HN Explorer

Ask HN: End-of-life planning while young?

2 points by slow-monolith ↗ HN
Is there a standard recommendation for basic end-of-life planning, like a will, that everyone should have in place as an adult?

The thought crossed my mind while I was rotating some passwords in my password manager recently. I remember reading a post on here a while back about someone suddenly losing their spouse and the documents they wished they had taken care of, but I couldn't find it. I am a single, healthy 30-year-old so this is not anything I am expecting to happen soon. That said, I am wondering if there is any guidance here.

4 comments

[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 19.5 ms ] thread
ninethirty
Life insurance, disability insurance, https://mprimi.github.io/portable-secret/
lastofus
Life insurance is probably silly with no dependents like OP, but long term disability insurance not tied to your employer is a good idea for peace of mind. There's a lot of unpleasant states between healthy and deceased.
helph67
It would be a very good to ensure you have a will so others can be informed (if necessary) how your estate should be distributed. You may be able to obtain a simple `will form' from a stationer, news agency or online.
dopheide
Wills are one step. A couple other things to consider:

1) A living will, for what to do if you're in a bad state in the hospital. 2) Adding beneficiaries to all of your financial and insurance accounts. A named beneficiary can receive payout right away and skip the whole probate law process.