Not Dead Yet, so plan your estate
The best book to help you learn about estate planning is one you will actually read. Eric G. Matlin’s new book, NOT DEAD YET, so plan your estate (“NDY”) is an estate planning handbook and graphic novel that aims at readers who would never consider reading a book on the subject. Its 304 pages include 110 pages of a beautifully hand-drawn full-color story, cut into 24 chapters that precede (and often relate to) 24 pithy text chapters. The graphic novel story starts with an unintended broken promise made to the hero, explores various estate planning nightmares, leads to a rip in the dimensional fabric, zombies, a vampire and a post-apocalyptic glimpse. Finally, the story ends up with our hero’s epiphany regarding the importance of estate planning and a happily-ever-after ending. The design of NDY makes it easy to read the graphic novel straight through or go back and forth from comic to text. Once drawn in to the need for estate planning, NDY convincingly demonstrates a continuum of need: from the college student whose power of attorney for health and HIPAA authorization may help ameliorate a catastrophic situation for parents; to new parents needing a will to name a guardian who determines their child’s living arrangements; to the blended family needing a trust to avoid one side of the family being left out; to the typical needs of the affluent, elderly, ill and those with special needs, you will see yourself somewhere on the pages of NDY.
The PROCRASTINATOR'S GUIDE TO WILLS and ESTATE PLANNING
There are two types of people when it comes to estate planning: those who recognize the need and wish to put their estate in order without undue delay, and those who are continually telling themselves that they’ll begin planning tomorrow or the day after that. Regardless of which type you are, attorney Eric Matlin’s e-book, The Procrastinator’s Guide to Wills & Estate Planning 2.0, is a valuable resource. The original version of The Procrastinator’s Guide to Wills & Estate Planning was published in 2004 by the New American Library division of Penguin Group, USA.
The Procrastinator’s Guide to Wills & Estate Planning was written to help the procrastinator in all of us develop an estate plan. It is intended to help you prepare your estate plan and relieve the worry that comes from not knowing whether your family is secure.
Eric Matlin is an experienced lawyer who concentrates his practice on estate planning. He has helped thousands of people in the Chicago area to resolve large, small, simple and complex issues involving their estates. In addition to authoring this book, Eric has also published numerous articles on estate planning topics and is available for public speaking.
The 2.0 version of The Procrastinator’s Guide to Wills & Estate Planning was updated a couple of years after the original publication, but not since 2006-2007. The estate tax chapter, in particular, is out-of-date. Instead of spending time updating The Procrastinator’s