This best-selling book for baby boomers and their parents is essential reading, whether you are tackling the subject for the first time or revising your plan to reflect changes in the law, your finances or your personal life.The expanded 2nd edition, available here, replaces the 1st edition, published in 2009. It covers the important 2010 tax changes that affect everyone.
The Table of Contents is designed to help you flag the sections most relevant to you:
Chapter 1
Nothing Lasts Forever
Read this chapter even if you are hearty and clear-headed.
Chapter 2
Who Gets What and How Much Is Enough?
Read this chapter if you want to provide for specific people, charities or pets in your estate plan.
Chapter 3
Understand the Tax System
Read this chapter even if you think estate taxes won t affect your heirs.
Chapter 4
Protect Your Spouse or Partner
Chapter 5
What if? Provide for Young or Disabled Children
Read this chapter so you can anticipate their needs and make sure they will be nurtured.
Chapter 6
Trusts: Not Just for the Wealthy
Read this chapter even if you think you don t need this very useful tool.
Chapter 7
Preserve Retirement Accounts
Read this chapter if you have your own retirement account or have inherited one.
Chapter 8
Be Smart About Life Insurance
Read this chapter whether or not you have life insurance.
Chapter 9
Pay for Health Care and Education
Read this chapter if anyone you love could use help with these expenses, now or in the future.
Chapter 10
Home Base: Factoring in Real Estate
Read this chapter if you own your primary residence or vacation home or might move to a different state.
Chapter 11
Hidden Traps When Crossing Borders
Read this chapter if you or a family member is a citizen of another country, lives abroad or has foreign investments.
Chapter 12
The Family Business: a Legacy or a Headache?
Read this chapter if you have your own business or a share in a family-held enterprise.
Chapter 13
Subsidize Friends or Family
Read this chapter if you would like to offer financial help to adult children, grandchildren, parents, siblings or others.
Chapter 14
What You Can Do for Grandchildren
Read this chapter if you would like to provide a financial cushion for your descendants in the years ahead.
Chapter 15
Give Now, Save Tax Later
Read this chapter if saving taxes is a high priority.
Chapter 16
Make Lifetime Gifts Go Further
Read this chapter if you have the resources to transfer large sums of money while you are alive.
Chapter 17
Your Charitable Legacy
Read this chapter if there are causes you care deeply about and would like to benefit now or later.
Chapter 18
Create Roadblocks to Creditors
Read this chapter if you worry about being sued.
Chapter 19
Keep Your Plan Current
Read this chapter even if you think you can leave well enough alone.
The book includes an extensive index and glossary. Readers can stay up-to-date by following the author's blog on ForbesDOTcom.
A lawyer, award-winning journalist and dynamic speaker, Deborah L. Jacobs has lectured about estate planning around the country to audiences of advisers and consumers. She is a Senior Editor at Forbes, where she writes about personal finance for baby boomers for both the Forbes magazine and Web site.
Jacobs has also been interviewed as an expert by reporters from many different media outlets, including The New York Times, Bloomberg News, Smart Money, Reuters, U.S. News & World Report, MarketWatch and CBS TV.
