Estate Planning For Dummies


Book Description

Planning for your family's future made easy! 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.




The Complete Book of Trusts


Book Description

A new, updated edition of the ultimate guide to trusts Trusts are powerful and flexible financial planning tools, and this new edition of The Complete Book of Trusts covers everything you need to know to protect your hard-earned assets from taxes, creditors, and more. This updated Third Edition provides all the latest information on trusts, addressing recent changes due to economic growth and the Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 in such areas as transferring assets, distribution of income, gift and estate tax rules, and many others. Along with in-depth examinations of sixty different types of trusts, this book also shows you how to: Set up a trust to manage assets in the event of disability or death Avoid probate Minimize or eliminate estate and other transfer taxes Financially protect loved ones And more The Complete Book of Trusts, Third Edition is an invaluable resource for anyone with significant assets to protect.




The Complete Guide to Trust and Estate Management


Book Description

One of the most critical decisions a person must make when crafting a will or establishing a trust is whom to name as executor or trustee. Being chosen for these important jobs is an honor, and you must know how to perform the tasks correctly. With the help of this new book, The Complete Guide to Trust and Estate Management, you will understand the complex process of carrying out a person s final wishes. This book will provide insight whether you are a lawyer, accountant, financial consultant, spouse, adult child, relative, or friend; the simple, easy to understand language makes this book accessible to everyone. You will become familiar with many estate and trust management terms, such as beneficiary, probate, remaindermen, trust agreement, trust property, trustor, and trustee. In addition, you will learn the many duties and responsibilities of an executor, including the disbursement of property to the beneficiaries, collecting and arranging for the payment of debts, approving and disproving creditors claims, calculating taxes, filing forms, assisting the estate attorney, acting as the representative of the estate, inventorying and appraising the assets, and acting in the best interests of the deceased. After reading this book, you will know how to initiate probate; how to preserve the value of the estate; how to notify beneficiaries; how to send notices to the post office, banks, utilities, and credit card companies; how to file for Social Security, civil service, and veteran benefits; how to file tax returns; and how to file state death and federal estate tax returns. As executor, you will be responsible for settling the deceased person s estate and as trustee, you will be responsible for holding and administering the trust assets in the best interests of the trust s beneficiaries. Using this book as a guide, you can be assured that you will be prepared to properly perform the necessary duties entrusted to you. Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president's garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.




The Executor's Guide


Book Description







Understanding Living Trusts


Book Description

Written in clear, conversational English, this book can help anyone understand how a living trust avoids the complications, expenses, and delays of probate at times of incapacity and death.




Managing a Special Needs Trust


Book Description

For Massachusetts residents, check out LEGAL PLANNING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS IN MASSACHUSETTS. Same great information written for MA programs. Managing a Special Needs Trust 2020 EDITION includes updates on: * Housing: How an ABLE account can be used to pay for housing expenses without reducing SSI benefits* Vacations: New SSI rules allow trust payment of vacation expenses for family members who travel with the beneficiary* A new financial product-the True Link card--allows the beneficiary to have spending money without reducing SSI benefits. As well as all the details you've come to expect in this comprehensive guideMANAGING A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST: A GUIDE FOR TRUSTEES covers many topics you need to know, including: * What trustees need to know about public benefit programs such as SSI, SSDI, Medicare, and Medicaid* Taxes and special needs trusts* Payment of recreation, transportation, and medical costs* Housing subsidies * Trustee dutiesBy reading MANAGING A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST, you will learn how a trustee can use trust funds to meet the financial needs of a person with disabilities and still comply with the complex rules of government benefit programs. THIS UPDATED BOOK IS RELEVANT TO ALL 50 STATES. While earlier editions were focused on Massachusetts' laws and procedures, this book applies to all states-the book covers uniform statues that have been adopted in most states. It also provides information on the rules of most major federal benefit programs that provide cash, medical benefits and housing subsidies to people with disabilities. MANAGING A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST: A GUIDE FOR TRUSTEES is an invaluable resource for anyone who is managing a special needs trust.







A Guide to International Estate Planning


Book Description

With the explosive growth in international investments, more and more lawyers and financial advisors realize the acute need to properly address critical issues of international estate planning for their clients. Whether you are counseling a foreign national or an American citizen, whether your practice is in the U.S. or abroad, whether you want to develop a general expertise in the area or are confronted by these issues on a more frequent basis, this compendium is a necessary and practical resource to help you identify and navigate many of the complex planning and regulatory compliance issues, both legal and tax, involved in international estate planning. In addition to providing a complete overview of the basic principles and procedures of international asset management from addressing the conflict of laws issues that are central in determining which country s laws will govern the disposition of a donor or decedent s wealth to the basic transfer tax rules for nonresident aliens, U.S. citizens, and resident aliens A Guide to International Estate Planning teaches proven strategies, techniques, and practical applications to use for meeting your clients international estate planning needs. Twenty-two detailed chapters are written by trust and estate lawyers with significant experience in international issues. Their advice goes beyond simply highlighting issues in estate planning, emphasizing key issues as compliance, treaty, choice of law, and estate administration problems. This updated edition now includes chapters on FATF and anti-money laundering and offshore compliance, as well as chapters from several foreign jurisdictions to provide comparative insights on different topics."