Summer often brings milestones like graduations or weddings. They can affect your guardianship choices, beneficiary designations, or trust distributions. Use your trip as a reminder to check whether your estate plan still reflects your current family situation.  In case something happens, having an estate plan in place gives you comfort in knowing your assets and loved ones are protected. It frees you to savor new sights and experiences without leaving loose ends for your family to tie together.  

You still manage your medications and book your own appointments. But a fall, a stroke, or a sudden illness could leave you unable to speak for yourself. If that happens, who talks to your doctor? Who manages your finances? Will everyone know what you would have wanted? Legal planning helps you prepare for these possibilities. It keeps you in charge --- of your care, your choices, and your future -- no matter what life brings.

A recent Caring.com survey found that many people view estate planning as essential when they acquire valuable assets like a home or a substantial cash windfall. More than half of the respondents -- 56 percent -- said they don't have a will or trust because some feel they lack enough assets to leave anyone. But estate planning involves more than things -- it also involves people; your final wishes form the future for those you love. The best time to plan is when you're healthy and don’t face a crisis. Yet, as the survey showed, some age groups are more prepared than others, and certain factors influenced their choices.

With Valentine's Day approaching, the stores are filled with heart-shaped candy boxes and fancy cards. Perhaps a better way to show your love for your family is to do some estate planning.  An “I love you” will (also called a "mirror," "sweetheart," or "reciprocal" will), lets you leave your estate to your surviving spouse. Later, upon the survivor's death, the estate likely passes to their children.

If you’ve started the estate planning conversation, it's time to turn it into a team effort. If not, consider why it’s worth broaching the discussion before it’s necessary. Involving everyone in the process helps sidestep misunderstandings and disputes later. The goal is to create a plan that honors everyone while it preserves not just assets, but family harmony.

An average of six out of every ten American adults lack an estate plan. Like a sandcastle washed away, without a plan, the lifetime legacy you’ve built could vanish. When your loved ones grieve, as medical bills mount and deeds gather dust, your final wishes can remain a mystery.