Patricia M. Annino. Women & Money A Practical Guide to Estate Planning. BookSurge Publishing. 2004. 214 pages.

$15.99. Click on book to order.

According to the author of Women & Money, while women control three-quarters of the personal wealth in the United States, most women do not have a plan in place to protect their assets in the event of their death. Patricia M. Annino, an estate planning attorney in Massachusetts, is trying to change that with this book.

The book provides a straightforward overview of the decisions involved in planning an estate. Annino explains the steps to creating an estate plan, the various ways to avoid estate taxes, and how to plan for a disability. She also offers case studies, examples, and strategies for women--whether the woman is single, married, divorced, remarrying, or widowed.

Annino explains how important it is for single women to have someone in place to handle their affairs if they become incapacitated and for married women to know what assets are in whose name. She also offers advice on life insurance, how to choose a guardian for children, and how to protect an unmarried partner. Throughout the book, she breaks up the text with sidebars that present tips, definitions of legalese, questions and answers, and quotations.

While the book skims over some issues, such as Medicare and Medicaid, it does explain the issues involved in estate planning and makes a persuasive argument for why estate planning is important.