Book Review: Money Without Matrimony

MONEY WITHOUT MATRIMONY: The Unmarried Couples Guide to Financial Security, Sheryl Garrett and Debra Neiman, Dearborn Trade Publishing. Paperback $21.95 (248p) ISBN 1-4195-0688-9)

Who knew? If you were in a heterosexual relationship and got married, there would be 1,143 federal laws that protect your personal finances. But since that's not the case for the 1.2 million gay and lesbian couples in America, out lesbians and Certified Financial Planners Sheryl Garrett and Debra Neiman have written Money Without Matrimony to help answer the hard financial planning questions. This well-written book helps gay and lesbian couples "plan around" the federal laws that negate right of survivorship benefits for same sex couples when tragedy arises like the illness or death of a partner. According to Garrett and Neiman, "If you want your partner or someone other than your parents or next of kin ? no matter how distant a blood relationship ? to sort through your possessions, inherit or distribute your stuff, the situation is far more complicated" than if you were married. Aside from looking at doomsday scenarios the book lays out everyday decisions that both short- and long-term couples should be thinking about like whether or not to merge finances, deciding how property should be rented and owned and the ramifications of each decision. Using easy-to-understand, accessible language, the authors have written a book that is a quick read or an easy reference guide to answer financial questions on the fly. While this book covers some of the same legal ground that can be found in other books on the topic, Money Without Matrimony picks up where the others left off with savvy personal finance advice in addition to legal advice. Filled with sage advice from financial professionals about the unique financial planning issues gay and lesbian couples face, this book forces partners to ask the questions they need to answer until (if) they receive full legal marital rights.

Al Martin is a freelance writer covering personal finance, real estate and investing topics.

---

Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:49:35 GMT The Ike Whitaker Saga - Washington Post Washington Post The Ike Whitaker Saga Washington Post - 40 minutes ago In case anyone missed Zach Berman's story in today's paper, Ike Whitaker appears to be done at Virginia Tech. I raise the story in this forum because Whitaker chose Virginia Tech over Maryland amid the usual fanfare that accompanies a top-level recruit ... Va. Tech WR Whitaker faces misdemeanor charges SportingNews.com More alcohol woes for Tech wide receiver Whitaker Richmond Times Dispatch Virginia Tech Collegiate Times Online Edition - The Virginian-Pilot - Daily Press - Washington Post all 32 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:08:42 GMT Fed creates commercial paper-buying facility - Reuters Reuters Fed creates commercial paper-buying facility Reuters - 32 minutes ago By Mark Felsenthal and Glenn Somerville WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Tuesday announced it would create a special-purpose facility, with the Treasury Department's blessing, to begin buying commercial paper in yet another emergency move ... Euro, Dollar Gain on Fed Move Wall Street Journal Fed to Purchase US Commercial Paper to Ease Crunch (Update1) Bloomberg Washington Post - MarketWatch - New York Times - International Herald Tribune all 1,209 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:17:04 GMT McCain aims to slow Obama momentum in debate - Reuters BBC News McCain aims to slow Obama momentum in debate Reuters - 51 minutes ago By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Republican John McCain hopes to halt Democrat Barack Obama's momentum and gain new life in the White House race on Tuesday when the presidential rivals meet in their second debate. A little word makes big waves on campaign trail CNN Political Ticker Tonight's debate is in McCain's favorite style The Associated Press CQPolitics.com - Washington Post - New York Times - AFP all 1,928 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:57:52 GMT Where Angels go...heartbreak follows - Baltimore Sun Los Angeles Times Where Angels go...heartbreak follows Baltimore Sun - 3 hours ago If you didn't stay up to watch, the Angels came back from a 2-0 deficit last night and had the go-ahead run on third base with one out in the top of the ninth, only to have the situation blow up in their faces when manager Mike Scioscia (right) called ... Oh, what a ninth! Sox-Halos a classic MLB.com Angels seething after being squeezed out ESPN Boston Globe - FOXSports.com - USA Today - Los Angeles Times all 569 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:42:08 GMT Nobel Prize awarded for AIDS, cervical cancer research - Los Angeles Times CTV.ca Nobel Prize awarded for AIDS, cervical cancer research Los Angeles Times - 7 hours ago Luc Montagnier dedicated his award to AIDS sufferers and predicted results on a "therapeutic vaccine" for the pandemic within four years. 2 AIDS researchers receive Nobel Prize Chicago Tribune Three Europeans win the 2008 Nobel for medicine International Herald Tribune Detroit Free Press - People's Daily Online - The Associated Press - WTOP all 1,190 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:01:27 GMT Pentagon denies US jet forced to land in Iran - guardian.co.uk Daily Mail Pentagon denies US jet forced to land in Iran guardian.co.uk - 36 minutes ago The Pentagon today denied a report that a US plane had been forced to land in Iranian territory. Iran's Fars news agency claimed that five US officials were questioned and released by the Iranian authorities after the plane they were flying in ... Iran says it forced down Western plane The Associated Press Iran says US plane violated Iran's airspace Reuters Bloomberg - BBC News - AFP - United Press International all 270 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:12:58 GMT US, Britain, and UN weigh options amid rising violence in ... - Christian Science Monitor AFP US, Britain, and UN weigh options amid rising violence in ... Christian Science Monitor - 40 minutes ago By David Montero Against the backdrop of a string of suicide bombings in Pakistan, British, American, and United Nations officials are grappling with the idea of a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. UPDATE 1-Afghan govt denies Saudi meeting was peace talks Reuters India Afghan official: no talks held with Taliban Xinhua AFP - Minneapolis Star Tribune - The Associated Press - Hindu all 453 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:09:17 GMT Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages Increase Search Engine Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

What Really Works - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

If you watch television, read the newspaper and/or magazines, frequent... Read More

Review: How To Write and Publish Your Own eBook in as little as 7 Days

How To Write and Publish Your Own eBook in as... Read More

Going Deeper - Book Review

Going Deeper by Jean-Claude Koven is certainly a nicely presented,... Read More

My Dad Wears Polka-dotted Socks! - Review

"Bright colored sheets just inside the sturdy book cover certainly... Read More

Marone Memoirs: An Immigrant Story - Review By Amanda Evans

Marone Memoirs ? An immigrant Story by author Sarah E.... Read More

Business Plans

Way back in business school we had to churn out... Read More

72 Hour Hold

Bebe Moore Campbell weaves a tale of unrelenting love and... Read More

Reality Checked - Book Review

Reality Checked ? Life through Death, is a moving saga... Read More

Free Ebook Offer: The Story of America: Discovery

Did Columbus first discover America?Did the Vikings first discover America?Did... Read More

Sound Bodies through Sound Therapy - Book Review

"Dorinne Davis has written many books that concentrate on the... Read More

The Laid Daughter

There has been a lot of publicity lately centered on... Read More

Turbo Strategy - A Book Summary

Businesses are run mostly on auto-pilot and any problem areas... Read More

Be the Captain of Your Lifes Ship

In his book, "Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a... Read More

Author Releases Comprehensive Family History Book On The Family of JACKEL, JECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL

When the topic of family history comes up, where do... Read More

Gilleland Poetry ? Storoems and Poems - Review

"Retired professor of Microbiology, Harry Gilleland certainly has a variety... Read More

How Would You Move Mount Fuji? - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

For a number of reasons, today's hiring managers from Wall... Read More

Workshop-In-A-Book® for Dating Again, A Must-Read EBOOK

The Joy Of Dating Again is designed to be a... Read More

Be the Leader - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

The author of Be the Leader: Make the Difference, a... Read More

Book Review: What Color Is Your Parachute?

What Color is Your Parachute? Reviewed by: Matt Keegan ©... Read More

Health Is Internal Beauty

Excerpted from the book "Your Right to Be Beautiful: How... Read More

Fading Towards Enlightenment - Book Review

Fading Toward Enlightenment by Wayne Wirs is definitely a well... Read More

Dragon Tales - Book Review

Dragon Tales by Mary C. Fairbanks is truly and entertaining... Read More

On the Brink of Risk - A Book You Wont Put Down

On the Brink of Risk is a fiction novel inspired... Read More

Headlong Into Quicksand: The Tale of Today in America

America´s 220 years of Democracy (of its 400 years) is... Read More

Pausing To Catch My Breath - Book Review

"Debra Warren has appropriately titled her book of poetry 'Pausing... Read More