Retire With Style Episode 206: Wills, Trusts, and the Caregiving Journey
10 snips
Nov 25, 2025 
Beth Pinsker, a financial journalist and author of My Mother's Money, shares insights into the often-overlooked world of estate planning and financial caregiving. She reveals that only 30% of people have any estate documents in place, leading to common disputes over inheritance. Beth explains the importance of trusts versus wills in managing assets and preventing probate issues. She also emphasizes the need for clear beneficiary designations and open family communication to ease the emotional burden of settling affairs.
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Low Estate-Planning Coverage
- Only about 30% of Americans have any estate planning documents, and even among wealthy people only ~50% do.
- Beth Pinsker warns this gap makes the $84 trillion intergenerational transfer likely chaotic.
Tell The Professional What You Want
- Hire a professional early and tell them your goals; they will design the legal structure.
- You only need to explain what you want to accomplish, not draft the legal language yourself.
Wills Locked In Safe-Deposit Boxes
- Families often discover wills stored in safe-deposit boxes they cannot access.
- Beth describes frequent probate cases started just to retrieve locked wills from boxes.
