Estate Planning Basics

by Clifford, Denis

• ISBN13: 9780873377744
• ISBN10: 0873377745
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-09-01
• Publisher: Nolo

Summary

Make estate planning as painless as possible with Estate Planning Basics. It provides concise, straightforward and easy-to-read explanations of the steps involved in planning your estate.

Table of Contents

Introduction
A First Look at Estate Planning
Choosing Your Beneficiaries	5	(1)
Providing for Young Children	6	(2)
Transferring Your Property After You Die	8	(1)
Estate Taxes	9	(2)
Planning for Incapacity	11	(1)
Making Changes	11	(2)
More Estate Planning Resources from Nolo	13
Your Beneficiaries
Direct Beneficiaries	2	(3)
Alternate Beneficiaries	5	(3)
Beneficiary Complexities	8	(7)
Disinheritance	15	(2)
Talking it Over	17
Children
Naming Someone to Care for Young Children	3	(3)
Naming Someone to Manage Your Child's Property	6	(2)
Choosing How Your Children's Property Should be Managed	8	(5)
Naming Children as Beneficiaries of Life Insurance	13	(1)
Leaving Property to Adult Children	14	(1)
Leaving Property to Other People's Children	15
Wills
Will Requirements	2	(3)
Your Executor	5	(1)
Types of Wills	6	(4)
Probate	10	(2)
Using a Will in Your Estate Planning	12	(3)
Preparing Your Will	15	(1)
Challenges to Your Will	16
Living Trusts
How a Living Trust Works	3	(3)
Do You Need a Living Trust?	6	(2)
Living Trusts and Taxes	8	(1)
Living Trusts and Young Children	9	(1)
Shared Living Trusts for Couples	9	(3)
Making Key Decisions About Your Living Trust	12	(7)
Preparing Your Living Trust Documents	19
Other Probate Avoidance Methods
Pay-On-Death Bank Accounts	2	(1)
Transfer-On-Death Accounts for Securities	3	(1)
Transfer-On-Death Car Registration	4	(1)
Joint Tenancy	5	(4)
Tenancy by the Entirety	9	(1)
Community Property with Right of Survivorship	10	(1)
Simplified Probate Proceedings	11	(1)
Life Insurance	11	(2)
Gifts	13
Retirement Plans as Estate Planning Devices
Individual Retirement Programs	3	(2)
Pensions	5	(1)
Choosing Beneficiaries for Individual Retirement Programs	6	(1)
Retirement Plans and Taxes	7
Estate Tax
Federal Estate Tax Exemptions	3	(7)
State Death Tax	10	(2)
Gift Tax	12	(3)
The Federal Income-Tax Basis of Inherited Property	15
Reducing Federal Estate Taxes
Making Gifts During Life	3	(3)
The AB Trust	6	(9)
Other Tax Saving Trusts	15	(6)
Disclaiming Gifts	21
Property Control Trusts
Marital Property Control Trusts for Second or Subsequent Marriages	2	(5)
Special Needs Trusts for Disabled People	7	(2)
Education Trusts	9	(1)
Spendthrift Trusts	10	(1)
Flexible Trusts	11
Planning for Incapacity: Medical Care and Finances
Medical Decisions	2	(7)
Financial Decisions	9
Lawyers
Will You Need a Lawyer?	2	(2)
Using Lawyers	4	(4)
Doing Your Own Research	8
Finalizing Your Estate Plan
Storing Your Estate Planning Documents	2	(1)
Revising Your Estate Plan	3
Index