You may think you’re too young to think about estate planning; or maybe you think it’s not something you need to worry about yet, but the fact is, if you have any assets, you need an estate plan. As you acquire more assets, you’ll need an improved estate plan to make sure your loved ones are taken care of.

In many states, if you pass away without a will, the state will take your assets and let a court decide who should get what. That often takes several years, causing your family financial difficulties until it’s resolved. Here are the steps you should be taking to create an estate plan that will protect your family.

Make a will.

This is non-negotiable and has nothing to do with how much you have. A will directs who will inherit your property, how it will be divided, and if you have young children, it will name a guardian for them if your spouse has passed away as well. Whatever else you do or don’t do with your estate planning, get a will to protect your loved ones. You will also need to name an executor, the person who will handle the distribution of your property and filing tax returns on behalf of your estate. They will also handle any claims from creditors.

Consider a living trust.

You may or may not need a trust, but depending on your assets and the age of your heirs, you may want to consider it. A trust is allows you to put conditions on how and when your assets are to be distributed. For instance, you can state that your children don’t inherit until they are 25 with the exception of educational expenses.

Create a health care directive.

A living will helps you maintain control of the type of medical care you desire. For instance, if you are injured and have severe brain trauma and are declared brain dead, a living will helps the doctors know what you would want them to do for you. Would you want to be kept alive or would you want life support discontinued. In most states, without a health care directive, the doctors or the courts will make the decision which can take a long time, all the while racking up more hospital bills for your family.

Have a power of attorney drawn up.

This will protect your assets if you are incapacitated for a short period of time. If you should injure yourself and you’re unable to take care of your financial responsibilities for a short time, the POA will allow the person you direct to pay your bills from your account for you.

Write a letter.

Wills do not usually allow for funeral arrangements or other personal requests. Write a letter to your family letting them know your final wishes, like the type of funeral you would like, and give it to a trusted friend or keep it in a lock box with your will. Be sure to let someone know where it is.

Speak to a tax attorney or accountant.

Be sure you know the tax laws about inheritance and get professional help to ensure that your heirs will be able to avoid paying estate taxes.

File beneficiary forms.

Your bank and/or investment accounts should have a beneficiary form that you can fill out, designating who should receive the funds. This will allow your heirs to access those funds quicker, without having to go through probate. Many banks have a “pay on death” form that is similar to a beneficiary form which allows your heir to simply transfer the account holder to themselves.

Last, but not least, in this day and age you will also need to consider digital files. Keep a list of your accounts and passwords so your family will be able to easily access your online accounts and close them out without hassle.

Planning for your death is something we’d all prefer not to think about, but sooner or later, we will all pass away and isn’t it more comforting to know that your family will be taken care of.

Emilie Burke

Emilie is a prolific blogger, and influencer inspiring millennial women to live financially, physically, and professionally fit lives. She writes about overcoming debt, while balancing trying to eat healthy, stay fit, and have a little fun along the way. She is a politics major turned data engineer who graduated from Princeton University in 2015.  She currently lives in North Carolina with her college sweetheart Casey who is currently stationed at Fort Bragg. She enjoys eating food, cuddling with her dog, and binge watching HGTV.

Retirement planning can be a bit confusing, trying to figure out what you will need and how to plan when you’re not even sure yet what your lifestyle will be and how long you will need to live on savings. But there are two things you can know for sure … first, you are never too old or too young to start planning and second, you will definitely need a retirement plan.

Knowing those two things, it may surprise you to also know that less than half of all Americans have taken the time and steps to start saving for retirement and that 30% of people who work in private industry and have access to a 401K or other savings plan do not participate. Considering that the average American lives in retirement for about 20 years and Social Security is not guaranteed, it’s time to take retirement planning seriously.

Here are some tips for getting started:

Start saving and keep saving.

If you’ve already started saving, great! If not, it’s time to work a savings plan into your monthly budget. Look for savings options that pay interest, are tax-free, and keep your money out of easy access. You don’t want to be tempted to dip into your savings.

Calculate what you need as best as you can.

Experts estimate that you will need at least 70% of your preretirement income annually to live if you’re making a 6-figure income. If you’re making less, you’ll need closer to 90% of your income to maintain your lifestyle. That is based on your home being paid off. If you’ll still have a mortgage in retirement, you’ll need to plan for 100% of your preretirement income. Keep in mind that your medical expenses will likely increase in retirement as well.

Determine how you will meet those expenses.

Include your pension, investments, Social Security, and any income you will continue to receive like payments from rental properties. If you’re not sure what you can expect to receive from Social Security, request a copy of your benefits estimator from the Social Security website. On average, you can expect to receive 40% of what you earned before retirement based on your seven highest-paid years. Your benefits will vary though depending on when you take benefits, so that’s important to calculate when determining when you plan to retire. You will receive fewer benefits if you start taking them at 62 than if you hold out and take them at 65.

Now that you know what income you can expect to receive after your paychecks stop, you’ll need to fill the gap with your savings. Knowing how much you will need to live on for at least 20 years and how much you will have coming in, you should be able to figure out what you’ll need to fund your retirement nest egg.

Planning for retirement doesn’t have to be confusing; it just involves a few calculations. Calculate your expected expenses and your expected income for the years you plan to live in retirement, determine the difference, then make a plan to start saving so you reach your savings goal before you reach retirement.

Emilie Burke

Emilie is a prolific blogger, and influencer inspiring millennial women to live financially, physically, and professionally fit lives. She writes about overcoming debt, while balancing trying to eat healthy, stay fit, and have a little fun along the way. She is a politics major turned data engineer who graduated from Princeton University in 2015.  She currently lives in North Carolina with her college sweetheart Casey who is currently stationed at Fort Bragg. She enjoys eating food, cuddling with her dog, and binge watching HGTV.