AARP Crash Course In Estate Planning: The Essential Guide To Wills, Trusts, And Your Personal Legacy

by Michael T. Palermo

Here is the absolutely essential and totally comprehensive guide to wills, trusts, estate planning, and crafting a personal legacy.

Scrutinized for accuracy by AARP’s legal specialists, 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
• comparisons of wills and simple living trusts;
• advice on guardianship and advance 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;
• ideas for making sure your money stays in the family in case a spouse remarries; and much, much more.

266 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2004

Reviews

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of good information, however, much of it did not apply to me as I (unfortunately) do not have an estate valued at or above $2 million. In the appendix, however, is a to-do list for an executor of a will. As I am the executor of my mother's will, I plan to copy these pages and put them aside.

[Linda Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned after a careful reading of this book that you can never be too... careful. What you have is all you have. Protect it. No one else is going to do it for you. Think about now, five years from now... and decades down the road as well. It is truly... essential.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic review and summary of Wills, Trusts, Life Insurance, Retirement Accounts, Probate, and the transfer of wealth from one generation to the next.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information. Easy to read style with a touch of humor in places.