The Complete Guide to Organizing Your Records for Estate Planning: Step-by-Step Instructions

This is a pretty practical book about organizing your estate records. One quote struck me when starting to read this book: "Preparation of your estate should not be stressful or depressing. Instead you should think of it as a labor of love. You are taking care of your family and friends for a time that you will not be able to physically. Having a well organized estate is a love letter to them stating that you cared enough for them to make sure every detail was covered so that the transition would be as smooth and simple as possible." And J. Peragine is right: in a time of intense stress, having a clearly organized roadmap for them to follow can save them time and a lot of money.The book is clear, easy to follow, and delivers on what it promises. There were many things I was doing already: keeping a list of bank accounts, brokerage accounts, retirement accounts, having beneficiaries named for all of them. However there are many things I have learned as well: how to avoid having your assets caught up in probate hearings by naming beneficiaries or having transfer on death deeds depending on the laws in your state, where to keep all your portfolio information so it is easily accessible, at which point in life to get term or cash value life insurance, what types of insurances to avoid depending on the situation you are in etc.There are other issues involving larger estates that this book mentions but they are not completely covered. Estate taxes become really important when passing on a larger estate and although this book mentions some strategies in those particular cases, it doesn't detail so the help of an attorney will be required. A lot of the other suggestions in this book don't require an attorney if the person has the time and the knowledge for preparing the specific documents.

shallow with obvious thinking points I expected something new for a $20 book from a professed expert. Continue your search.

The Complete Guide to Organizing Your Records for Estate PlanningbyReviewed by Jaimie AdlerI found this book to deliver exactly what the introduction promised it would, which is rare. I found the book to be clear, easy to follow and contain lots of great hints and ideas - two copies of everything is case of damage -brilliant! I also found the worksheets to be well laid out and easy to complete.In chapter 1 where the author listed his recommendations of what to include in your file was thoughtful as well as helpful - biography, a letter to those you love...he didn't miss a beat..organizations and clubs, charities,,things one might forget when knee deep in preparing for the worst.Without sounding redundant, each chapter was well thought out, clear and written in a way that not only reminded me to set up my estate, but after reading this, I felt it was a task that if done in a calculated fashion like the book suggests, could be done with limited stress and anxiety.4 stars

After reading this book I realized, if I were to die suddenly, my family would be left in the dark. They would not know my last wishes, where my will is located, or who to contact. There is a lot of important information that goes into estate planning. But, not only do you have to gather the info you also have to know where to put it and who to put in charge of it. This book explained it all.It made the maze of legal jargon easy to understand. There are so many things to think of and take care of; with this book you won't overlook any of them. The price of the book seems almost small for the peace of mind it provides.

I'll be honest; when I first opened this book, I was prepared for a very dry and technical bore-fest. I was surprised to find that John Peragine took a topic that can often be uncomfortable and sensitive - planning for one's death - and handled it with sensitivity and compassion. He made a task that is often so overwhelming that people can't even wrap their heads around it, and made it manageable. There are even tips for writing a personal letter to your family, which was a nice touch. The Complete Guide to Organizing your Records for Estate Planning is an excellent tool to use in accomplishing this necessary goal, especially if you have children.Some of the features I appreciated about this book were the detailed charts that included plans for every aspect of your life, right down to access codes, passwords and pet care. I never would have thought of making a family tree for my kids as part of an estate planning portfolio, but it makes perfect sense. The inclusion of things like photos and memorabilia humanizes the text without getting overly sentimental. Peragine understands that he's communicating with real people.Speaking of real people, there is a wealth of knowledge cited throughout the guide from attorneys and professionals. The quotes used in the main text were unobtrusive and useful; however, I found the case studies at the end to be a little off-putting. They felt like endorsements for people to use lawyers and didn't seem to add much beyond what had already been stated in the body of the book. While they may make valid points about the necessity of hiring attorneys for estate planning, this portion of the book seemed to undo the earlier tone of the work.Overall I'd rate this book a 5 out of 5. I highly recommend reading the text and completing the portfolio as soon as possible.