Why Everyone Needs a Will

The Misconception That Keeps People Waiting

If you asked most people in their thirties why they don't have a will, you'd hear similar things:

•        "I don't have enough assets to worry about it yet."

•        "I'm young and healthy — it's not urgent."

•        "It feels complicated and expensive."

•        "I'll get to it after the next big life thing settles down."

These aren't unreasonable thoughts. They're just not quite accurate.

A will isn't about how much you have. It's about what happens to what you have — and more importantly, who has the legal authority to make decisions if you can't. It's about your home, your savings, your personal belongings. If you have children, it's about who is named to care for them. It's about making sure the people you love aren't left navigating a process that didn't know you.

Planning isn't a destination you reach when you've accumulated enough. It's something you do because you have people in your life who matter to you.

A Few Practical Steps Worth Taking

1. Start with a basic will

You don't need a complex estate to benefit from a will. A simple document — drafted with an estate planning attorney — gives you the ability to name who receives your assets, who manages your estate, and if you have children, who would care for them. It replaces the state's default rules with your own.

2. Review your beneficiary designations

Go through every retirement account, life insurance policy, annuity, and financial account with a transfer-on-death feature. Make sure each one reflects your current wishes. Life changes — divorce, remarriage, the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one — should trigger an immediate review.

3. Understand what your will does and doesn't control

Beneficiary designations on financial accounts generally override your will. A thoughtfully written estate plan can still be undermined by a single outdated form. Your documents and your designations need to be consistent with each other.

4. Build a team that talks to each other

The best estate plans happen when your attorney, your CPA, and your insurance advisor are all working from the same picture. Coordination isn't a luxury — it's how you avoid the gaps that end up mattering most.

The Plans We Keep Meaning to Make

The most caring thing you can do for the people in your life isn't complicated. It's a document. It's a form with the right name on it. It's a conversation you have before it's needed.

A will doesn't mean you're preparing for the worst. It means you've thought about the people who matter to you — and made sure they're protected.

If you've been meaning to get to this, consider this your gentle nudge.