Leave a clear plan for the people you love
Estate planning is more than a will. It's making sure your assets, your wishes, and your family are organized and protected — no matter what happens.
The greatest gift you can leave your family isn't money. It's clarity — knowing exactly what you wanted, and not having to guess.
A will is just the beginning
Estate planning goes further than a will. A trust-based estate plan protects your assets during your lifetime, avoids probate at death, and allows you to control exactly how and when your beneficiaries receive what you've left them.
Beyond beneficiaries and distribution, estate planning involves choosing a successor trustee — the person who manages your assets if you are incapacitated or after you pass. Your trustee should be financially responsible, practical, and someone who would make decisions the way you would. Most people choose a spouse, adult child, or trusted friend, with 2–3 successors named in order of preference.
For beneficiaries with special needs, assets can be held in a special needs trust to ensure their public benefits are not affected. For charitable giving, specific dollar amounts can be directed to causes you care about. Every estate plan through How2Medicare is tailored to your specific family situation.
Organize and document your assets
The first step in estate planning is knowing exactly what you own and ensuring everything is properly titled and documented. Our guided tool helps you create a complete inventory of your assets — bank accounts, real estate, investment accounts, life insurance, personal property, and more.
- Trust-based estate plan avoids probate and protects your assets
- Successor trustee guidance from licensed estate planning specialists
- Includes beneficiary designations, distribution structures, and special needs provisions
Name your beneficiaries correctly
Many assets — including retirement accounts, life insurance, and bank accounts — pass directly to named beneficiaries, bypassing your will entirely. Incorrect or outdated beneficiary designations are one of the most common estate planning mistakes. Our tool guides you through reviewing and updating every beneficiary designation.
- Trust-based estate plan avoids probate and protects your assets
- Successor trustee guidance from licensed estate planning specialists
- Includes beneficiary designations, distribution structures, and special needs provisions
Understand trusts and advanced options
For some people, a will alone isn't enough. Trusts can help you avoid probate, protect assets from creditors, provide for a spouse while preserving assets for children, or support a family member with special needs. Our guidance helps you understand whether a trust is right for your situation.
- Trust-based estate plan avoids probate and protects your assets
- Successor trustee guidance from licensed estate planning specialists
- Includes beneficiary designations, distribution structures, and special needs provisions
Building your estate plan step by step
Inventory your assets
Document what you own — accounts, property, insurance policies, and personal property of value.
Name your people
Designate beneficiaries, name an executor for your will, and identify who you want making decisions if you're incapacitated.
Create your documents
Complete your will, review beneficiary designations, and explore whether a trust is right for your situation.
Organize and store everything
Store your documents securely and make sure the right people know where to find them.
Estate planning questions, answered
Give your family the gift of clarity
Access the estate planning tools inside your free How2Medicare member dashboard.
Free service · No obligation · Licensed specialists