Financial Answer Center

To help you organize your thoughts and decisions, see the Estate Wishes and the What's Your Estate Worth? worksheets. With these, you'll have the building blocks for an effective estate plan. When completing the worksheets, consider the effect of you dying first, and then if your spouse predeceases you. This may seem tedious, but it's the only way to capture your real wishes. When you write down a person to receive a portion of your estate other than your spouse, consider who should get the asset if he or she dies before you (example: My brother should get my speed boat, then his son if my brother is not alive).