Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy [Paperback]

John Ventura (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2008

If I don’t have an estate plan, what will happen when I die? Can I plan my own estate, or should I work with an estate attorney? How can I make sure that my estate isn’t whittled away by state and federal taxes?

In Kiplinger’s Estate Planning, financial expert and attorney John Ventura offers straightforward guidance on all of the tools of estate planning, from wills, trusts, and custodial accounts to insurance, employee befits, and durable power of attorney for finance and health care.

 

In this easy-to-read guide, learn: What you can and can’t do with a will; How a living trust works; Your options for transferring assets to your spouse or partner; How to give your assets away while you are alive; How to use a durable power of attorney for health care—and what will happen if you become incapacitated without one; Controlling your death with a living will; How to leave a personal legacy; How to complete the process on your own or work with an estate attorney

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Ventura is a nationally known bankruptcy attorney and author who has been writing about issues related to consumer financial and legal issues for more than 15 years. During this time, Ventura has been a guest on CNN, CNBC, PBS, and National Public Radio, among other national TV and radio media and has been quoted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Money, Newsweek, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur, U.S. News and World Report, Maxim, Good Housekeeping, Martha Stewart's Living, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, and The Dallas Morning News, among other media outlets. Most recently, he has been quoted at CBSMarketWatch.com, Office.com, Bankrate.com, USA Today, MSNMoney, The Dallas Morning News, The Detroit Free Press, the Baltimore Sun, the Indianapolis Star, and Black Enterprise Magazine. He currently serves as Director of the Texas Consumer Complaint Center at the University of Houston Law School in Texas and is also an adjunct professor at the law school.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing; Original edition (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427797099
• ISBN-13: 978-1427797094
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive legal advice in a single, easy to read book!, August 8, 2008

By 

R. Johnson (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy (Paperback)

I am a wills and probate attorney in Texas. Certainly, I am the first to admit that the law of estate planning can be difficult to navigate. John Ventura, with this Estate Planning book, makes the navigation simple. He guides you, step by step, through wills, trusts, and the like, without ever missing a beat. I even purchased a copy for my own mother! If you want an easy read, with excellent advice, you're in great hands with John Ventura's "Kiplinger's Estate Planning."

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete and comprehensive guide to estate management, June 8, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy (Paperback)

What happens to all of one's belongings if one is randomly and tragically killed in a bus accident? Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy is a complete and comprehensive guide to estate management, whether one carries an estate worth millions or worth less than thousand. It's a guide for anyone about how to make sure one's will is carried out when one makes a purchase of metaphorical agricultural land. Kiplinger's Estate Planning is a must for anyone worried about their friends and family and wants to leave them something when the time comes, and is also highly recommended for community library finance collections.

21 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNDERSTANDING IT ALL, July 27, 2008

By 

Karmakafebargains "Karmakafebargains" (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy (Paperback)

I HAVE A MUCH BETTER INSIGHT AS TO HOW IT ALL WORKS WITH REGARDS TO WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES. IT'S A RELIEF TO KNOW THAT YOUR SPOUSE AND KIDS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR. EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ASSETS TO BE SUBJECT TO THE ESTATE TAX, FOR ME, IT'S A RELIEF TO HAVE A PLAN. EVEN WITH OUR MINIMAL ASSETS-CAR; HOUSE; A PET-IT'S GREAT TO HAVE SOME PEACE OF MIND, KNOWING WHAT HAPPENS. AND, IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN THE BASIC ASSETS, THIS BOOK HELPS YOU WITH THE MORE COMPLICATED THINGS, SUCH AS INVESTMENTS AND LIFE INSURANCE. WRITTEN BY ATTORNEY JOHN VENTURA IN UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!