The Living Trust : The Failproof Way to Pass Along Your Estate to Your Heirs Paperback – October 9, 2002

This book is full of great ideas. I am learning about creating a living trust for my husband and I so that our children will not be left with the mess that my brother left for my sister & I. Probate through the court system is NOT fun. The length of time it takes costs a lot of time and effort. I really feel sorry for those who are not left enough to bury their loved ones and take care of an estate.This book is full of information of the many pitfalls ahead of us. Those of us who are of an older generation have a few more pitfalls over our heads as our brains take a little longer to adjust. Needless to say give yourself plenty of time and seek necessary help with the tricky pitfalls.

The Living Trust is in the third edition printing...if the Congress decides what it is going to do for the country a Fourth Edition of this planning guide would/could be well along!Henry Abts does not like attorney's and his illustrations show why he does not. The Book is a good read on a subject that more people could take advantage of to save money by avoiding probate. The description of probate, and the costs associated with taking an estate through probate are enough to encourage anyone with a choice to AVOID Probate!The appendix section is a good read by itself with a question/answer format.As soon as an update is published, I will buy that...but I don't know the schedule!

It is SO sad that most people have been brainwashed into thinking a Will is the best way to go in asset allocation. A Living Trust is better by far and it's a travesty that lawyers talk people out of them - since they don't get paid on Trusts - hum.......... If most people knew the difference between the two - there would be few Wills written! Mr. Abts makes it easy to understand and as plain as it can be for anyone interested in this form of wealth preservation. Recommend this book - HIGHLY!!!It was also a pleasure to deal with Hippo_Books. There was a slight issue with my order and they stepped up, took care of the situation and left me as a happy customer. They really cared and it was very much appreciated!!

I read this book and it was just what I needed to lean all about the purpose and need for living trusts. If you are thinking about your estate planning this book is definitey a good read and very informative. I called the number mentioned in the book for a referral but no one ever got back to me. I found that very strange as the entire book is based on useing a trust professional certified by the author. Despite this, the book is very interesting and you will probably get all the information you need in regard to the subject matter. I am glad I purcheased this book and I can now say I know a lot about the need for living trusts and how to get one that meets my estate planning needs.

Good informative book but the tax information is badly out of date

Excellent excellent book - I'm aware of no better on the topic. I would have given 5 stars if it was revised. Personally I don't find the topic of estate planning overly interesting, but just because it's not exciting, doens't mean it isn't necessary if you want to maximize your legacy. The core writing is exceptional, but it's been several years since the book was written and would be great if it was revised to reflect any changes that have occurred over the last several years. Other than that I still thought it was an exceptional read.

Being introduced to the tax difference between community property and Joint Tenancy was worth the price by itself.

Great book on living trusts and very well-written in an easy to follow way. Just note that the estate tax portion is well out of date. I loaned it to a colleague and the goon hasn't returned it yet, so I'll buy another (and the follow-up book by the same author on settling trusts). I'm a CFP, so I know the importance of proper estate planning. Great book to brush up on overall trust knowledge.