Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies

by Margaret A. Munro

Executing an estate or a trust fund is a big responsibility. Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies contains advice for handling estates and trusts of any size. It offers solid pointers on reading and interpreting a will and other documents, and helping heirs avoid paying too much (or too little). It also shows you how to take care of a loved one's estate in the event that a will or trust was never created. This authoritative, plain-English guide helps you understand and follow the rules that govern estates and trusts, ensure a smooth transfer of property, and manage fiduciary affairs in an orderly manner. You’ll get help choosing and assembling a team of professional advisors, settling debts and paying bequests, operating a revocable or irrevocable trust, and making sound trust investment decisions. Discover how Yes, you can do the job and do it well. All you need is a little help from Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies .

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jeffrey Poston · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a excellent resource that prepared me for the task of addressing my parents' estate plan. But once I found out how powerful such planning is, I did my own estate/trust plan also. Of course, I went to an attorney, but this book introduced me to all the terms and definitions so that I could talk intelligently about the topic with the attorney.

[Matt Heavner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Dummies series that I really found useful. This is a bit dated (I read the ~2008 edition) but still a great starting place for estate & trust management. I did find a few fairly minor errors - wrong form numbers, etc.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tax Advisor Margaret Atkins and the lawyer Kathryn A. Murphy published Estate Planning and Administration for Dummies in the United States and Canada in 2019. The first section introduces the reader to estate planning and administration of will or trust. The second section is entitled “Administering an Estate” (Atkins & Murphy 73-158). The third section is entitled “Operating a revocable or irrevocable trust” (Atkins & Murphy 159-244). The book has a glossary. The glossary defines revocable trust as “a trust that can be amended, revoked, or terminated at any time before the grantor’s death by the grantor” (Atkins & Murphy 365). The “irrevocable trust” is “a trust where the governing instrument may not be revoked or changed, even by the grantor” (Atkins & Murphy 363). I read the book on my Kindle. The fourth section is entitled “Paying the Taxes” (Atkins & Murphy 245-341). The fifth section is on ten different taxes and concepts to be aware of in estate planning. The book has an appendix that tells all of the laws in the intestacy. This section also includes laws about estate tax or inheritance tax in the fifty states of the United States. Atkins’ and Murphy’s book is a solid introduction to estate planning, including the administration of a trust or a will in a format more approachable than some other introduction.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this edition may be somewhat outdated, I found the presentation helpful and written in a very accessible style. In conjunction with other similar works, it provided some helpful explanations about the nuts and bolts of serving as an administrator/executor of an estate.

[DeEtte · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been named as an executor and have no idea where to begin, this is a perfect book for you. It helped me get through the process relatively unscathed.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the subject. Wish the book contained more variety of examples, and some examples of forms that could be used for the various recordkeeping would be helpful. All in all, I do feel that I have a better idea of the basics.