NaviPlan Extended among the "top-notch" estate planning software products reviewed by The CPA Technology Advisor
In a comprehensive review of the complex estate planning software product category, The CPA Technology Advisor June/July issue aims to provide "a good starting point and orientation for selecting a package" that meets the planning needs of accountants, attorneys, and financial planners.
Says reviewer Brent Dirks, CPA, EA, MCSE: "This is an impressive crop of products, each representing a unique approach to the multi-faceted problem of financial and estate planning."
Six top-notch software packages are reviewed: BNA Software – BNA Estate & Gift Tax Planner; Brentmark Software, Inc. — The Kugler Estate Analyzer; CCH Inc.— CCH ViewPlan Advanced Estate Planning Software; Emerging Information Systems, Inc. — NaviPlan Extended; Selden Integrated Systems — Estate Plan Plus for Windows; Unger Software — Methuselah MVP.
Each review considers: Comprehensiveness, Reliability & and Ease of Use; Calculations; Customization, Flexibility & Features; Client Presentation Tools; Company History; and Relative Value.
The software is given a score out of five stars for each of the above areas, and then a total average score out of five stars.
NaviPlan Extended achieved a perfect score in the categories of Calculations and Company History, and a total overall score of 4 ½ stars.
Important to note, says Dirks, is that the practitioner will need a thorough understanding of many legal and tax issues in order to make effective use of the capabilities of these products.
"The packages included a range of functionality, and each will attract a different type of practitioner and address somewhat different needs. Some packages are more oriented toward pure calculations... Others are more geared toward client presentation and deliverables, like explanatory text, graphs and flowcharts."
Read the full review, called "Estate Planning Products Provide Extensive Calculations", at: http://www.cpatechadvisor.com/articles/2004/JuneJuly/estateplan.shtm.