Understanding living trusts: How to avoid probate, save taxes, and more : a complete information & planning guide written in easy to understand, conversational English

by Vickie Schumacher

New expanded second edition eleventh printing 1993

Genres: Finance, Money

209 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I attended an estate planning seminar on base and followed it up with a one-on-one counseling session, the counselor lent me two books on estate planning and living trusts. I doubted that I'd need both and figured they'd be very repetitive. However, they had very different formats and the overall focus was different for each, so they were both worthwhile reads. If I had any complaint, it was that they were a bit dated, but since they were lent to me for free, I can perfectly well shell out some cash and get the updated versions (or do some online researching too.)

Overall, I thought this book was easy to read and had a simple layout. I liked the narrative and didn't feel overwhelmed by legalese. The examples were very persuasive for their argument that everyone, not just those who are rich, needs a living trust. And they offer a fairly simple step-by-step checklist of what to do in various situations. Next step: watch what Congress does for estate taxes in 2011 and beyond and talk to an estate planning lawyer with lots of experience with living trusts.