts to organize the diverse legal and environmental support needed to defeat a giant like L.A.'s Department of Water and Power. (If you're fortunate enough to fish the lower run of Rush Creek or explore the lake, be sure to tip your hat to the Mono Lake Committee and company.)

One final note: today, Los Angeles County is home to 10 million people. (If L.A. County were a state, it would rank 8th in total population.) David won the battle over Mono Lake, but I'm afraid the water war is far from over in California.

This book was first reviewed on the reviewer's own site: EcoAngler.com - The Nature of Fly Fishing.

I guess I may be a little biased because I was one of the primary sources for the book, but with some very minor issues, it is the most accurate re-telling of a story that should have been turned into a film. If you want to read a GREAT legal story that is also a true story, this is an excellent read. Oh yeah, it also has the obligatory beautiful photographs of Mono lake. Seems that lake doesn't know how to take a bad photograph! :-)

This book is amazing. The authors have a great way of making light of issues that most don't want to think about, let alone read about. While it is light-hearted, the book is also quite informative - It is a must read for old and young.

As a woman who graduated with a Psychology degree - and then shifted gears to become an Estates & Trusts lawyer - I find that Ms. Whitman and Dr. Glisson smoothly combine information from often-disparate schools of thought in their book. Planning for the end of your life is not just a medical, business, or legal affair; it is also a matter of the heart. These authors get that. The tone of the book instantly puts the reader at ease, with the use of humor and quotes from everyday people who completed surveys on the topic, and provides critical information no matter in what stage of life you find yourself. Share it with those you love.

My mother-in-law lost her battle against ovarian cancer in December. If only my husband and I had this book when she was diagnosed! It contains so much helpful advice that could have made the past two years less of a nightmare. The book has great information on clinical trials and hospice. It also would have helped us make sure all the right legal documents were in place. If we'd had access to this information earlier on, I think we could have saved a lot of money on attorney fees. Since I'm in my late thirties, I've never given much thought to wills, etc. But after reading this book, and watching the whole Anna Nicole saga on TV, I understand how crucial it is to have the proper paperwork, and am in the process of having a will and other documents drawn up myself.