The complete Estate Planning Guide: Updated to Include Tax Changes to 1994

I disagree with the person who didn't find this book helpful. I had a parent pass away several years ago and had to quickly learn the various aspects of estate plans and found an earlier edition of this book very helpful in answering questions and guiding me in restructuring the estate to care for my mother. I had no prior knowledge of estate planning and had to learn it quickly. I've purchased this newer version and found it just as helpful in explaining all the changes that could affect estate plans. Each person's/family's financial situation is different, which requires personal planning (and guidance from a good estate lawyer,Financial planner and CPA). No book is going to explain how a person is going to best protect their financial situation (too many varying, individual factors), but this book addresses almost every factor to consider. It briefly explains each factor and how it works in an estate plan. One also has to consider that each state has rules, laws, regulations that alter these factors. So, again, no book is capable of addressing how state, federal, and county rules, laws, and regulations affect one's plan. However, this book does a great job at introducing and explaining almost every element a person may need to consider in planning an estate. I didn't need to know every element mentioned in this book, but as time went on I eventually found I needed to look up a few things. So it was nice to have one good reference book I knew I could go back to. Thanks Kathleen!

Most books with "estate planning" in the title deal only with the transfer of an estate. This one actually tells you now to build an estate, then what to consider when planning how best to leave it to family and charities.

Very practical. Very Understandable. Everyone can use this incredibly comprehensive book; young and old.

This book is a great advocate for us busy people who don't have time to study all the things we should know about building financial security. I appreciated the part near the end about how to select advisors. In all, it left me feeling more in control of crafting the way ahead.