DON'T HAVE A WILL? MOST PEOPLE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT

Have you never bothered to draft a will or do your estate planning? If you talk to friends, co-workers and family members, do most of them say that they have not done it either?

The truth is that most Americans are in the same boat. Studies have found that about 60% of them do not have a will. If you ask any given person that you encounter, the odds are in favor of them not having done their estate planning yet.

Being in the same predicament as everyone else does not make it the right move, however. It's a very big risk on the part of every person who neglects their estate planning.

Do you know what will happen to your estate when you pass away? Do you know how much you could lose in taxes to the government? Do you know which heirs are going to get which assets, especially when it comes to nonfinancial assets that you cannot divide? Do you know what the odds are that this property division will cause disputes between your heirs?

When they have to decide how to do things without your guidance or instruction, it is often very difficult. It can lead to disputes and arguments. They may wind up losing far more to the government than they needed to. They could make crucial mistakes and waste everything you worked so hard to accumulate over the years.

Most people do not have an estate plan, and that casts a shadow over their families and leads to a lot of questions down the road. If you want to avoid this, make sure you know what steps you can take.