Imagine building a new home without a set of blueprintssounds absurd, doesnt it? Its no different than creating an estate plan without establishing planning goals, but far too often people engage in estate planning without thinking about what they want to accomplish. In Secure Your Legacy, attorney Richard J. Shapiro tackles the daunting aspects of estate planning and elder law. He answers questions such as: How do you determine if you need a will or a trust (or both)? Whats the difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust? How do you protect assets if you need long-term care? How do you reduce your exposure to estate taxes? He also shares tips on planning for a child with special needs, transferring a business, and ensuring a beloved pet is taken care of if you die or become incapacitated. He also explains why you should never create an estate plan online. Filled with real-world examples, this guide gives you the critical information you need to work with an attorney to create an estate plan that protects you and your loved ones.
You can’t take it with you, but you can ensure that what you leave behind has value and meaning. Whether you want the fruits of your life’s work to benefit your family, the environment, science, human rights, the arts, your church, or another cause dear to you, one thing is certain: It won’t happen unless you plan. What to Do with Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want is a step-by-step, DIY guide to turning your money and “stuff” into something meaningful that will outlast you—whether you are in the prime of life or your later years, single or partnered, have kids or not, are well-off or of modest means. With her trademark practical wisdom, downsizing expert Marni Jameson offers plenty of comfort (and even some laughs) as she guides you through the following: Identifying whom you want to benefit from your legacy Navigating wills, trusts, and other paths to your goals Heading off potential family conflicts Making the best plan for your material assets This book will encourage and inspire you through every step of your final downsizing project, helping you make a positive impact on the people and causes closest to your heart.
Just like the construction of a building requires a well-designed blueprint, creating a successful estate plan requires a thorough exploration of your planning goals and needs. In this updated second edition of Secure Your Legacy, Certified Elder Law Attorney Richard J. Shapiro uses real world examples from his three decades of practicing law to provide the reader with a thorough understanding of key estate planning and elder law concepts including: How to know if you need a will or trust (or both) The difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts Ways to protect your assets from being wiped out due to the high costs of long-term care Planning techniques to reduce estate, gift, and capital gains taxes How to protect your children's inheritances from their creditors and divorcing spouses How to protect your assets from the reach of "creditors and predators" Why you should never create an estate plan online Shapiro also shares tips on planning for a child with special needs, planning for the transfer of a family business, and providing for the needs of a beloved pet upon your death.
Written in a hard-hitting, question-and-answer format, Generations is vitally useful information and techniques for individuals who care about creating their own legacies and providing for their loved ones. Its appeal is heightened by its presentation of complex issues in easy-to-understand language. Some of the issues discussed are disability, retirement, and asset protection planning; and planning for spouses, children, and grandchildren. It also contains information on planning tools such as revocable living trusts, irrevocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts,offshore asset protection trusts, and charitable trusts; and family limited partnerships. Generations is designed to educate and motivate you to take action. Good planning is planning that is well thought out, fashioned, and honed by knowledgeable professionals; implemented in a thorough and comprehensive manner; and monitored over time by understanding and compassionate advisors. Planning is more of a journey than a destination; it must survive the generations and be able to change with changing circumstances. For many of us, just knowing the questions to ask our attorneys will greatly help us to become involved in the planning process. Armed with the information in this book, you will be able to enter into estate planning with more confidence. Packaged with Generations is a free, 24-page supplement, "What the New Tax Law Means to You," that briefly explains the many changes resulting from the 1001 tax act.
Imagine building a new home without a set of blueprints--sounds absurd, doesn't it? It's no different than creating an estate plan without establishing planning goals, but far too often people engage in estate planning without thinking about what they want to accomplish. In Secure Your Legacy, attorney Richard J. Shapiro tackles the daunting aspects of estate planning and elder law. He answers questions such as: - How do you determine if you need a will or a trust (or both)? - What's the difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust? - How do you protect assets if you need long-term care? - How do you reduce your exposure to estate taxes? He also shares tips on planning for a child with special needs, transferring a business, and ensuring a beloved pet is taken care of if you die or become incapacitated. He also explains why you should never create an estate plan online. Filled with real-world examples, this guide gives you the critical information you need to work with an attorney to create an estate plan that protects you and your loved ones.
Estate planning has more procrastination, indecision, and inertia associated with it than any other area of planning. Affluent baby boomers, in particular, as the beneficiaries of the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history, have a daunting set of financial concerns with which to contend. Here at last is a step-by-step approach to estate planning that equips planners and financial advisors to help clients tackle this important process once and for all. Most clients understandably find planning concepts and strategies confusing, but most also have a fairly sound understanding of who and what is most important to them. These are the priorities from which to build the foundation of a successful estate plan. The seven principles explored in this book use personal values as a basis to form The Legacy Planning System. With this approach, advisors can: * Help clients discover and solidify their deepest values, convictions, and objectives relative to their money * Help clients express those values and objectives in a clearly written Family Financial Philosophy mission statement * Serve as the team leader in advising clients and clients other advisors on how to use the mission statement to direct the planning process Clarifying your clients priorities and personal goals will enable you, as a trusted advisor, to simplify the planning process for clients, ensure their lifetime financial independence, and help them control their ultimate family and social capital legacies. Confronting issues of family dynamics, taxes, and financial situations not to mention accepting one s own mortality is difficult for many people. In addition, since estate planning often requires a shift in ownership of assets, clients feel an unsettling loss of privacy and control over their financial resources. Help your clients to overcome these obstacles and achieve their highest financial and philanthropic aspirations. They ll thank you for generations to come. Praise for Values-Based Estate Planning "Scott Fithian s book provides planning professionals with new insights into the estate planning process. Most importantly, he stresses the individual and family benefits of philanthropy through the concept of social capital which should be a key element to the planner s inventory of client questions."--Charles W. Collier, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Harvard University "This exceptional book empowers planners with a well- organized roadmap to lead wealthy clients to implementation of an estate plan expressing the clients own values. Scott Fithian s Legacy Planning System focuses the advisor on the critical importance to the estate planning process of helping clients identify and articulate their values and objectives. This useful volume makes those ideas available to a much broader audience, while broadening the subject with illustrations of effective employment of the methodology he has developed."--David Wheeler Newman, JD, LLM, Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP "Fithian s view of the complete person helps the advanced advisor avoid the typical limitations (hazards) of planning for wealthy families. The easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow methods help determine in-depth values of the client s total financial goals. His methods result in cementing valuable relationships with the most prized clients. Critical reading for CPAs, attorneys, insurance agents, or other advisors." & mdash;Jessica M. Bibliowicz, President and CEO, National Financial Partners "Scott s wealth optimization system is truly revolutionary. For the first time, affluent clients and their advisors can rely on a fully integrated system that spans all phases of wealth accumulation, management, and transfer over time. An outstanding reference!"--Robert Keys, The Private Client Group
Most people have no idea where to begin when it comes to estate planning. "Can't I just make a simple will?" they ask. There are, however, many complex aspects to putting together an effective estate plan, and often, people don't even know what questions they should ask. In Your Worry-Free Legacy, attorney Denice Gierach compiles the most common issues people face when creating an estate plan into one comprehensive book. Organized in a simple, easy-to-follow Question & Answer format, Your Worry-Free Legacy covers everything you need to know about estate planning in Illinois. In this book, you'll find answers to all your estate planning questions, including: -What is a will? What is a trust? What benefits do they offer? -Why do I need estate planning? -What are the taxes that I might have to pay? -How can I avoid unnecessary taxes on my estate? -How do I protect myself in the event that I become incapacitated? -How is my business affected by my death? -Will my family be able to get distributions from my estate to live on? -How can I leave a legacy for my children? -And more! You've worked hard all your life for your money, and now's the time to make sure you keep as much of it as possible during your lifetime, and ensure as much of it as possible goes to the people you choose upon your death with speed and ease.
This book will provide you the direction and knowledge you will need to confidently take the appropriate steps toward an estate plan that fits your current and future needs. Inside you will find information regarding wills and trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and medical directives, Medicaid, nursing home planning, probate, taxes, and international planning considerations.
Veteran estate planning attorney Keith Tokerud explains how to design and implement a plan, discussing all the relevant issues in clear, easy-to-understand prose. Armed with the knowledge you'll gain, you feel in control of your destiny and able to pass on your legacy to your loved ones with peace of mind.
