Pass it On: A Practical Approach to the Fears and Facts of Planning Your Estate

An easy-to-use guide to estate planning that walks you through the basics and guarantees more for your heirs and less for Uncle Sam.

Now available in paperback, this accessible and entertaining guide to estate planning helps readers gain power over the disposal of their assets. Included is advice on talking to parents about their plans, arranging an estate, and keeping peace among the whole family. And all the laws are clearly explained, without the financial doublespeak that makes most people dread taking this important step.

Pass It On uses familiar TV characters (including the Odd Couple, Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton, and Ozzie and Harriet), songs, and humorous cartoons to illustrate problems, solutions, compromises, and all the laws. Fun to read, and filled with vital information, this book takes the sting out of an important topic that readers cannot afford to ignore.

Barbara Shotwell, CFP, is an account vice president with PaineWebber who regularly speaks to corporate employee groups and government organizations. She is also a member of the American Association of Therapeutic Humor. She lives in Seattle. Nancy Randolph Greenway is an attorney and writer. She lives in Aspen, Colorado.