By taking some simple steps now, you can spare your family and beneficiaries a lot of time and money. How much? Probate court proceedings after a death can drag on for a year and cost tens of thousands of dollars--money that would otherwise have gone directly to your loved ones.





8 Ways to Avoid Probate offers easy and effective ways to skip the probate process so that property goes directly to the intended beneficiaries. Using the simple, plain English instructions, you'll learn how to create a savvy estate plan. Find out about:

• naming payable-on-death beneficiaries for financial accounts
  
  
• owning property jointly
  
  
• leaving real estate with transfer-on-death deeds
  
  
• using a living trust
  
  
• naming the right beneficiaries for IRAs, 401 (k)s, and other retirement plans, and
  
  
• using probate shortcuts for small estates procedures for small estates.
  
  
  

This (12th) edition provides updates to 50-state rules on probate, including affidavit procedures for small estates and transfer-on-death registration for vehicles and securities.