Estate Planning / Business Planning / Improve The Odds

An Annotated Bibliography



ESTATE PLANNING - GENERAL

At the consumer level, both the Adams-Brosterman and Manning books are particularly useful and reliable. The Adams book has been around for literally decades, is periodically updated and enhanced, and is an enormous bargain. The Manning book is very authoritative and stylishly written by a noted New York lawyer. The Kess volume, from Commerce Clearing House, is highly authoritative, comprehensive and altogether extremely well done. The Weinstock book is also very good and complete, and is supplemented periodically.

Title: Estate Planning: How to Preserve Your Estate
Author: Manning, Jerome A.
Publisher: Practicing Law Institute; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 310Binding: PaperRevision: N/A
ISBN: 0-87224-046-0Year: 1992Price: $15.00
 
Title: CCH Financial and Estate Planning Guide
Author: Kess, Sidney, et al
Publisher: Commerce Clearing House; Chicago, IL
Pages: 905Binding: PaperRevision: Twelfth Edition
ISBN: 0-8080-0027-6Year: 1998Price: $58.00
 
Title: The Complete Estate Planning Guide
Author: Adams, Kathleen & Brosterman, Robert
Publisher: Penguin Books, New York, NY
Pages: 414Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: Year: 1998Price: $7.00
 
Title: Encyclopedia of Estate Planning
Author: Holzman, Robert S.
Publisher: Boardroom Reports
Pages: 310Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $50.00
 
Title: Understanding Trusts and Estates
Author: Andersen, Roger W.
Publisher: Matthew Bender; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 356Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1994Price:
 
Title: Complete Book of Wills and Estates
Author: Bove, Alexander A.
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1991Price:


DISABILITY PLANNING

This category deals with books relating to (a) planning for the client's own disability, by use of documents variously described as Health Care Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney and so forth, and also (b) the question of guardianships and conservatorships.

In the former category, the Collin volumes are the most exhaustive treatment, but also by far the most expensive. Of the others mentioned, the Practicing Law Institute publications would likely be the most authoritative. In the latter category, I have not read either of the books listed but would expect them both to be useful.


Title: Handling. . .Health Care Proxy and Living Will
Author: Various
Publisher: Practicing Law Institute; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $65.00
 
Title: Durable Powers of Attorney & Health Care Directives
Author: Collin, Francis J., et al
Publisher: Clark, Boardman, Callaghan; Deerfield, IL
Pages: Two Vol.Binding: LooseleafRevision: Third Edition
ISBN: Year: 1996Price:
 
Title: Making Sense of Advance Directives
Author: King, Nancy
Publisher: Kluwer Academic; Norwell, MA
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year:Price: $59.00
 
Title:The Essential Guide to a Living Wil
Author: Colen, B.D.
Publisher: Prentice-Hall; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $8.00
 
Title: You Decide: Using Living Wills & Other Advance Directives
Author: Van Allen, Evelyn J.
Publisher: Irwin Professional Publishing; Burr Ridge, IL
Pages: 163Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $18.00
 
Title: Guardianship
Author: Summers, Scott K.
Publisher: American Bar Association
Pages: Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: 1-57073-327-9Year: 1996Price:
 
Title: Handbook of Guardianships & Conservatorships
Author: Faber, Stuart J.
Publisher: Lega Books (address unknown)
Pages: 457Binding: PaperRevision: Fifth Edition
ISBN: 0-89074-086-0Year: 1984Price: $37.50
 
Title: Health Care Proxies/Powers/Living Wills
Author: Various
Publisher: Practicing Law Institute; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 390Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: 0-685-56939-XYear: 1991Price: $70.00


ESTATE & TRUST ADMINISTRATION

In this category, the volume by Rounds and Hayes is a class act; it is unlikely a lay trustee would need anything additional. The two volumes on the work of an executor should probably be taken with a dose of salt; good for general background reading but almost certainly inadequate to teach you to settle an estate single-handed, estate administration being a peculiarly "state-specific" activity.

I have not read the Coopers and Lybrand volume, but it might well be useful; the volume by Turner is quite likely a good one also, but I have not seen it

Title: Loring: A Trustee's Handbook
Author: Rounds, Charles E., and Hayes, Eric P.
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.; Boston, MA
Pages: 320Binding: HardRevision: Seventh Edition
ISBN: 0-316-35073-7Year: 1994Price: $95.00
 
Title: The Executor's Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide
Author: Hughes, Theodore E., & Klein, David
Publisher: Facts on File
Pages: 208Binding: Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $23.00
 
Title: How to Settle an Estate: A Manual
Author: Plotnick, Charles
Publisher: Consumer Reports Books; Yonkers, N.Y.
Pages:Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $19.00
 
Title: Trust Practice Manual
Author: Coopers & Lybrand DeLoitte Trust Department
Publisher: Butterworth; Salem, N.H.
Pages: Binding:Revision: Second Edition
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $105.00
 
Title: Trust Administration & Fiduciary Responsibility
Author: Turner, George M.
Publisher: Shepard's/McGraw Hill; Colorado Springs, CO
Pages: 500Binding: LooseleafRevision: Annual Supplement
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $130.00


MEDICAID ENTITLEMENT PLANNING

The subject of these books is a separate enclave, and it is one which is susceptible to rapid change, so caution is more than usually indicated.

The Bove book is exceptionally good, quite stylish and I believe authoritative, and a bargain at the price. The articles by Strauss and Dussault are authoritative also, but not generally available to the lay public.

Title: The Medicaid Planning Handbook: A Guide
Author: Bove, Alexander A., Jr.
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.; Boston, MA
Pages: 180Binding: PaperRevision: Second Edition
ISBN: 0-316-10374-8Year: 1996Price: $13.00
 
Title: Estate Planning for Those Receiving - Medicaid
Author: Webb, Thomas E., Jr.
Publisher: Bristol Hunter Pub. Co.
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: 0-943843-02-2Year: 1990Price: $75.00
 
Title: Financing Long Term Care (Article - 1994 Institute on Estate Planning)
Author: Strauss, Peter J.
Publisher: Matthew Bender; N.Y.,N.Y.
Pages: 42Binding: LooseleafRevision: N/A
ISBN: 0-8205-1755-0Year: 1994Price: N/A
 
Title: Planning to Establish Medicaid Eligibility. . .(Article - 1996 Institute on Estate Planning)
Author: Dussault, William L.E.
Publisher: Matthew Bender; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 31Binding: LooseleafRevision: N/A
ISBN: Year: 1996Price: N/A


PLANNING FOR THE DISABLED BENEFICIARY

This subject is another enclave; irrelevant, thankfully, to most of us but of consuming interest to those who have a family member who is disabled.

The Turnbull volume is extraordinarily good, having been prepared jointly by a lawyer, an educator and other writers having specific professional training in various disability-related fields. I do not know if it is still in print, but if you have a need for this type of information you should do your best to get hold of this volume. The Russell book I have not seen, so cannot offer a comment on it.

Title: Disability and the Family: A Guide
Author: Turnbull, H.R., et al
Publisher: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.; Baltimore, MD
Pages: 420Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: 1-557-66004-2Year: 1989Price: Unknown
 
Title: Providing a Meaningful Life
Author: Russell, L. Mark, et al
Publisher: American Publishing Co.; Evanston, IL
Pages: 419Binding:Revision: Second Edition
ISBN: Year: 1994Price:


LIFE INSURANCE

Life Insurance is almost without question the least understood asset you will ever own, not because it is intrinsically incomprehensible but because those who design and market it have a motive for making it so.

Notwithstanding this, it has its uses in estate and business planning, and if you have life insurance or think you need it, a bit of time spent learning about it will repay you handsomely. The book by Zaritsky and Leimberg is quite remarkably good; if you buy this book, and can come to understand 10% of what it tells you, you will almost certainly know more about the subject than your insurance agent does, and possibly more than your lawyer does as well.

I have not seen the Munch volume, but would expect that it also is quite good.


Title: Tax Planning With Life Insurance (Financial Professionals Edition)
Author: Zaritsky, Howard M., and Leimberg, Stephan R.
Publisher: Warren, Gorham & Lamont; Boston, MA
Pages: Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: 0-7913-2789-2Year: 1996-97Price: $83.00
 
Title: Financial & Estate Planning With Life Insurance Products
Author: Munch, James C., Jr.
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.; Boston, MA
Pages: 960Binding: Hard Revision: Periodic Supplements
ISBN: 0-316-58947-0Year: 1990Price: $125.00


USE OF TRUSTS IN ESTATE PLANNING

This section of the bibliography was in a way the toughest of all to complete. Not because there is a paucity of information on the subject, quite the reverse, but because this is where a lot of the junk appears.

If there is a greater cottage industry than writing books on "living trusts" I do not know what it is. A by-product of this phenomenon is that much of what appears in print is, as our British cousins say, utter rubbish. This is my short list of candidates for your attention; stray outside it at your peril.


Title: The Complete Book of Trusts
Author: Shenkman, Martin M.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY
Pages: 291Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: 0-471-57448-1Year: 1993Price: $22.00
 
Title: Revocable Trusts
Author: Turner, George M.
Publisher: Shepard's/McGraw-Hill; Colorado Springs, CO
Pages: 1,075Binding: LooseleafRevision: Second Edition
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $142.00
 
Title: Irrevocable Trusts
Author: Turner, George M.
Publisher: Shepard's/McGraw-Hill; Colorado Springs, CO
Pages: 770Binding: LooseleafRevision: Second Edition
ISBN: Year: 1992Price: $135.00


CHARITABLE GIFT PLANNING

This aspect of estate planning can have extraordinarily productive results, under the correct circumstances, but like much else that is tax related, can be dismayingly complex. Of these, I am particularly impressed with the Hopkins volume, and Teitell also has an extremely good reputation in the planned giving field.

Title: Charitable Giving Today: Taxes, Techniques, etc.
Author: Lochray, Paul J.
Publisher: Prentice-Hall; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $45.00
 
Title: The Tax Law of Charitable Giving
Author: Hopkins, Bruce R.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 735Binding: HardRevision: Periodic
ISBN: 0-471-55527-4Year: 1993Price:
 
Title: Portable Planned Giving Manual
Author: Teitell, Conrad
Publisher: Taxwise Giving; Old Greenwich, CT
Pages: 685Binding: PaperRevision: Periodic
ISBN: Year: Price: $190.00


BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING

Considering the huge importance of business succession planning, it seems rather surprising that there is comparatively little in print on the subject. The grandfather of all books in this area is by Hull. I do not know whether it is still in print, but, tax considerations aside it, is still very useful indeed.

Of the current materials, the Zaritsky volume is excellent, and I would expect the Kelley volume to be quite good also. The small volume by Shattuck is a consumer grade paperback, but very good of its type.

Title: Estate Planning for Small Business Owners
Author: Shattuck, George C.
Publisher: Prentice Hall; Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Pages: 290Binding: PaperRevision:
ISBN: 0-13-285461-9Year: 1993Price: $20.00
 
Title: Estate & Entity Planning: Family Business Organizations
Author: Kelley, Donald H., et al
Publisher: Clark Boardman Callaghan; Eagan, MN
Pages: Binding: LooseleafRevision: Second Edition
ISBN: Year: 1996Price: $170.00
 
Title: Stock Purchase Agreements in Estate Planning
Author: Hull, Addis E.
Publisher: Prentice-Hall; Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Pages: 209Binding: HardRevision: Second
ISBN: 0-13-846758-7Year: 1979Price:
 
Title: Structuring Buy-Sell Agreements
Author: Zaritsky, Howard M.
Publisher: Warren, Gorham & Lamont; Boston, MA
Pages: Binding: LooseleafRevision: Periodic
ISBN: 0-7913-1558-4Year: 1993Price:


BUSINESS VALUATION

The two books by Shannon Pratt would be the cornerstone of any business valuation library. Pratt, who is a principal in the valuation and consulting firm of Willamette Management Associates, is a publishing whirlwind and at this time the acknowledged "dean" of the business valuation profession. Some of his writings are used as course materials in training I.R.S. Appeals Officers!

The other books listed are useful as well; the Fishman volume is probably aimed a bit more at the public accounting profession than the others are.


Title: Valuing Small Businesses & Professional Practices
Author: Pratt, Shannon P., et al
Publisher: Business One Irwin; Homewood, IL
Pages: 690Binding: HardRevision: Second Edition
ISBN: 1-55623-551-8Year: 1993Price: $96.00
 
Title: Handbook of Business Valuation
Author: West, Thomas L., et al, Editors
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 435Binding: HardRevision:
ISBN: 0-471-53755-1Year: 1992Price:
 
Title: Business Valuation Handbook
Author: Desmond, Glenn M., et al
Publisher: Valuation Press, Inc.; Los Angeles, CA
Pages: 320Binding: HardRevision:
ISBN: 0-930458-03-6Year: 1988Price:
 
Title: Valuing a Business: The Analysis & Appraisal of Closely Held Companies
Author: Pratt, Shannon P., et al
Publisher: Business One Irwin; Homewood, IL
Pages: Binding: HardRevision: Third Edition
ISBN: Year: 1996Price: $98.00
 
Title: Business Valuation Guide
Author: Hawkins, George B. & Paschall, Michael A.
Publisher: Commerce Clearing House; Chicago, IL
Pages: 700Binding: LooseleafRevision: Annual
ISBN: Year: 1999 (est.)Price: $295.00
 
Title: Guide to Business Valuations
Author: Fishman, Jay E., et al
Publisher: Practitioners Publishing Co.; Fort Worth, TX
Pages: 3 vol.Binding: LooseleafRevision: Seventh Edition
ISBN: Year: 1997Price: $172.00


EMPLOYEE BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION PLANNING AND OTHER "QUALIFIED PLAN" ISSUES

If you are seriously thinking of buying a book on this subject, and are not either a lawyer or an accountant, I am going to take a wild guess and assume you are an extraordinarily dull person. Joking aside, any of these books would likely be useful and authoritative if you need the type of information indicated by their respective titles.

As you will see, Panel Publishers is very active in this niche market. Be aware that this is a somewhat volatile area of the tax law and that you must be absolutely certain to get currently valid information. Check with the publisher as to revision dates, etc., before committing yourself.


Title: Taxation of Distributions From Qualified Plans
Author: Bennett, Dianne, et al
Publisher: Maxwell MacMillan; Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Pages: Binding:Revision:
ISBN: Year: 1991Price: $128.00
 
Title: The Pension Answer Book
Author: Krass, Stephen J.
Publisher: Panel Publishers; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 448Binding: HardRevision: Periodic
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $118.00
 
Title: Pension Distribution Answer Book
Author: Aska, M. & Gucciardi, J.
Publisher: Panel Publishers; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding: HardRevision:
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $116.00
 
Title: Estate & Retirement Planning Answer Book
Author: Mitchell, William D.
Publisher: Panel Publishers; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding: HardRevision: Periodic
ISBN: Year: 1996Price: $116.00
 
Title: Individual Retirement Account Answer Book
Author: Levy, Donald R.
Publisher: Panel Publishers; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: Binding: Revision: Eleventh Edition
ISBN: Year: 1994Price: $106.00
 
Title: Retirement Benefits Tax Guide
Author: Rutherford, Thomas
Publisher: Commerce Clearing House; Chicago, IL
Pages: 1,100Binding: LooseleafRevision: Second Edition
ISBN: Year: 1996Price: $175.00


PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING

All of these volumes are good ones of their type, the Pond book is probably most encyclopedic and is periodically revised, which most of the other ones, being hardcover, are not.

The CCH volume is sure to be useful and authoritative, as indeed all of the products of this premier legal and accounting publisher seem to be.

The real class act in this category for most lay readers is Jane Bryant Quinn's book, which is stunningly good, very authoritative, and deals with an extremely broad range of subjects. It is very unusual to find, in a consumer grade book, information which is as consistently reliable and as well expressed as in this volume. Don't miss it!

Title: Personal Financial Planning Handbook
Author: Pond, Jonathan
Publisher: Warren, Gorham & Lamont; Boston, MA
Pages: Binding: LooseleafRevision:
ISBN: Year:Price: $165.00
 
Title: Making the Most of Your Money: Create...Plan
Author: Quinn, Jane Bryant
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 935Binding: HardRevision:
ISBN: 0-671-65952-9Year: 1991Price: $27.50
 
Title: The Consumer Reports Money Book
Author: Editors of Consumer Reports Books
Publisher: Consumers Union; N.Y., N.Y.
Pages: 585Binding: HardRevision:
ISBN: 0-89043-465-4Year: 1992Price: $30.00
 
Title: The Money Book of Money
Author: Editors of Money Magazine
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.; Boston, MA
Pages: 520Binding: HardRevision:
ISBN: 0-316-49840-8Year: 1987Price: $20.00
 
Title: Personal Financial Planning: The Advisor's Guide
Author: Auster, Rolf
Publisher: Commerce Clearing House; Chicago, IL
Pages: 500Binding:Revision: Third Edition
ISBN: Year: 1998Price: $56.00


By reaching this location you have demonstrated a laudable persistence. A small reward is yours --- if you wish to claim it, please click here.


Next Page Table of Contents



Law Offices of Thomas J. Keating IV
Centreville, Maryland, USA

About the Site   |   Home Truths   |   Bibliography
Food for Thought   |   Random Thoughts   |   Front Page

Copyright © 1998-2002, Thomas J. Keating IV    Web site by BIS.