Where There's a Will

A drunk driver swerves, a truck loses its brakes, someone falls asleep—it happens when you least expect it. Chances are better than good that you’ll never be involved in such a tragedy, but if you were, what would happen to everything you own? Or to your children?

It is estimated that 70% of Americans don’t have a will. You may be planning for retirement and the happiest parts of your future, and that's great. But if something happens to you (or your partner), someone else will decide what happens to your estate—money, property and so on—and if you have children, to them as well. Pret-ty scary.

You won’t have to pay an attorney big bucks for a will. Unless you have a complicated estate, for about $50, a software program like Quicken Willmaker Plus can handle the job. You've planned the rest of your financial life so carefully it would be a shame to have it unravel because you didn't include the last piece of the puzzle. While it can be sad and upsetting to think about, this is a natural part of life, and preparing for it can even help you or your kids become more comfortable with it. Planning for every eventuality is part of making change easier.