 
Wills, Trusts and Your Estate Plan: Detailed Contents
- Preface
- Step 1: Find an Estate Planning Advisor
- Introduction
- An Estate Plan Is a Responsibility and an Opportunity
- Your Estate Planning Team
- What an Experienced Estate Planning Team Brings to the Table
- Finding an Estate Planning Attorney
- Initial consultation costs
- The Estate Planning Questionnaire
- What Are Reasonable Fees for an Estate Planning Attorney?
- An Overview of the Estate Planning Process
- Summary
- Step 2: Understand the Estate Planning Fundamentals
- Introduction
- What Is Estate Planning?
- The Estate Planning Revolution
- Lack of Coordination of Beneficiaries
- Determining Who Must Pay the Inheritance Tax
- What Happens to Your Assets at Death Depends on “How” You Own Them
- Why Comprehensive Estate Planning Is Important
- Your Will
- Post-Mortem Estate Planning
- Summary
- Step 3: Stay in Control of Your Assets During Your Lifetime
- Introduction
- Who Will Manage Your Assets If You Become Incapacitated?
- Power of Attorney
- Who Will Make Your Healthcare Decisions If You Become Incapacitated?
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Advance Medical Directives
- Who Will Pay for Your Care If You Cannot Take Care of Yourself?
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Trusts for Family Members with Disabilities
- Summary
- Step 4: Control the Distribution of Your Assets After Death
- Introduction
- The Will
- What Makes It Legal?
- The Eight Primary Estate Planning Challenges Solved by Wills
- The Disadvantages of Wills
- Trusts
- Summary
- Step 5: Consider Using a Living Trust
- Introduction
- What Is a Revocable Living Trust?
- The Eight Primary Estate Planning Challenges Solved By Living Trusts
- The Parties to a Revocable Living Trust
- How To Choose a Trustee
- The Registration Process (Funding Your Living Trust)
- How To Re-Register Assets into the Name of Your Living Trust:
- A Step-by-Step Guide
- The Operation of the Revocable Living Trust
- Tax Treatment of Revocable Living Trusts
- Disadvantages of Living Trusts
- Types of Living Trusts & Related Estate Planning Documents
- Documents That Should Accompany Living Trusts
- Summary
- Step 6: Include Your Retirement Plan & IRAs in Your Estate Plan
- Introduction
- Taxes Affecting Qualified Retirement Plans & IRAs 117
- Estate Planning For Retirement Plan Distributions During Lifetime
- Estate Planning for Retirement Plan Distributions After Death
- Estate Planning Considerations When Naming Retirement Plan Beneficiaries
- Summary
- Step 7: Discover How To Pay Zero Estate Tax
- Introduction
- Who Must Pay the Estate Tax?
- What Are the Tax Rates?
- Assets Included in the Gross Estate at Death
- Valuing The Gross Estate
- Estate Tax Deductions & Credits
- Liquidity Planning
- Overview of the Gift Tax
- How To Pay Zero Estate Tax
- Strategy One: Maximize the Unlimited Marital Deduction
- Strategy Two: A Credit Shelter Trust Saves the Lifetime
- Exclusion Amount of the First Spouse To Die
- Strategy Three: Make Lifetime Gifts to Family Members
- Strategy Four: Discounting the Value of Assets Remaining in Your Estate
- Strategy Five: Prepay the Estate Tax with Discounted Life Insurance Dollars
- Summary
- Step 8: Make the World a Better Place with Charitable Estate Planning
- Introduction
- What Is Charitable Estate Planning?
- What Is a Charitable Gift?
- Popular Giving Tools
- Gifts That Give Back
- Charitable Remainder Trust
- Charitable Lead Trusts
- Pooled Income Funds
- Remainder Interest in Home or Farm
- Conservation Easements
- Foundations
- Charitable Estate Planning with IRAs & Qualified Retirement Plans
- Summary
- About the Author
- Appendix I: The Confidential Estate Planning Questionnaire
- Appendix II: Professional Designations of Estate Planning Advisors
- Glossary
- Index
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