Others say...

"THE COMPLETE BOOK OF TRUSTS"
IT WAS NEVER DELIVERED TO ME. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO REACH AMAZON, BUT THEY MAKE IT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO FIND A CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER RE ALLEGED SHIPMENTS I NEVER RECEIVED.

"An Excellent Primer on Trusts"

Martin Shenkman has written an excellent primer on trusts. He helps the reader understand which assets should be transferred to a trust, what the legalities are, the limitations of trusts, and most importantly, how structuring trusts effectively can assist with saving taxes and assuring your family is taken care of in the manner you desire. Be advised, this is not a book that will help you write your own trusts. Shenkeman is clear that effective planning really requires coordination among the financial professionals that you trust--your attorney, CPA, financial planner, insurance broker etc. However, if you are thinking about setting up trusts and you read this book, you will be positioned to have an intelligent and productive conversation with your financial team members. You will be part of your team, part of the decision making process, and not a passive bystander to the planning that affects your life and the life of those you love.

I would also say that The Complete Book of Trusts, is a great book for any professional who is working in this area. His observations, insights and specific analysis make his book an excellent reference tool. It is definitely a book for your library.

James Lange, CPA/Attorney and author of Retire Secure! Pay Taxes Later: The Key to Making Your Money Last as Long as You Do

"Great reference book for new practitioners!"
I have only purchased this book tonight, yet not on Amazon.com. I actually went to Borders and paid full price. Reason being, I could not wait to get my hands on a reference book to help me conceptualize projects and cases that I presently deal with at work as a new estate and tax planning attorney. I hear about ABC trusts, GST trusts, Living Trusts, just to name a few, every day. Yet I don't have the slightest idea about the particular mechanics of many of these valuable estate planning and tax saving tools.

I have only begun to read this book, but so far it has impressed me with its clarity and simplicity in explaining the particulars of the different types of trusts available. It is great for someone like myself who is beginning to practice law in this area. Additionally, I would recommend this book to a law student interested in entering this field or one who is currently taking a trusts and estates course.

A word of caution, this is not a book to assist you with drafting your own trust. Although it is a good prep material with which to study up on before consulting with an attorney. In my short experience, clients with at least some knowledge of what is available to them benefit more from the time spent with lawyers and consultants who will actually draft their trusts and related documents.

I also recommend this book to people that are wary of attorneys and who are intimated by the complex jargon of the legal industry. The more one knows about what trusts are available and which may be more advantageous, the likelier they will feel confident in their estate planning documents.

"Written in Legaleeze...got a better book for you"
Read "Beyond the Grave, The Right Way and the Wrong Way of Leaving Money to Your Children" instead of this book or before you read this book. I bought both and gave up on this book after a couple chapters. It was a struggle to get through. Very dry, written like a tech manual, a real sleeper. Go read the reviews on Amazon for Condon's book before deciding which one to order. Trust me, you want the other book.

"Excellent!!!"
The Cmplete Book of Trusts is an excellent reference for general knowledge about a very cmplex subject! I highly recommend this book to anyone with a need to know. This author has managed to take the "legal" language and break it down into understandable English!