Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To (book with CD-Rom) |  | Authors: Melanie Cullen, Shae Irving J.D.
Publisher: NOLO
Category: Book
List Price: $21.99
Buy New: $13.72
as of 7/28/2010 23:50 CDT details
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Seller: natarajbooks
Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 20669
Media: Paperback
Edition: 3
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 10.8 x 8.3 x 1
ISBN: 1413309097
Dewey Decimal Number: 332.024016
EAN: 9781413309096
ASIN: 1413309097
Publication Date: October 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Get your life organized with the best workbook available!
Paperwork and personal information isn't always easy to find, and organizing your records can seem like an intimidating task. But, whether you need to organize records for yourself, your family or your executor, Get It Together will show you how to keep track of:
instructions for survivors
secured places and passwords
final arrangements
estate planning documents
employment records
insurance policies
tax records
retirement accounts
government benefits, and
real estate records
This workbook provides a complete system for structuring a records binder and easily organizing it for your loved ones. And, if you'd like to work on your computer, use the CD-ROM and print your work and put it into a binder.
List of Forms The book contains 28 blank tables where you can organize information about the following topics:
Letter to Loved Ones
Instructions for Loved Ones
Biographical Information
Children
Others Who Depend on Me
Pets and Livestock
Employment
Business Interests
Memberships
Service Providers
Health Care Directives
Durable Power of Attorney for Finances
Organ or Body Donation
Burial or Cremation
Funeral and Memorial Services
Obituary
Will and Trust
Insurance
Bank and Brokerage Accounts
Retirement Plans and Pensions
Government Benefits
Credit Cards and Debts
Secured Places and Passwords
Taxes
Real Estate
Vehicles
Other Income and Personal Property
Other Information
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 41
 Covered All The Bases...And More January 25, 2007
Scott A. Jefferis (Tampa, FL United States)
119 out of 120 found this review helpful
I bought this book thru Amazon in June 2006 because of my experiences working with a close friend who had just lost his father rather unexpectedly. My friend faced a monstrous task of trying to track down his father's assets, business records, last will, credit accounts, etc. just to scratch the surface. As a participant in his frustration, I began to think about the arrangement of my personal life and how my loved ones would tend to my estate.
"Get It Together" brings so much to the table to deal with. I think most people refuse to face their mortality and the task of making such arrangements, let alone there really is a large volume of papers, decisions, conversations, and organization to be handled. GIT is very thorough in all topic areas (see Table of Contents). The book discusses the emotions involved with each topic area, numerous websites to obtain additional information, what to get a copy of, keeping the info current and arranging your "estate" or life, for that matter, to benefit those close to you.
My parents or other people I look up to would never or be highly uncomfortable discussing these topics in detail. This book is perfect to compensate for the lack of those conversations. Now, just a warning for those willing to purchase and conform to this book. I was quite diligent in following all their instructions and recommendations to the "t". It took longer than expected, about 12 weekends, until I had gathered and organized everything to my satisfaction and I don't have a wife, kids or other complicated situations...just me alone.
But I have such a peace of mind that my successors will have no trouble making decisions or tracking down stuff because it's all there with explicit directions from me. I find going forward that I try to keep my life organized in a simple fashion and refuse to take on unnecessary stuff that I will need to add to my planner. And I feel no stress at all looking at my desk now because all the meaningless clutter is gone and GIT was a big reason for that.
Finally, the greatest resource is the forms CD included with the book, which saves a great deal of time when the organizing process starts and got me unstuck in some areas.
Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To by Melanie Cullen May 27, 2006
Kate (California)
47 out of 48 found this review helpful
My mother died suddenly and left her estate in a total mess. I was left shocked, grief-stricken and alone in struggling to make sense of what needed to be done. I wouldn't wish that ordeal on anyone let alone on those I love. This workbook and companion organizer is the perfect solution. Nothing will be left to guesswork if I am incapacitated or dead. It is thorough yet simply organized and written from a compassionate perspective. It is a gift of love to provide this kind of direction to those who must make decisions on your behalf.
Caring and Compassionate May 16, 2006
Evelyn Crabtree (Auburn, CA USA)
40 out of 41 found this review helpful
Melanie Cullen has approached a very difficult topic with insight and compassion. Starting with the Letter to Loved Ones, Health Care Directives, Funeral and Memorial Services, through various chapters on the disposition of assets - including Pets and Livestock - she offers helpful guidance in a straightforward, friendly manner. Whether you already have everything together or haven't a clue where to start, "Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To" is an excellent guide that will make it easier for your loved ones to help in the event that you are incapacitated, or to manage your estate when you are gone. The forms in the book and on the CD can be easily organized and updated in the companion Planner. A must read for everyone!
Just What I Needed May 24, 2006
Susan M. Bennett
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
I've recently retired and am looking forward to years of "re-engaging" with activities I haven't had time to focus on during all those years of full-time work and rearing children. Get it Together is exactly what I needed to provide essential background information and help me organize all the documentation I want my family to have. Now I can travel and do the things I've been looking forward to without worrying about whether my children will be able to figure out what I would have wanted them to know in case something should happen to me.
Get it Together has given me an entree to discuss things with my children and to encourage them to do their own planning for the future.
A gentle, thorough system, even for an ostrich like me! February 2, 2008
ck (Hawaii nei)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
I've been left to pick up the pieces after a loved one's death and would not wish that experience on my family. That said, exactly because the subject was so intensely emotional, I'd put off meaningful gathering and preparation.
A recent experience I watched unfold showed me how selfish that approach was and I started looking for a method to pull together information. This book came highly recommended, and I liked the idea of the accompanying CD-Rom.
My husband and I tackled the worksheets as time and emotion permitted. I printed one file for each of us, with a master file for joint things like checking/savings accounts and our home. When we were almost done, we sat down with a professional and used this material to develop a living trust. Although we left several topics untouched until those meetings, the attorney we retained told us we were the most prepared couple he'd ever met with. Our homework made the legal side of things go smoothly and quickly, and much of the credit for this goes to this book.
The author's manner throughout is professional and yet compassionate. Instructions are easy to understand, yet there's not a feel that you're being talked down to. You also can hop from one place to another in the book and worksheets as your information and mood take you.
I'd add these suggestions to the process:
* If you don't already have a grid of account numbers, simply gather your monthly statements now, while you're waiting for the book to arrive, and add new statements as they come in.
* "Tax time" is a perfect time to work on the financial sections, since you've probably got a lot of materials more at your fingertips than you do at other times of year.
* Practice security wisely. Keep the material at home, preferably locked up. Although you can work on the files on your computer, I would advise very strongly against leaving them on your drive. Either secure the printouts or archive your documents on a removable drive, which you then secure.
* There's a note that no tech support is available for non-Windows users. I have found that the CD operates easily and flawlessly on the Mac OS X platform.
* If you're reluctant for time or emotional reasons, you'll find that you can get a lot done in 20-minute chunks. For the same reason, turn to the portions where you indicate your wishes (remembrance service? full-blown viewing and service?) since your voice will provide comfort and solace to those you leave behind.
Note: This review is of the second edition of the book, which was purchased directly from Amazon. A newer version, also with a companion CD-Rom, is available. This link Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To (book with CD-Rom) is to that version; this second link Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To (book with CD-Rom) will take you to the Kindle version.
While the Kindle is a great way to build an archive of reference materials, because the worksheets can take some time, my preference for this volume is to stick with a physical book and CD-Rom.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 41
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