Covers everything from the basics about wills and living trusts to sophisticated tax-saving strategies for all estates, large and small.

If you’re like most people, you want to be sure that, once you’ve passed on, no more of your property and money will be lost to the government than is absolutely necessary. You want to know that you’ll be leaving your heirs your assets and not your debts. You want to be absolutely certain that your will is ship-shape, your insurance policies are structured properly, and that every conceivable hole in your estate plan has been filled. And most of all, you’d like to do all of this without driving yourself crazy trying to make sense of the complicated jargon, jumble of paperwork, and welter of state and federal laws involved in the estate planning process. Written by two estate planning pros, this simple, easy-to-use guide takes the pain out of planning for your ultimate financial future. In plain English, the authors walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to: Put your estate into order Minimize estate taxes Write a proper will Deal with probate Set up trusts Make sure your insurance policies are structured properly Plan for special situations, like becoming incompetent and pet care Craft a solid estate plan and keep it up-to-date Don’t leave the final disposition of your estate up to chance and the whims of bureaucrats. Estate Planning For Dummies gives you the complete lowdown on: Figuring out what you're really worth Mastering the basics of wills and probate Using will substitutes and dodging probate taxes Setting up protective trusts, charitable trusts, living trusts and more Making sense of state and federal inheritance taxes Avoiding the generation skipping transfer tax Minimizing all your estate-related taxes Estate planning for family businesses Creating a comprehensive estate plan Straightforward, reader-friendly, easy-to-use, Estate Planning For Dummies is the ultimate guide to planning your family’s future.

Presents instructions on how to use the WillMaker software in order to create such legal documents as wills, estate plans, living wills, power of attorney documents, and final arrangements.

ESSENTIALS OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING Essentials of Personal Financial Planning was written to challenge the status quo by promoting personal financial planning (PFP) as a profession, not as a sales tool to gather assets under management or facilitate sales of insurance products. The book takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to PFP for accounting students, allowing them to view the profession through the lens of a CPA – with integrity and objectivity. This book systematically introduces the essentials of all the major PFP topics (estate, retirement, investments, insurance, and tax), as well as: The PFP process, concepts and regulatory environment. Professional responsibilities of a CPA personal financial planner and the requirements of the Statement on Standards in PFP Services. Time value of money concepts. The book then builds on these foundational concepts, showing their interconnectivity and professional opportunities, to provide a deeper understanding of PFP and its application. After reading this book, students will be able to apply the knowledge and skills gained from this course to have an immediate and long-term positive impact for themselves and for the clients they serve.

Lawyer and financial planner Michael T. Palermo explains everything you need to know about wills, trusts, and more.

"Covers the basics of estate planning, including wills, trusts, and health care directives. It prepares readers to start planning their estate, with or without an attorney. The 6th edition is updated with the latest laws and tax information"--Provided by publisher.