Smart Women Protect Their Assets: Essential Information for Every Woman About Wills, Trusts, and More

Smart Women Protect Their Assets: Essential Information for Every Woman About Wills, Trusts, and More

by Wynne A. Whitman
Released November 2008
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780137154272

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

“This little book contains a wealth of estate planning information that every successful woman needs to know. Wynne Whitman makes complicated subjects comprehensible and outlines a plan of action that any woman can follow.”

--Liz Pulliam Weston, “the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet” (Nielsen/NetRatings); author of Easy Money, Your Credit Score, and Deal with Your Debt

 

“Thanks to Wynne Whitman’s great advice, I’ve learned everything I need to know to ensure my stellar Grey Goose collection goes to the right person. But more importantly, I now know what I need to do to protect my assets as well as Chuy’s.”

--Chelsea Handler, best-selling author of Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea and My Horizontal Life; host of Chelsea Lately on E! Entertainment Television

 

“I’ve worked hard all my life to support my family and was wondering what the future held for them when a friend sent me this book. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Here are the answers. Very clear with tons of information, especially about wills and how to help the family in the future.”

--Sally Jessy Raphael, Emmy Award-winning talk show host

 

“This book is a must read for smart women (and men). The author’s humorous writing style gets you up to speed painlessly on estate planning essentials--so your children have guardians, so you avoid taxes, and so your money and other assets go to the right people. Don’t have a will, trust, living will, or durable powers of attorney? Get them, immediately after reading this book.”

--Greg Karp, syndicated personal finance journalist and author of Living Rich by Spending Smart

 

Too many women still haven’t taken control of what will happen to their wealth and their assets. If you don’t plan, the government will decide who’ll act for you when you’re sick...who’ll manage your estate when you die...who’ll get everything you’ve worked for. Everyone needs to plan, but women face unique issues that are often ignored in “typical” discussions of estate planning. Smart Women Protect Their Assets offers the specific guidance women need to safeguard their futures and control where their assets will go. Leading estate planner Wynne A. Whitman offers smart, up-to-date, and easy-to-use advice for the scenarios millions of women will face. You’ll discover how to protect children of a previous marriage...give gifts the right way...do the easy planning that may save you nearly a million dollars...get the Living Will and Power of Attorney you simply must have...and a whole lot more. Written by a woman for women, this is a quick, focused, engaging, and practical book packed with simple checklists and “what-to-do-next” advice: information every woman can act on, right now.

  • Are you risking everything?

    What you could lose if you don’t start planning now

  • How to choose the right estate planning instruments for your situation

    Wills, trusts, and “fancier” options: Which are right for you and those you care about?

  • What if you get sick and can’t act for yourself?

    Make sure the right person is there to make the right decisions

  • How to provide peace of mind to your loved ones

    Get organized and tell your loved ones exactly what you want

  • How to discuss life’s toughest topics

    Bringing it up with your husband, partner, or significant other

    •

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright Page
    3. Contents
    4. Acknowledgments
    5. About the Author
    6. Introduction
    7. 1. Why Should You Worry About Estate Planning?
      1. Why You Need to Plan
      2. Who You’re Planning For
      3. How to Get Started
      4. What Should You Do Next?
    8. 2. What Exactly Does Your Estate Include?
      1. Assets and How They’re Owned
      2. Everyday Estate Planning
      3. What Should You Do Next?
    9. 3. Is It Really That Important to Think About Taxes?
      1. Inheritance Tax
      2. Federal Estate Tax
      3. State Estate Tax
      4. Gift Tax
      5. Generation Skipping Transfer Tax
      6. Income Tax
      7. What Should You Do Next?
    10. 4. Who Makes Sure Everything You Want to Have Happen Happens When You’re Gone?
      1. Guardians
      2. Executors
      3. Trustees
      4. What Should You Do Next?
    11. 5. What Will Happen to Your Loved Ones?
      1. Husbands
      2. Significant Others
      3. Children
      4. Disabled Loved Ones
      5. Grandchildren
      6. Friends and Other Family
      7. Pooches and Other Pets
      8. Charities
      9. What Should You Do Next?
    12. 6. What’s a Will? What’s a Trust? How Do You Use Them to Put Your Plan in Place?
      1. Last Wills and Testaments
      2. Trusts
      3. Beneficiary Designations
      4. Meeting Your Attorney
      5. What Should You Do Next?
    13. 7. What If You Want to Get Fancy with Your Planning?
      1. Sharing the Wealth
      2. It Is Better to Give Than to Receive
      3. Incentive and Other Trusts
      4. Generation Skipping Trusts
      5. Life Insurance and Life Insurance Trusts
      6. Residence Trusts
      7. Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
      8. Charitable Trusts and Private Foundations
      9. Individual Retirement Accounts
      10. Asset Protection Trusts
      11. Family Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies
      12. What Should You Do Next?
    14. 8. What If You Get Sick and Can’t Make Decisions?
      1. Power of Attorney
      2. Advance Directives—Living Wills and Health Care Proxies
      3. Document Review
      4. What Should You Do Next?
    15. 9. Is There Anything Else You Should Do to Be Prepared?
      1. The Important Paper Drawer
      2. Letters of Instruction
      3. Funeral Planning
      4. What Should You Do Next?
    16. 10. How Do You Talk to Your Loved Ones About Your Death?
      1. What Should You Do Next?
    17. 11. What Should You Do in Special Situations?
      1. Successful Singles
      2. Homemakers
      3. Widows
      4. Generous Grandmothers
      5. Divorcées
      6. Cohabiters
      7. Lesbians
      8. Caregivers
      9. Heiresses
      10. What Should You Do Next?
    18. 12. What Happens If You Are Appointed as a Fiduciary?
      1. What Should You Do Next?
    19. Conclusion: Estate Planning Checklist
    20. Suggested Resources
    21. Glossary
    22. Financial Times Press
    23. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Smart Women Protect Their Assets: Essential Information for Every Woman About Wills, Trusts, and More
    • Author(s): Wynne A. Whitman
    • Release date: November 2008
    • Publisher(s): Pearson
    • ISBN: 9780137154272