About the CD Here's some of what you can find on the Wills and Estates for Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit CD-ROM: * AOL Canada: Software to sign you up for an Internet account with AOL Canada, a commercial Internet service provider (ISP) available locally for many Canadian cities, as well as a large set of Internet software. * A link to financial software from Scotiabank. Use these interactive calculators to help with your estate planning. * A sample will form. * Interactive versions of forms and tables from the text. In this readme, we tell you how to install and get more information about the programs on Wills and Estates For Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit CD-ROM. System Requirements Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements listed below. If your computer doesn't match up to most of these requirements, you may have problems using the contents of the CD. * A PC with a Pentium or faster processor. * Microsoft Windows 95 or later. * At least 16 MB of total RAM installed on your computer. For best performance, we recommend at least 32 MB of RAM installed. * At least 130MB of hard drive space available to install all the software from this CD. (You need less space if you don't install every program.) * A CD-ROM drive. * A monitor capable of displaying at least 256 colors or grayscale. * A modem with a speed of at least 14,400 bps, preferably 33,000 or 56,000. * A sound card for PCs. If you need more information on the basics, check out PCs For Dummies, 7th Edition, by Dan Gookin; Windows 95 For Dummies, 2nd Edition, by Andy Rathbone; Windows 98 For Dummies, by Andy Rathbone (all published by IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.). A few words about shareware: Shareware programs are available to you for an evaluation period (typically, anywhere from 30 to 90 days). If you decide that you like a shareware program and want to keep using it, you're expected to send a registration fee to its author or publisher, which entitles you to technical support and notifications about new versions. (It also makes you feel good.) Because most shareware operates on an honor system, the programs continue working even if you don't register them. It's a good idea, however, to support the shareware concept and encourage the continued production of quality, low-cost software by sending in your payment for the programs you use. If you don't know the letter of your PC's CD-ROM drive: Most PCs assign the letter D to a CD-ROM drive. Here's how to find out which letter your CD-ROM drive uses: * If you use Windows 95 or Windows 98, double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. A window appears that lists all your drives, including your CD-ROM drive (which is usually represented by a shiny disk icon), and shows you the letter of each drive. When you're done examining the My Computer display, exit by clicking the window's Close button in its upper-right corner or choosing File-->Close from its menu. Installing the Programs from Microsoft Windows If you are using a PC running any flavour of Microsoft Windows, follow these steps to install any of the programs from Wills and Estates For Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit CD-ROM: Follow these steps to access the software on the book's CD: 1. Insert the CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive. 2. Click Start-->Run. If you do not have a browser, we include Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator on the CD. 3. In the dialog box that appears, type D:\START.HTM Replace D with the proper drive letter if your CD-ROM drive uses a different letter. (If you don't know the letter, see how your CD-ROM drive is listed under My Computer.) 4. Read through the license agreement, nod your head, and then click the Accept button if you want to use the CD - after you click Accept, you'll jump to the Main Menu. This action displays the file that will walk you through the contents of the CD. 5. To navigate within the interface, simply click any topic of interest to take you to an explanation of the files on the CD and how to use or install them. 6. To install the software from the CD, simply click the software name. You'll see two options - the option to run or open the file from the current location or the option to save the file to your hard drive. Choose to run or open the file from its current location and the installation procedure will continue. After you are done with the interface, simply close your browser as usual. To examine the Wills and Estates For Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit CD-ROM's contents: You can use the Wills and Estates For Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit Installer program to install all the software on your CD-ROM. If you're simply curious about the CD-ROM, however, you can examine its contents after you exit the Installer. What You'll Find Here is information about the goodies that are on the CD and how to use them. Windows programs Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader 4.0, from Adobe Systems, is an evaluation version that lets you view and print Portable Document Format, or PDF, files. The PDF format is used by many programs you find on the Internet for storing documentation, because it supports the use of such stylish elements as assorted fonts and colorful graphics (as opposed to plain text, or ASCII, which doesn't allow for any special effects in a document). For example, a document on the CD-ROM is the sample will. That document, a PDF file, requires you to use the Acrobat Reader program to view or print it. To install Acrobat Reader, follow Steps 1 through 6 in the section "Installing the Programs from Microsoft Windows," near the beginning of this appendix. When you see the main menu, click the Working Offline category, click the Acrobat Reader option, click the Install button appropriate for your version of Windows, and follow the prompts that appear on-screen to complete the installation. You can now run Acrobat Reader at any time by clicking the Start button, choose Programs and then Adobe Acrobat, and then click the Acrobat Reader icon. To find out more about using Acrobat Reader, choose Reader Online Guide from the Help menu. You can also get more information by visiting the Adobe Systems Web site at www.adobe.com. AOL Canada for 95/98/Me AOL Canada 6.0 is a commercial online service provider that has local telephone access from most areas of Canada. The software provided by AOL Canada on the CD-ROM includes an easy-to-use interface to the Internet programs you will want to use, as well as a large selection of the Internet client programs. Before you sign up for an account with AOL Canada, check whether it's accessible from your location as a local telephone call. If you have access to the Web, you can check the AOL Canada Web site, at www.aol.ca, or call 1-888-AOL-HELP to speak to a customer service representative. While you're on the phone with AOL Canada ask about local phone numbers, and check to see whether its pricing has changed. Some of the programs on the CD-ROM can also be found in the AOL software. In most cases, the ones on the CD-ROM are more recent versions, so you may want to install them rather than the versions from AOL Canada. To install the AOL Canada programs, follow Steps 1 through 6 in the section "Installing the Programs from Microsoft Windows" near the beginning of this readme. On the main menu, choose the Connecting category and then the AOL option, click the Install button appropriate for your version of Windows, and follow the prompts that appear on-screen to complete the installation. The installation program asks whether you want to make a New or Custom installation. A New installation installs all the programs in the preceding list; a Custom installation enables you to pick the ones you want. The installation program prompts you for all the information necessary to open an account with AOL Canada, including a credit card number. The program checks your modem, dials a toll-free or local number to register you, and returns with your password and other groovy information. The AOL Canada installation reboots your computer. Make sure that you're not running any other applications while you're installing it. To run the AOL Canada program in Windows 95 or Windows 98, press the Start button, and then choose Programs and then AOL Canada. WinZip WinZip 8, from Nico Mak Computing, is a shareware version of an invaluable file compression and decompression Windows shareware utility. Many files you find on the Internet are compressed, or shrunken in size via special programming tricks, both to save storage space and to cut down on the amount of time they require to be downloaded. You may also occasionally receive compressed files (ZIP files) as e-mail attachments. After you have a compressed file on your hard disk, you can use WinZip to decompress it and make it useable again. To install WinZip, follow Steps 1 through 6 in the section "Installing the Programs from Microsoft Windows" near the beginning of this appendix. When you see the main menu, choose the Working Offline category and then the WinZip option, click the Install button appropriate for your version of Windows, and follow the prompts that appear on-screen to complete the installation. To run WinZip, click the Start button, choose Programs and then WinZip, and click the WinZip 8 32-bit icon. The first time you launch WinZip, it displays a bunch of messages and configuration questions. When you're asked whether you want the program to operate in WinZip Wizard or WinZip Classic mode, we recommend that you choose WinZip Classic, which we consider easier to use. After you've answered all the questions, WinZip is ready to go. For information about using WinZip, choose the Contents option from the program's Help menu or double-click the program's Online Manual icon in its folder. To find out even more about WinZip, visit the program's Web site at www.winzip.com. A note about shareware Although some of the programs on Wills and Estates For Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit Kit CD-ROM are free, some of them are shareware. As we mention near the beginning of this appendix, shareware programs are available to you for an evaluation period, after which you're expected to either stop using them or pay for them. Sending a registration fee to a shareware publisher typically entitles you to technical support and notifications about new versions - and it also makes you feel good. Most shareware operates on an honour system, and it's just plain sensible to support the shareware concept and encourage the continued production of quality, low-cost software by sending in your payment for the programs you use. You can typically get information about where to send your payment for a shareware program by checking its online help system or visiting its Web site. Forms and other documents Author files is where you'll find forms and documents from the text. The forms on the CD-ROM come in a couple of flavours: * Rich Text Format files. Use this version if you use a version of Microsoft Word prior to Word 95 or if you use another word processing program such as WordPerfect, WordPro, or WordPad. After you install these forms, they appear in the following folder: C:\Wills&Estates. * Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files. Some files (such as the sample will) can only be seen if you install the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You cannot modify these forms, but you can print them out. The forms in Adobe Acrobat format that come with Wills and Estates For Canadians For Dummies Planning Kit are installed along with the Word 95 forms or the RTF forms. Look for them along with your other forms. Forms at a glance Sample Will Similar to Figure 16-1 in the book, a will for the fictional John Robinson, this is a sample will for you to work with (you can't modify it on-screen, but you can print it out). You need to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader software in order to view this form. Number Title Description Table 2-1 What You Owe In order to take stock of what you've got, you'll need to get an accurate idea of what you own and what you owe. Make a list of everything you own and its value. Table 2-2 What You Own Make a list of everyone you owe money to and the current balance that you owe in each case. Table 2-3 Your Net Worth Your net worth is what you would be worth financially after paying off all your debts. To calculate your net worth, subtract the total of your debts from the total value pf what you own. Table 2-4 Your Monthly Expenses Start your financial planning by calculating, on a monthly basis, what you earn and what you spend. Table 5-1 Estimate Your Capital Gains Make a list of everything that you are not leaving to your spouse. Don't worry about property that will not be subject to capital gains, such as cash, GICs, treasury bills, or or principal residence. Estimate your capital gain for each remaining piece of property by doing the calculation shown in Table 5-1. Table 5-2 Add Deemed Income from Gifts The full value of your of RRSPs and RRIFs RRSPs and RRIFs will be taxed as income received by your estate. The combined total of the balances in all of your RRSPs and RRIFs plus your taxable capital gains total is the amount on which your estate will be taxed as a result of the gifts you are making in your will. Table 5-3 Calculate the Actual Amount Use this table to of Tax Payable in Your calculate your taxes. Terminal Return Appendix A Prepare to Meet Your Lawyer Use this as a way to collect information and documents to bring to your lawyer. For more information, see Chapter 20. Appendix B Instructions for Your Executor Using this form will take some of the guesswork out of your executor's job. See Chapter 22 for more. Appendix C Inventory for Your Executor Use this form to prepare an inventory of your property and where further information about your property can be found. Leave it somewhere that your executor can find! See Chapter 22 for more information. Financial calculators In addition to the tables mentioned above, the CD includes several links to interactive financial calculators from Scotiabank. Use this financial software to calculate your net worth and your cash flow and to plan for your retirement. If You're Having Problems (of the CD Kind) We tried our best to compile programs that work on most computers with the minimum system requirements. Alas, your computer may differ, and some programs may not work properly for some reason. The two likeliest problems are that you don't have enough memory (RAM) for the programs you want to use, or you have other programs running that are affecting installation or running of a program. If you get error messages such as Not enough memory or Setup cannot continue, try one or more of these methods and then try using the software again: * Turn off any antivirus software that you have on your computer. Installers sometimes mimic virus activity and may make your computer incorrectly believe that it is being infected by a virus. * Close all running programs. The more programs you're running, the less memory is available to other programs. Installers also typically update files and programs; if you keep other programs running, installation may not work properly. * In Windows, close the CD interface and run demos or installations directly from Windows Explorer. The interface itself can tie up system memory, or even conflict with certain kinds of interactive demos. Use Windows Explorer to browse the files on the CD and launch installers or demos. * Add more RAM to your computer. This is, admittedly, a somewhat expensive step. However, if you have a Windows 95/98 PC or a Mac OS computer with a PowerPC chip, adding more memory can really help the speed of your computer and enable more programs to run at the same time. If you still have trouble installing the items from the CD, please call the IDG Books Worldwide Customer Service phone number: 800-762-2974.