The Lifeline for Your Estate Plan

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was an instant hit when it premiered in 1999. The game show featured contestants answering 15 increasingly difficult trivia questions, with the goal of winning one million dollars. If you’ve said, “Is that your final answer?” in the last 20 years, you probably have this show to thank.

Contestants had three lifelines available if they got stumped on a question, one of which was to phone a friend. If you’re stuck or unsure, wouldn’t you want to hear a familiar voice that may just be able to point you in the right direction?

When updating your estate plan, you might find it helpful to “phone a friend” – not because a game show win is on the line, but because doing something that can feel mundane or daunting is made easier with a friend or two.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Get your priorities on paper. Meet some friends for coffee to talk through what’s most important to you—and then write it down. Our free Wills Guide can be a helpful resource to move you from conversation to action.
• Hold each other accountable. Starting can be the toughest part of any goal. Keeping friends involved in your efforts can help. Pick a date to begin your updates, tell some friends, and then ask them to follow up with you—and cheer you on. The best part? You can do the same for them.
• Share ideas and insights. Inviting others to join you in the process gives you access to their knowledge and experience, and vice versa. Maybe they just read an article about a planning point you have a question about or perhaps they have an attorney in their network who can help. Besides that, good friends know your heart. Their wisdom can help ensure your plan reflects what’s most important to you.

Now is the time to use that lifeline and find a friend to help you take your estate plan to the finish line.