Wittenberg has created a conversational guide to approaching estate issues both for the person who considers what will happen to their estate after death and for the remaining family members who will handle them. The book begins with teaching one how to assemble and approach the legal team who will help to create the documents needed for estate planning through execution and post-mortem handling.

This comprehensive guide is written in a welcoming tone, making the reader feel as though Wittenberg is having a friendly chat with them about these serious issues. Wittenberg uses plenty of examples, metaphors, and potential outcomes to allow the reader to understand each topic thoroughly. He even gives some advice as to how a caregiver could approach family or siblings to achieve the best outcomes, such as avoiding accusatory “you” speech.

This informative book gives readers a lot to think about in terms of how they will formulate their retirement plans, such as 401(k) and IRA accounts, as well as how they should handle other bank accounts, such as checking and savings accounts. Although some decisions may seem simple, such as adding a caregiving child onto an account to help with check writing and other payments, they can have far-reaching legal complications after the death of a loved one. Wittenberg helps readers to think critically about these and similar situations. Most people will deal with many of these situations in their lifetime as a survivor who may receive benefits, and everyone will eventually need to have some kind of plan in place for their own estate. This book is a handy guide to the whole process, using a great conversational tone to present difficult topics in an incredibly approachable way.

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