Best Intentions [Paperback]

Colleen Barney (Author), Victoria Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 11, 2002

Sometimes, despite careful planning and the best of intentions, life works out differently than expected. In Best Intentions, authors Colleen Barney and Victoria Collins examine the impact of estate planning and share stories and letters from and about real people. These are people who, despite careful planning, did not pass on to their loved ones what they had intended-their own special life lessons, messages and financial inheritance.

Most books on estate planning center on avoiding probate and paying less in taxes. For the first time ever, a noted financial planner (Collins) and a respected estate attorney (Barney) present a completely new look at a subject usually considered dry and technical, even morbid. They use letters and stories by and about children, parents, and others to focus on nontraditional estate planning concepts like passing on visions and ideals, values and morals, work ethic and guidance, and love.

Emphasizing people, their lives, and their desires and goals for future generations, the authors show readers how to:

*Understand their own family, social, emotional, and economic dynamics.

*Identify what is really important to them.

*Tailor uniquely personal estate plans.

*Explore alternatives to traditional estate planning concepts.

*Balance the financial and emotional aspects of estate planning.

Sooner or later, estate planning becomes an important aspect of every individual’s life plan. Best Intentions enables readers to apply practical, topical, and timely recommendations to their own personal circumstances-whether their net worth is $10,000, $10,000,000, or more.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Using real-life stories, Barney and Collins highlight the importance of thoughtful estate planning by giving us this challenge: If we could see what happens after our death, what would give us the greatest disappointment, pride, or sense of accomplishment? Discovering the unintended messages in our current plan or lack of one, the authors tell us that not only money but also values, ideals, and feelings should be incorporated into it. We all need an estate plan drafted by a carefully selected lawyer to meet our exact wishes. Not having one may allow the state to decide who makes our medical decisions if we are unable, who inherits our assets, and under what conditions our beneficiaries inherit our assets. This is important information for everyone, and the authors' approach to this complicated topic is relatively easy to understand. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Estate planning books hits heart of the matter...Collins and Barney specifically concentrate on the emotions of estate planning..." -- Richard Mize, The Daily Oklahoman, 5/18/02

"This is important information for everyone, and the authors' approach to this complicated topic is relatively easy to understand." -- Booklist, May 15, 2002

Product Details

• Paperback: 163 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing (February 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793151961
• ISBN-13: 978-0793151967
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Estate Planning Book on the Market, May 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Best Intentions (Paperback)

Almost all books on estate planning explain how to minimize taxes and avoid probate. Colleen Barney and Victoria Collins take a totally different approach focusing on the emotional aspects of leaving money. Using compelling real life stories and letters, the authors focus on what fairness really means, passing values, wisdom, goals, ideals and life's lessons in a meaningful way, preventing fights after your death, who are the "right" people to choose as trustees and more importantly as guardians, sweating the small stuff like passing personal effects and dealing with the always sticky situation of second marriages. With a great deal of emotion, the authors take a very non-technical, understandable and realistic look at the personal side of estate planning with the goal of ensuring that your best intentions are realized after the estate has been settled.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Estate Planning Made Easy, May 17, 2003

By 

Robert A. Wagoner "Truthologist" (Santa Ana, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best Intentions (Paperback)

An excellent book -- the best I've ever read on the subject. As a financial advisor I can't recommend it enough. Most find estate planning confusing. This book is not confusing. It's an easy read. Each simple, short, touching story illustrates a different problem that can arise by not doing good estate planning. It will make you think about your own situation with more clarity than was possible before. This book could be called Chicken Soup For Your Legacy.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ, October 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Best Intentions (Paperback)

This is the first book I have actually seen on estate planning that was actually interesting. The stories and letters are captivating. I found myself drawn into the next one without even knowing it. By the time I had finished the book I felt like I not only learned a fair amount about estate planning, but that I also learned a lot about myself. I found myself thinking about what I really wanted to pass on to my heirs (and not so much thinking about the money). Kudos to these great authors.