Personal Finance: Estate Planning
ALA Recommended Books
- New Rules for Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning by The popular handbook to estate planning, now updated for 2018 Since its first publication in 2002, New Rules for Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning has sold more than 40,000 copies, providing a solid, accessible introduction to estate planning for any age or income bracket. Now in its sixth edition, Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning continues this tradition, covering such topics as trusts, donations, life insurance, and wills in easy-to-understand language that offers valuable insights and solid strategies to help you preserve your wealth and plan your estate so that your assets go where you want with a minimum of taxes and government interference. This comprehensive guide answers such common questions as: How much do I need to retire comfortably? How do I protect my children's inheritance? How do I ensure planned donations are made after I'm gone? And many more. The Sixth Edition is also fully updated to reflect changes following the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, so that you can learn how new regulations could impact your inheritance and trusts. Other notable features include advice on working with elderly parents and introducing financial planning to children and teenagers, in addition to a list of professional advisers and a glossary of estate planning terms. Understand estate planning and obtain solid strategies for growing your wealth Explore asset protection and succession planning strategies Discover how recent updates to the tax code could affect you and your heirs Stay informed of any relevant law changes with an author-managed web site Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning contains a wealth of valuable information for any adult who needs help planning their financial future, from the established professional heading toward retirement, to the young adult looking to understand the basics. Wherever you are in your journey, use Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning to ensure your legacy is protected.Call Number: 343.7305 WELISBN: 9781119559139Publication Date: 2019
- Plan Your Estate by Protect your family with solid estate planning Estate planning sounds difficult--but most people just need a few basic documents. Let Plan Your Estate show you how to protect your loved ones from legal hassles and financial uncertainty after your death. For more than 20 years, this book has explained estate planning in plain English, including: wills avoiding probate living trusts bypass (AB) trusts naming guardians for children leaving property to children estate, gift, and inheritance taxes strategies for business owners leaving property to charity health care directives, and financial powers of attorney. The 13th edition of Plan Your Estate is completely updated to reflect the latest federal and state laws. Applies in all U.S. states except Louisiana.Call Number: 346.7305 CLI 2012ISBN: 9781413322859Publication Date: 2016 + older editions
- Estate and Trust Administration by Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781119543879) was previously published as Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781118412251). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product. Your plain-English guide to administering an estate and/or trust As more and more of the population reach senior ages--including baby boomers, many of whom do not have wills--an increasing number of people are being thrust into the role of executor, administrator, personal representative of an estate, or trustee of a trust after the death of a loved one. This updated edition of Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies guides you through the confusing process of administering an estate and/or trust. Settling an estate and administering a trust can be complicated, messy, and time-consuming for individuals named as executor or trustee, most of whom have no previous experience with such matters. Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies shows you how to make sound decisions for your unique circumstances. Guides you through the confusing process of administering an estate and/or trust Provides expert advice on unfamiliar estate and trust tax law Gives you a practical checklist to follow for all of your estate and trust administration questions and concerns Whether you're looking for guidance on how to navigate the probate process and estate taxes, settle debts and bequests, fund a trust, comply with tax regulations, or anything in between, this hands-on, friendly guide takes away the mystery and provides detailed answers to all of your estate and trust administration questions. Call Number: 346.7305 MUNISBN: 9781119543879Publication Date: 2018
- 8 Ways to Avoid Probate by Did you know? If you plan carefully, your estate may not have to go through the process of probate. Probate can drag on for years, and can easily cost your family thousands of dollars--money that would otherwise have gone to them. 8 Ways to Avoid Probate offers simple and effective methods for skipping the probate process so that property goes directly to the intended beneficiaries. Using the simple, plain-English instructions, you'll learn how to create a savvy estate plan. Find out about: setting up payable-on-death accounts naming beneficiaries, including children, institutions, and multiple beneficiaries naming beneficiaries for retirement accounts, vehicles, real estate, and stocks and bonds special procedures for small estates holding property in joint ownership, and alternatives to joint ownership using a living trust to avoid probate making gifts of property and money This edition provides updates to estate and gift tax laws, updated 50-state tables on simplified probate, and additional information on how to bequeath real estate without probate--12 states now offer a special deed for just this purpose.Call Number: 346.7305 RANISBN: 9781413322774Publication Date: 2016
- American Bar Association Guide to Wills and Estates, Fourth Edition by The American Bar Association Guide to Wills & Estates,nbsp;Fourth Edition, is the user-friendly guide that contains everything you need to know about planning an estate and preparing a will. It is organized in easy-to-follow chapters with sidebars containing tips, checklists, and key information, encouraging you to begin the process quickly and easily. The ABA Guide to Wills & Estatesnbsp;will help you: * Determine what to put in an estate plan * Decide whether to prepare a will, trust, or living trust * Avoid or reduce estate taxes * Transfer property without a will with substitutes such as life insurance and joint tenancy * Understand the benefits of living gifts and life insurance, among many other topics nbsp; The Fourth edition features new and updated topics, such as: * Life-threatening and chronic illnesses * Incorporating your religious beliefs into your estate plannbsp;nbsp; * Assisted reproduction and its resulting estate planning implications * Civil unions and same-sex marriages * Elder abuse and care * Information about Roth IRAs in estate plans * The impact of digital assets on estate planningCall Number: 346.73052 AMEISBN: 9780375723858Publication Date: 2013
- Estate Planning Basics by This book provides concise, straightforward, and easy to read information about the major components of estate planning - without going into endless detail about arcane options that apply only to the wealthy. Topics include: choosing beneficiaries estate planning by parents with minor children wills living trusts avoiding probate trusts for people in second marriage planning for incapacity Best-selling Nolo author Denis Clifford uses plain-English to make these estate planning issues easy to understand, and he lets you know which tasks you can handle yourself, and when you'll need a lawyer's help.Call Number: 346.73052 CLIISBN: 9781413321760Publication Date: 2015
- Get It Together by Get your life organized with the best workbook available! Paperwork, personal information, and passwords aren't always easy to find, and organizing your records can seem like an intimidating task. But, whether you need to get a handle on records for yourself, your family or your executor, Get It Together will show you how to organize: instructions for survivors secured places and passwords estate planning documents funeral arrangements employment records insurance policies tax records retirement accounts government benefits real estate records and more. For those concerned about sensitive information like passwords, Get It Together lets you: Securely store an unlimited number of passwords while keeping them handy. Decide whether you want to record your information electronically or by hand. Choose the way you want to organize your passwords--for example, alphabetically or by type of product or service. Easily add related notes, such as security questions. This workbook provides a complete system for structuring and organizing your information and documents into a records binder. For each topic, you will find helpful content, rich resources and step-by-step instructions. All forms are downloadable through a link printed in the book. Now available a companion Binder & Tab Set - search for "get it together binder and tab set"Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781413323153Publication Date: 2016-09-30
- The Trustee's Legal Companion by You_re the trustee. Now what? Living trusts are popular estate planning tools, but if you_ve been chosen to serve as a trustee, you_re probably wondering where to begin. The Trustee_s Legal Companion has everything you need to get organized, get started, and get the job done.You_ll learn how to: decide whether to take on the job of trustee set up ongoing trusts for surviving spouses, children, or beneficiaries with special needs invest trust assets get help from lawyers, accountants, financial planners, and other experts handle taxes and prepare accountings work effectively with beneficiaries, and distribute trust property. The authors_attorneys who have helped many a bewildered trustee_show you, step by step, how to administer a living trust with confidence.Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781413323658Publication Date: 2017 + older editions
- Your Living Trust and Estate Plan by This revised fifth edition from estate-planning expert Harvey J. Platt details the most up-to-date strategies for using a living trust to create a flexible estate plan. Platt explains the latest tax laws, including the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the broadening of statutes for amending trusts, and the rule against perpetuities (RAP). Platt also addresses updates on many existing topics, including lifetime exemptions; the estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax; charitable deductions; state estate tax savings; and private annuities. Your Living Trust & Estate Plan maps out the most effective techniques for saving money and property and covers the essentials of successful estate planning. Other resources frequently overlook vital areas such as unlocking the benefits of living trusts, protecting beneficiaries, using life insurance, handling retirement benefits properly, and fixing inadequate estate planning postmortem, but Your Living Trust is the complete guide. This invaluable resource will teach you how to maximize your family's assets, plan your estate, and provide for your loved ones well into the future.Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781621532620Publication Date: 2013
Additional Books
- 8 Ways to Avoid Probate by Want to save your family money and hassle? Read this book! Probate court proceedings after a death can drag on for a year and cost tens of thousands of dollars in attorney and court fees--money that would otherwise have gone directly to your loved ones. Here are easy, effective ways to skip the probate process: name payable-on-death beneficiaries for financial accounts own property jointly leave real estate with transfer-on-death deeds use a living trust name the right beneficiaries for IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement plans, and use probate shortcuts for small estates. Completely updated, this edition includes the latest state laws on probate avoidance methods, such as transfer-on-death deeds. The book also covers current estate and gift tax rules under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.Call Number: 346.7305 RAN 2016ISBN: 9781413325133Publication Date: 2018 + older editions
- AARP Crash Course in Estate Planning by Scrutinized for accuracy by AARP’s legal specialists, and completely up-to-date, this indispensable volume covers every aspect of planning an estate and creating a will. A crash course in one handy volume, the book walks readers through the entire process, from understanding the distinction between probate and nonprobate property to delegating a durable power of attorney, and from resolving possible tax issues ahead of time to safeguarding your assets. In these pages you will find: * Comparisons of wills and simple living trusts. * Advice on guardianship and advanced medical directives. * Explanations of the role and powers of a trustee and what steps to take in the case of suspected misconduct. * A primer on marshaling and protecting retirement assets. * Help in planning for children with disabilities. * A primer on marshaling and protecting retirement assets. * Help in planning for children with disabilities. * Ideas for making sure your money stays in the family in case a spouse remarries; and much, much more.Call Number: 346.73052 PALISBN: 9781402758607Publication Date: 2008
- The Executor's Guide by If you need to wrap up the affairs of a loved one who has died, you may feel overwhelmed--especially when you're grieving. But you can do it, and this book will show you how. A roadmap to follow. The Executor's Guide will lead you through an unfamiliar land of legal procedures and terminology. You'll learn what to do right away and what can wait. Find help on: preparing for the job of executor or trustee claiming life insurance, Social Security, and other benefits making sense of a will (and what to do if there is no will) how to determine whether probate is necessary filing taxes probate court proceedings dealing with family members handling simple trusts, and working with lawyers, appraisers, accountants, and other experts. The 8th edition contains updated tables outlining key points of each state's laws. Applies in all states except Louisiana.Call Number: 346.73056 RAN 2016ISBN: 9781413324808Publication Date: 2018 + older editions
- The Essential Executor's Handbook by Many of you, regardless of your feelings on the matter, will eventually be appointed as executor of your parents', spouse's, or another's estate. Just calling an attorney isn't enough. Settling a decedent's estate may require the combined expertise of accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, realtors, bankers, brokers, insurance companies, a myriad of bureaucrats, and, yes, even lawyers. Where do you start? How do you empty a house crammed with a lifetime's worth of knick-knacks, bad art, and unopened mail? How do you deal with long-lost relatives who think you're taking too long or charging too much? And how do you oversee those professionals who know so much more than you about the process? The Essential Executor's Handbook not only explains the steps involved in settling an estate, but it shows you how to get all these professionals to do the work for you. You will learn everything you need to know about the basic laws and procedures involved; all the legal definitions you could possibly want; and why each professional is necessary, what they do, what they charge, and where to find them. No matter how little you know about law, accounting, and the rest, The Essential Executor's Handbook will lead you by the hand through the settlement process.Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781632650313Publication Date: 2016
Sources
American Library Association. Financial Literacy in Public Libraries: A Guide for Building Collections.
My thanks go to ALA for inventing this wheel for me.
Thrall Library's Links for Investors.
CFPB's list of financial educational resources
Websites
- Do I Need a Living Trust? Information on living trusts and writing a trust.
- Estate Planning Attorney Directory A list of estate planning attorneys with office contact information for each state.
- Estate Planning Info and FAQs An overview on estate planning from the American Bar Association.
- Estate Planning Terms American Bar Association’s glossary of terms on estate planning.
- FindLaw: Estate Planning 101 A basic overview of estate planning. Includes checklists for organizing an estate plan, as well as a section describing the benefits of estate planning and what happens if there is no estate plan in place at the time of death.
- Funeral Planning Consumer information on funeral planning from the Federal Trade Commission.
- Introduction to Wills Basic instruction on writing wills from the American Bar Association.
- Revocable Trusts An overview on revocable trusts from the American Bar Association.
- What Is a Power of Attorney? Power of attorney explanation and related information from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- Estate Planning Guide A concise introduction to estate planning from the MetLife Consumer Education Center.
- Financial and Estate Planning Essentials for Unmarried Couples Guidance on estate planning for unmarried couples from TIAA.