Our kids don’t want our paid-off house — or our ashes

Columnist Michelle Singletary shares that she and her husband are updating their estate plan, designating their eldest daughter as the manager of their affairs in case of incapacity or death. They have a will detailing asset distribution and specifying medical care preferences and a living will to avoid complications and ensure their wishes are followed. 

Singletary emphasizes the importance of estate planning, highlighting that many U.S. adults don’t have a will and warns about the consequences of dying without one. Singletary also stresses the need for open communication with heirs about the details of the estate plan, such as expressing the desire for cremation and allocating funds for family assistance and a college fund for relatives.

For more information see Michelle Singletary “Our kids don’t want our paid-off house— or ourashes”, The Washington Post, November 17, 2023.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.