50 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes...and How to Avoid Them

Stepping Lightly Around the Pitfalls of Estate Planning...Estate planning is one of those unpleasant but really important tasks. Unfortunately, the process is not only hard to get started, it is then easy to make mistakes. Even the most careful and well-intentioned person can slip up along the way. Avoid the pitfalls! The 50 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes outlines the major mistakes and their consequences in an entertaining way-and then proceeds to tell you exactly how to avoid these mistakes. Delivering practical and helpful information in a light tone, the authors help to make these sometimes difficult conversations a little easier. The book's fifty concise chapters are filled with real-life examples, organized under four key areas of mistakes: The biggest mistake of not planning at all Failing to plan for the possibility of mental incompetency Mistakes made during the estate planning process itself And common mistakes made by executors Written by personal finance and estate planning experts, Jean Blacklock and Sarah Kruger, The 50 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes and How To Avoid Them is an essential guide for Canadians interested in planning their estates effectively, with minimal stress on their loved ones. Praise for The 50 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them "Quite simply the best estate-planning book I've read in 30 years. Outstanding!" -- David Chilton , author of The Wealthy Barber. "It's a rare occasion when I read a self-help book-because this class of literature is overpopulated with hucksters, snake oil peddlers and semi-literates. It's an even rarer occasion when I read one all the way through and end up recommending it to friends. This book is, quite simply, the best I've seen in its field. It is sound, comprehensive, helpful, and-most importantly-readable. Its authors know their business, and they know how to explain what you need to know to make intelligent plans for your estate. Unless you are one of those enthusiasts who believe that, through diet, drugs, and denial, you can endure for centuries, you should read this book and use it as a basis for discussions with your family and your professionals. If so, your funeral need not-like so many-be the day your heirs start fighting with each other, and your estate begins to bleed." -- Donald Coxe , Chairman of Coxe Advisors LLP, has been a columnist with the Globe & Mail , the National Post , Maclean's and is the author of The New Reality of Wall Street "A sensible, sound and savvy guide for everyone who is not immortal-that is, all of us. Thoroughly enjoyable and insightful. A must-read for all those thinking about estate planning-which, too, should be all of us." -- Michael Gordon , MD, MSc, FRCPC, Geriatrician and author of Moments that Matter: Cases in Ethical Eldercare "In a very readable and easy to understand manner, this book hits all of the common estate planning mistakes head on. I highly recommend it." -- Ian Hull , LL.B., Hull & Hull LLP "This book is must-read to understand how to protect your hard-won assets and assure a smooth transition for your family when you are gone. It also explains how best to ensure that your wishes are met and without making the mistakes common to do-it-yourself estate planners. While most of us don't want think about our mortality, planning ahead is essential. This easy-to-read guide explains the documentation necessary in the event you are unable to make your own health care decisions. The thoughtful preparation for delegation of personal care and financial decisions is essential to leaving a legacy that does not include hard feelings and family feuds. This book stresses the need for specificity, clarity and regular updating as your life change. The authors explain how to choose the right trustees, have the hard conversations and provide prudent safeguards. Just the reminder of how damaging mistakes can be is a terrific wake-up call. Written for Canadians, it provides the information needed to make the right decisions at the right time. This book is entertaining, written by experts with a sense of humour, providing a check-list of the dos and don'ts of estate planning that anyone can understand." -- Sherry Cooper , Chief Economist of BMO Capital Markets and author of The New Retirement