If I ever had thoughts of writing a book on estate planning, I abandoned them when I saw this book. Estate Planning Smarts: A Practical, User-Friendly, Action-Oriented Guide
The title doesn’t mean to suggest that estate planning is painful (ouch! that smarts!) — but rather that you’ll learn what you need to know about the subject, and the book delivers on that promise. Jacobs has the mastery you’d expect of a graduate of Columbia Law School, and delivers her knowledge with the writing skills you’d expect of someone with an M.S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
This book is written for individuals seeking to understand this important area of personal finance, but it’s sound enough and thorough enough to be suitable for financial advisors seeking to gain a grasp of the subject.
If you’re wondering whether this book covers your personal situation, the answer is almost surely yes. Jacobs discusses traditional and non-traditional families, community property and common law states, planning for the wealthy and planning for the rest of us. Readers learn the issues relating to different types of assets, different types of investment accounts, and different types of trusts.One feature I particularly appreciate is the to-do list at the end of every chapter. Jacobs doesn’t just offer a lot of information, she lets you know what to do with it. Readers can also enjoy the tidbits she drops throughout the book about estate planning hits and misses for an array of celebrities. These items are used to illustrate important points, but they also lighten a topic that few of us find fun.
The only thing I find wrong with the book is its price, which is well below where it should be to indicate the book’s true value. I suspect readers will have no trouble forgiving Jacobs for this mistake.
