Richmond Cariaga, Author at Like Law Group

Planning Around Clutter: Tools Advisors Can Use Without Overstepping

Posted on May 19, 2026

People often accumulate personal belongings over time, from everyday items to sentimental keepsakes. While these possessions may seem harmless, they can complicate estate planning, slow administration, and create difficult decisions for heirs if not proactively addressed.

Advisors do not need to tackle these issues alone or impose drastic changes on clients. Instead, they can provide guidance and tools that help clients organize, document, and plan for their personal property in a way that preserves both value and family relationships.

The goal is to make the process manageable and collaborative, enabling clients to take control of their estate without feeling judged or pressured.

How to Address Personal Property Planning with Clients

Advisors rarely benefit from asking blunt questions such as, “Do you have too much stuff?” Such phrasing can feel judgmental and is difficult for clients to answer objectively. Instead, the conversation should focus on anticipating potential estate planning challenges and identifying practical steps that the client can take to better manage their personal property.

Financial advisors can approach the topic in a planning-focused way, using observations and client cues to guide the conversation. Emphasizing organization, documentation, and clarity can support the client’s estate plan, reduce the administrative burden, and help heirs manage personal property more efficiently.

The strategies below provide practical ways for advisors to raise the issue sensitively and collaboratively.

Start with neutral, planning-focused questions. Instead of focusing directly on a client’s living environment, advisors can incorporate some of the following questions about personal property into broader planning discussions:

Do you have any collections, valuables, or unique personal property that should be accounted for in your estate plan?
Are any of your belongings stored in multiple locations, such as storage units or second homes?
Would it be easy for someone else to identify and access important items or documents if needed?
Do you anticipate that managing or distributing your personal property could take significant time or coordination?

These types of questions can help to reveal potential challenges and guide the conversation toward appropriate planning strategies.

Encourage documentation and basic organization. When clients acknowledge having a significant amount of personal property, advisors can focus the conversation on organization and clarity rather than reduction. Suggested steps for clients include:

Creating a basic inventory of valuable or meaningful items
Using photos or written lists to document what exists and where it is located
Coordinating with estate planning counsel to document how specific items should be distributed, when appropriate

Framing these steps in terms of efficiency and clarity can help clients understand the benefit to their heirs and the overall administration of their estate.

Emphasize ease of administration for family members. Position planning as a way to simplify responsibilities for heirs and fiduciaries. Highlighting the impact on others, instead of the client’s habits, can make the conversation feel more constructive and less judgmental. Advisors can reinforce this approach through the following client conversations:

Discussing how organizing personal property now can reduce the burden on family members and fiduciaries later
Focusing on minimizing confusion, delays, and potential conflict during estate administration
Presenting organization as a best practice for ensuring that the client’s intentions are carried out efficiently

For receptive clients, advisors may also consider sharing relevant data points or educational resources to reinforce the importance of planning and provide additional context.

Suggest involving outside professionals when appropriate. As conversations progress, advisors can introduce the idea of coordinating with an estate planning attorney to address legal documentation such as wills, trusts, and provisions governing personal property. In addition, advisors may suggest other professionals who can assist with the practical aspects of managing and organizing belongings, including any of the following:

Senior move managers
Estate sale professionals
Professional organizers and cleanout services

Framing these resources as a part of a coordinated planning approach can help clients see their value. When appropriately positioned, these professionals can reduce stress, save time, and support more-efficient estate administration.

Document the conversation. Advisors should document discussions regarding personal property and estate planning, particularly when potential risks or client preferences are identified:

Create a record of known risks related to personal property
Preserve the client’s stated intentions regarding belongings
Clarify the guidance provided and the scope of the advisor’s role

Thoughtful documentation supports continuity across the planning process. It can provide fiduciaries with a clearer starting point, reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings among heirs, and help ensure that key decisions are not overlooked or forgotten.

Know when to involve an attorney. Advisors should use their judgment to determine the right time to suggest consulting an estate planning attorney. Planning discussions must eventually translate into actionable steps, but clients who are hesitant or unprepared may need additional time or a different approach before engaging legal counsel.

Some clients may already recognize that accumulated personal property can complicate estate administration and understand that important decisions will eventually need to be made. Even if no family disputes have arisen yet, clients are often aware that disorganization can create challenges for heirs and fiduciaries.

By identifying potential risks and guiding clients toward practical solutions, whether through organization, documentation, or professional coordination, advisors can help clients make informed decisions, reduce future administrative burdens, and support smoother estate planning outcomes.

Practical Estate Planning Strategies When Letting Go Is Hard

Posted on May 18, 2026

Nothing in your home will stay yours forever. Every item—each wall hanging, piece of furniture, book, device, or collected trinket—will one day belong to someone else. Who that someone is depends largely on the decisions you make today.

You do not need to adopt a minimalist mindset or purge everything of little value. Nor is it about extreme downsizing. Instead, the focus is on “right-sizing”—finding a balance between holding on and letting go so that belongings are thoughtfully managed. The process begins with a simple but important question: How much is too much?

Assessing How Manageable Your Belongings Are

Not all homes are equally easy to maintain, and the volume and organization of your belongings can significantly affect how much effort it will take to manage them—now or later.

The following scale provides a simple way to gauge potential challenges and plan accordingly:

Level 1 – Low (Stable): Your home is organized, and important items and documents are easy to locate. Clearing or reorganizing would be straightforward, likely achievable in a day or two. Minimal action is needed.
Level 2 – Moderate (Manageable): You have accumulated items, and some areas may take time to effectively organize. The situation is manageable but requires planning. Expect several days to a week of effort.

Level 3 – Considerable (Becoming a Burden): Belongings are spread across rooms, storage spaces, or multiple locations. Key items and documents may be difficult to find. Organizing or clearing the home could take several weeks. Action is recommended before the situation becomes more challenging.
Level 4 – High (Strained): Clutter is affecting how the home is used. Sorting through everything may take a coordinated effort over multiple weeks or months. Outside help or a structured plan is probably needed.
Level 5 – Critical (Extreme): The volume of belongings creates safety concerns or would make a cleanout extremely difficult. Addressing the situation could take months and may require professional assistance. At this stage, proactive planning and support are highly recommended.

One (Small) Step at a Time: Practical Decluttering Strategies

Your assessment of your home’s organization can help guide the next steps. These steps do not have to be large or happen all at once. Accumulating a lifetime of belongings took years, so it is unrealistic to expect a perfectly organized home overnight, and that may not even be the goal.

The difference is that, while accumulation often happens organically, decluttering can follow a plan. Taking a thoughtful approach allows you to regain a sense of control one step at a time. The following strategies can serve as a starting point:

Make a simple household inventory. Do you really know what you own? While estimates may vary, most homes contain far more than we realize. You do not need a detailed spreadsheet or professional-grade catalog—just a basic list with notes and photos of key belongings can provide a clear baseline, making it easier for you, your family, and anyone who may need to manage your estate to know what is there and plan accordingly.
Use photos and labeling to remove guesswork. How well your belongings are organized can matter as much as how many you have. A photo of a drawer, closet, or collection can be attached to a spreadsheet or uploaded to a corresponding online folder to provide context. Labeling boxes or grouping related items together can save hours of sorting and help ensure that important things are not lost or overlooked.
Let your family “shop” while you are still here. Sorting what to keep, donate, or discard is easier when family members can express their preferences. Consider inviting them to choose items in an informal “family estate sale.” You can thoughtfully gift belongings this way while still deciding what to do with the items that remain.
Identify items that may need an appraisal. Some belongings, such as a grandmother’s antique rocking chair, may have hidden financial value. Not everything is valuable, but if you suspect an item could be worth something, a professional appraisal can help ensure that it is not undervalued or mistakenly discarded.
Choose the right person to handle your estate. As you organize your belongings, remember that one of the most important decisions is selecting your executor or trustee. This person will be responsible for managing everything you leave behind, including your belongings, so it is vital to consider whether they have the time, temperament, and support needed for the role.
Do not hesitate to bring in help. Professional organizers, estate sale companies, and cleanout services exist to make the process more manageable. Bringing in help does not mean that you have lost control or are unable to handle the task yourself; it is simply a way to reduce stress, save time, and ensure that things are done efficiently.

An attorney can coordinate with other professionals to help ensure that both your physical belongings and your estate documents are thoughtfully organized and “right-sized.” Letting go can be challenging, but getting guidance and support does not have to be. Reach out to us today.

The Fiduciary Fallout of Household Accumulation

Posted on May 14, 2026

Many clients have accumulated belongings over decades, from everyday items to family heirlooms, which can create significant challenges for their heirs and fiduciaries. What may feel manageable during a client’s lifetime can become complex and time-consuming after they pass.

When a home contains a large volume of personal property, organizing and distributing items can create both logistical and emotional hurdles for family members. Advisors may encounter situations in which heirs are uncertain about what to keep, what to donate, and how to handle valuable or sentimental items.

The responsibility for managing a client’s personal property typically falls to relatives or fiduciaries. Without proactive planning, excessive accumulated belongings can result in delays, higher administrative costs, and potential disputes—complications that often become apparent only during estate administration.

America Has a Clutter Problem

An oft-cited statistic claims that the average American home has 300,000 items in it.¹ Though that number has been disputed, there is no debate that Americans own a great deal of stuff:

25 percent of Americans admit to having a “clutter problem”²
84 percent worry that their homes are not organized enough³
55 percent say that clutter is a major cause of stress⁴

Yet the urge to accumulate is not a particularly American “problem.” Humans are predisposed to accumulate, in part because we evolved under conditions of scarcity.⁵ It is the same reason we have trouble denying ourselves fats and sweets; our brains crave unnecessary items the way they crave unhealthy food.⁶ Research also suggests that objects appeal to us on an emotional level, giving us a sense of security and connection to the past and to the people we love.⁷

Meaning, however, is subjective. Physical items may be tied to memory and identity in ways that are not easily discernible.⁸ When family members begin sorting and packing up belongings from a home during estate administration, issues can arise that far exceed any given item’s size, weight, or monetary value.

Fiduciaries’ Challenges of Managing Excessive Personal Property

Administering an estate is inherently time-consuming, and personal property often adds complexity. Excessive belongings can amplify these challenges, increasing both fiduciary workload and risk. Key considerations for advisors to anticipate include:

Time and emotional demands. Sorting through a home with extensive personal property can be a considerable effort, especially when heirs are grieving. Executors and trustees may spend evenings and weekends reviewing documents, coordinating cleanouts, and making decisions about items with little financial value but great emotional significance.
Disputes among heirs. Unlike financial assets, household items often carry sentimental value, making division challenging. Multiple heirs may claim the same items, leading to disagreements over fairness.
Subjective value of items. Objects with little monetary worth, such as tools, furniture, or keepsakes, may have deep personal meaning, increasing the likelihood of conflict and complicating equitable distribution.
Perceived bias. Fiduciaries are expected to act impartially. Decisions about personal property may be interpreted as favoritism, potentially leading to grievances or strained relationships.
Legal and relational risks. In extreme cases, disagreements over personal possessions can lead to litigation. Even in the absence of legal action, disputes over personal belongings can still damage family relationships and create lingering resentment.

Although personal property may seem trivial, it can have real consequences for heirs and fiduciaries. Disputes over belongings, even ones of modest monetary value, can cause delays, increase administrative costs, and strain family relationships. Advisors who recognize these risks can help clients take proactive steps to organize, document, and communicate their intentions, reducing potential complications and supporting smoother estate administration.

Jean Chatzky, One in Four Americans Has a Clutter Problem — And Could Be Sitting on Some Serious Cash, NBC News (May 31, 2017), https://www.nbcnews.com/business/personal-finance/one-four-americans-has-clutter-problem-could-be-sitting-some-n766681. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Archana Ram, Why Do We Keep Buying New Stuff?, Patagonia (Nov. 15, 2023), https://www.patagonia.com/stories/culture/design/feeling-like-new/story-144207.html. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Christian Jarrett, The psychology of stuff and things, The British Psych. Soc’y (Aug. 13, 2013), https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/psychology-stuff-and-things. ↩︎
Christopher R. Madan, Memory Can Define Individual Beliefs and Identity—and Shape Society, Sage J. (Dec. 13, 2023), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23727322231220258. ↩︎

The Burden That Excess Belongings Place on Loved Ones

Posted on May 11, 2026

At some point, each of us may face the difficult task of walking through a deceased parent’s home. Empty in one sense—but not in another. The person is gone, but a lifetime of belongings remain.

Going from room to room, drawer to drawer, and box to box can be part of the healing process. Handling familiar objects can spark long-forgotten memories and bring a sense of closure by forcing us to confront difficult emotions.

But it can also be frustrating and overwhelming. What is left behind is often more than anyone expected: a house full of possessions that now must be sorted, evaluated, and divided. Nor is it always clear whose responsibility it is to clean it all up and separate the trash from the trinkets, the clutter from the keepsakes.

After we are gone, our belongings must be handled, and the responsibility often falls to those we leave behind.

Conversations about who gets what are best had while your possessions are still yours—not after they have been left in a kind of personal property limbo where uncertainty can give rise to stress, conflict, and resentment.

The “Great Wealth Transfer” Is Also a “Great Stuff Transfer”

Over the next couple of decades, an estimated $84 trillion in assets will change hands from the Silent Generation and baby boomers to Gen X and millennial heirs.¹ The “Great Wealth Transfer” is poised to reshape the global economy through how that wealth is spent and invested.

But a more immediate and open-ended question is what happens to all the physical possessions, the decades of accumulated stuff, that are transferred with that wealth.

As the “Great Stuff Transfer”—or “Baby Boom Stuff Avalanche”—gets underway, media outlets are describing the burden it can place on family members.²

Baby boomers have very high homeownership rates³ and have spent decades filling their homes with stuff: silverware, furniture, fine china, platters, baseball cards, model trains, figurines, firearms, and trinkets from their travels.

As our homes have gotten bigger,⁴ so have the mounds of stuff inside—and outside of—them: Americans now rent more than 2 billion square feet of self-storage space.⁵

When someone downsizes or dies, their belongings must go somewhere. While their kids and grandkids may not want them, they still may be tasked with going through those belongings. Some items may be worth something, but deciding what to keep, toss, or donate is not easy.

There are also hidden risks and costs buried beneath the piles: the financial and estate planning fallout a “stuff avalanche” can trigger.

Living in the Avalanche’s Path

Reading about the “Great Stuff Transfer” may feel anecdotal until it affects you and your loved ones. When it does, the impact often shows up in two ways: financial and practical burdens, and emotional strain within families.

Financial and Practical Burdens

Ongoing costs add up. Storage units, junk removal, cleanout services, and extended timelines may result in thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.
Value gets lost in the shuffle. When time is limited, items that may have financial or sentimental value may be thrown away, donated, or overlooked.
Hidden problems surface late. Excess clutter can conceal maintenance issues or damage in the home that may not be discovered until heirs are preparing it for sale.
Higher professional costs. Appraisers, estate sale professionals, and cleanout crews often need more time (and charge more) when a home is heavily cluttered.
Digital clutter creates new risks. Old devices, forgotten accounts, and missing passwords can make it difficult to cancel subscriptions and access records.

Emotional Strain and Family Conflict

Someone must take the lead. One family member often ends up doing most of the work, which can create tension and resentment.
Time and effort are not always equal. Disagreements may arise over how much time is spent and whether that effort should be compensated.
Sentimental items may spark conflict. Family members may attach deep meaning to the same belongings and disagree about who should receive what, even if there is little financial value.
Letting go is harder than expected. Deciding what to keep and what to discard can create guilt, hesitation, and second-guessing.
Incapacity can accelerate the problem. When a health event occurs, family members are often forced to quickly step in. A cluttered home can make it harder to provide care, move safely, or locate essential documents when they are most needed.

When Belongings Become a Burden

It may seem like “just stuff,” but it can create real stress and family conflict. The challenge is managing your belongings thoughtfully so they do not derail your estate plan or overwhelm your loved ones.

Cerulli Anticipates $84 Trillion in Wealth Transfers Through 2045, Cerulli Assoc. (Jan. 20, 2022), https://www.cerulli.com/press-releases/cerulli-anticipates-84-trillion-in-wealth-transfers-through-2045. ↩︎
Richard Eisenberg, Sorry, Your Kids Don’t Want Your Stuff or Your Parents’ Stuff, Next Avenue (Jan. 6, 2026), https://www.nextavenue.org/sorry-your-kids-dont-want-your-stuff-of-your-parents-stuff. ↩︎
Baby Boomers Regain Top Spot as Largest Share of Home Buyers, Nat’l Ass’n of Realtors (Apr. 1, 2025), https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/baby-boomers-regain-top-spot-as-largest-share-of-home-buyers. ↩︎
Taylor Covington, Supersized: Americans Are Living in Bigger Houses With Fewer People, The Zebra (May 15, 2024), https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/median-home-size-in-us/. ↩︎
Al Harris, U.S. Self-Storage Industry Statistics in 2026, SpareFoot (Mar. 9, 2026), https://www.sparefoot.com/blog/self-storage-industry-statistics. ↩︎

When “Stuff” Becomes a Planning Problem

Posted on May 7, 2026

Comedian George Carlin once joked that a house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more. “Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house,” he said. “Why? No room for your stuff anymore.”¹

Although humorous, Carlin’s observation highlights a real issue that advisors encounter: Many clients accumulate more belongings over time than they or their heirs can easily manage. What seems manageable during a client’s lifetime can become a source of stress, logistical challenges, and financial consequences for heirs and fiduciaries after the client’s death.

Excessive personal belongings can complicate estate administration, delay liquidation or probate, and sometimes interfere with safe aging in place. Recognizing the potential impact of accumulation early can help financial advisors guide clients toward solutions that protect both their estate plan and their loved ones.

The “Great Wealth Transfer” Is Also a “Great Stuff Transfer”

Over the next few decades, an estimated $84 trillion in assets will change hands from the Silent Generation and baby boomers to Gen X and millennial heirs.² The “Great Wealth Transfer” is poised to reshape the global economy through how that wealth is spent and invested.

But a more immediate and open-ended question is what happens to all the physical possessions, the decades of accumulated stuff, that are transferred with that wealth.

As the “Great Stuff Transfer” gets underway, media outlets are describing the burden it can place on family members.³ Baby boomers have very high homeownership rates⁴ and have spent decades filling their homes with stuff: silverware, furniture, fine china, platters, baseball cards, model trains, figurines, firearms, and trinkets from their travels.

As our homes have gotten bigger,⁵ so have the mounds of stuff in—and outside of—them: Americans now rent more than 2 billion square feet of self-storage space.⁶

When someone downsizes or dies, their belongings must go somewhere. While their kids and grandkids may not want the belongings, they may still be stuck sorting through them. Some items may be worth something, but separating trash from treasure is not easy.

There are also hidden risks and costs buried beneath the piles: the financial and estate planning fallout that an avalanche of excessive belongings can trigger.

Why Being “Stuff-Blind” Can Complicate Estate Administration

“Nose blindness” occurs when the brain becomes so accustomed to a constant scent that it stops registering the odor.⁷ A similar phenomenon can happen with possessions. Over time, people can develop “clutter blindness,” gradually losing awareness of how much they have accumulated.⁸

Accumulating items over time and struggling to let go of personal possessions is normal. But when excessive belongings accumulate over a lifetime, they can become a blind spot in financial, estate, and long-term care planning. Potential complications include the following:

Missed or undiscovered assets. Valuable items such as jewelry, collectibles, cash, or important financial records may be hidden among everyday belongings. Family members or executors under time pressure may overlook items or mistake them for nonessential clutter.
Probate delays. Probate can take six to 12 months or longer, depending on the estate. Decades of accumulated personal property can extend this timeline by weeks or months, because sorting, cataloging, and distributing such property is often time-consuming.
Valuation inaccuracies. Personal property is typically appraised based on its date-of-death value. Disorganized homes make it difficult for appraisers to locate and identify items, increasing the risk of incomplete inventories or inaccurate valuations.
Higher administrative costs. Professional estate cleanout services can cost $500 to $3,000, with heavily cluttered homes exceeding $6,000 depending on the size of the property and volume of belongings.⁹ In larger estates, identifying and cataloging personal property can add $2,000 to $10,000 in administrative costs, not including junk removal, estate sale, or auctioneer fees.
Real estate liquidation delays. Often, homes cannot be listed for sale until the contents have been removed. Preparing a home for an estate sale typically takes two to four weeks; heavily cluttered properties can require additional professional cleanout time. Such delays can extend the selling timeline and increase carrying costs, including utilities, insurance, and property taxes.

Extreme accumulation may also signal broader planning risks:

Aging in place may no longer be safe. Most older adults want to age at home,¹⁰ but their house must be able to safely accommodate them as they grow older. Severe clutter can create fall hazards, block exits, and interfere with basic home maintenance. When a home becomes unsafe, it may undermine plans to age in place and force families to reconsider housing or long-term care arrangements.
Potential changes in cognitive function. A growing inability to manage household possessions may signal cognitive decline that could also affect financial management.
Difficulty locating essential documents. Important records such as wills, trusts, insurance policies, account statements, passwords, and other key documents may be misplaced or buried among household belongings, complicating estate administration and financial decisions after death.

While clients cannot take their belongings with them when they pass away, those items can have real implications for their heirs and on the administration of their estates. Financial advisors who recognize the potential challenges of accumulated personal property can help clients plan proactively, minimizing delays, reducing administrative costs, and ensuring that both assets and personal property are handled according to the client’s wishes.

George Carlin – Stuff, The Frug (July 13), https://thefrug.com/george-carlin-stuff. ↩︎
Cerulli Anticipates $84 Trillion in Wealth Transfers Through 2045, Cerulli Assocs. (Jan. 20, 2022), https://www.cerulli.com/press-releases/cerulli-anticipates-84-trillion-in-wealth-transfers-through-2045. ↩︎
Richard Eisenberg, Sorry, Your Kids Don’t Want Your Stuff or Your Parents’ Stuff, Next Avenue (Jan. 6, 2026), https://www.nextavenue.org/sorry-your-kids-dont-want-your-stuff-of-your-parents-stuff. ↩︎
Baby Boomers Regain Top Spot as Largest Share of Home Buyers, Nat’l Ass’n of Realtors (Apr. 1, 2025), https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/baby-boomers-regain-top-spot-as-largest-share-of-home-buyers. ↩︎
Taylor Covington, Supersized: Americans Are Living in Bigger Houses With Fewer People, The Zebra (May 15, 2024), https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/median-home-size-in-us/. ↩︎
Al Harris, U.S. Self-Storage Industry Statistics in 2026, SpareFoot (Mar. 9, 2026), https://www.sparefoot.com/blog/self-storage-industry-statistics. ↩︎
The Science Behind Olfactory Fatigue, Malibu Apothecary (Sept. 17, 2025), https://malibuapothecary.com/blogs/clean-candles/the-science-behind-olfactory-fatigue-why-you-stop-smelling-a-scent. ↩︎
Gretchen Rubin, Are You Clutter-Blind? Or Do You Know Someone Who Is?, Psych. Today (May 16, 2016), https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-happiness-project/201605/are-you-clutter-blind-or-do-you-know-someone-who-is. ↩︎
Deirdre Sullivan, How Much Do Estate Cleanout Services Cost? [2026 Data], Angi (Apr. 4, 2026), https://www.angi.com/articles/estate-cleanout-services-cost.htm. ↩︎
Kim Parker and Luona Lin, Most older adults who live at home want to age in place, but they aren’t entirely confident they’ll get to, Pew Rsch. (Feb. 26, 2026), https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/26/most-older-adults-who-live-at-home-want-to-age-in-place-but-they-arent-entirely-confident-theyll-get-to. ↩︎

When Clutter Becomes an Estate Planning Problem

Posted on May 4, 2026

For many Americans, that joke hits close to home. We have a complicated relationship with our possessions, recognizing on some level that we may own too much even as we continue to accumulate more. The United States is one of the world’s leaders in consumer spending,² and while trends such as minimalism come and go, our belongings tend to keep piling up.

There is nothing inherently wrong with owning things. We work hard, and buying something new can feel like a reward. But over time, those rewards can start to weigh on us, creating stress, taking up space, and even leaving behind a burden for the people we care about.

The question is not just what we own. It is what happens to it later—who is left to sort through it, manage it, and ultimately decide what comes next.

America Has a Clutter Problem

An oft-cited statistic claims the average American home has 300,000 items in it.³ While that number has been disputed, there is no debate that Americans own a great deal of stuff. And it is stressing us out.

25 percent of Americans admit to having a “clutter problem”⁴
84 percent worry that their homes are not organized enough⁵
55 percent say clutter is a major cause of stress⁶

Why do we accumulate so much?

Part of the answer has nothing to do with being American and everything to do with being human. We are predisposed to accumulate, in part because we evolved under conditions of scarcity.⁷ It is the same reason we have trouble denying ourselves fats and sweets; our brains crave unnecessary items the way they crave unhealthy foods. Research also suggests that objects appeal to us on an emotional level, giving us a sense of security and connection to the past and to the people we love.⁸

Meaning, however, is subjective. Physical items may be tied to memory and identity in ways that are not easily unpacked.⁹ What feels indispensable to one person may be meaningless to someone else. And when the time comes to administer an estate—to go over everything and decide what to do with it—those differences can trigger issues that far exceed any given item’s size, weight, or monetary value.

Why Being “Stuff-Blind” Can Complicate Estate Administration

There is a concept known as “nose blindness”—when your brain becomes so accustomed to a constant scent that it stops noticing it.¹⁰ A similar phenomenon can happen with possessions. Over time, people can develop “clutter blindness,”¹¹ gradually losing awareness of how much they have accumulated.

Accumulating items and struggling to let go of them is normal. One person’s collection may be another’s clutter. But when belongings build up over a lifetime, the result can complicate estate administration far more than many people expect.

One way to assess the situation is to ask a few simple questions:

Can you comfortably and safely move through every room in your home?
Are important documents organized and easy for someone else to locate?
If your home needed to be cleared out for sale, would it take days, weeks, or months?

Your answers will signal whether the amount of stuff you own—or the way it is organized—might cause problems down the line. If those issues are not addressed now, they will almost certainly fall to someone else later.

Potential complications that may arise during estate administration include the following:

Missed or undiscovered assets. When family members or executors are organizing and inventorying a home under time pressure, something important may be overlooked or mistaken for junk.
Delays in the probate process. Estate administration typically takes six to 12 months or longer. If a home contains decades of accumulated belongings, sorting, cataloging, and distributing personal property can add weeks or months to the process.
Difficulty determining the value of property. After someone dies, their personal property often needs to be appraised. If belongings are disorganized, it can be harder to figure out what is there, which may lead to overlooking valuable items or incorrect valuations.
Higher administrative costs. In a heavily cluttered home, professional estate cleanout services and the work of identifying and cataloging personal property can cost thousands of dollars,¹² and that is before expenses such as junk removal, estate sale commissions, or auctioneer fees.
Delays in preparing or selling real estate. Sometimes, homes cannot be listed for sale until the contents have been removed. Excess clutter can push back the typical estate sale timeline and increase costs for utilities, insurance, and property taxes.
Safety concerns that may limit the ability to age in place. Most older adults want to age at home,¹³ but their house must be able to accommodate them as they grow older. Severe clutter can create fall hazards, block exits, and interfere with routine home maintenance.
Trouble locating essential documents. Important records such as wills, trusts, insurance policies, account statements, passwords, and other key documents may be misplaced or buried among household belongings, complicating estate administration and financial decisions after death.

You cannot take it with you—but what you leave behind does not simply disappear. It becomes someone else’s responsibility to sort through, manage, and resolve, and it can turn into a complex, time-consuming problem for the people you care about most.

George Carlin – Stuff, The Frug (July 13), https://thefrug.com/george-carlin-stuff. ↩︎
Understanding the US Consumer Market: Key Trends and Insights, Rsch. FDI (Mar. 15, 2023), https://researchfdi.com/understanding-the-us-consumer-market. ↩︎
Jean Chatzky, One in Four Americans Has a Clutter Problem — And Could Be Sitting on Some Serious Cash, NBC News (May 31, 2017), https://www.nbcnews.com/business/personal-finance/one-four-americans-has-clutter-problem-could-be-sitting-some-n766681. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
Archana Ram, Why Do We Keep Buying New Stuff?, Patagonia (Nov. 15, 2023), https://www.patagonia.com/stories/culture/design/feeling-like-new/story-144207.html. ↩︎
Christian Jarrett, The psychology of stuff and things, The British Psych. Soc’y (Aug. 13, 2013), https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/psychology-stuff-and-things. ↩︎
Christopher R. Madan, Memory Can Define Individual Beliefs and Identity—and Shape Society, Sage J. (Dec. 13, 2023), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23727322231220258. ↩︎
The Science Behind Olfactory Fatigue, Malibu Apothecary (Sept. 17, 2025), https://malibuapothecary.com/blogs/clean-candles/the-science-behind-olfactory-fatigue-why-you-stop-smelling-a-scent. ↩︎
Gretchen Rubin, Are You Clutter-Blind? Or Do You Know Someone Who Is?, Psych. Today (May 16, 2016), https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-happiness-project/201605/are-you-clutter-blind-or-do-you-know-someone-who-is. ↩︎
Deirdre Sullivan, How Much Do Estate Cleanout Services Cost? [2026 Data], Angi (Apr. 4, 2026), https://www.angi.com/articles/estate-cleanout-services-cost.htm. ↩︎
Kim Parker and Luona Lin, Most older adults who live at home want to age in place, but they aren’t entirely confident they’ll get to, Pew Rsch. (Feb. 26, 2026), https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/26/most-older-adults-who-live-at-home-want-to-age-in-place-but-they-arent-entirely-confident-theyll-get-to. ↩︎

How to Own Your Real Estate

Posted on April 25, 2026

Your real estate encompasses not only your primary residence but also any vacation homes, rental properties, or even vacant land you may own. The ideal form of ownership varies depending on the type of property and your individual circumstances.

Your Primary Residence

How you own your primary residence affects your control over it while you are alive, its level of protection from creditors, and what happens to it after you pass away. The most suitable way to own your home often depends on your goals and the types of ownership for real estate that are available in your state.

A Vacation Home

For some families, their vacation home has significant financial and emotional value. How you hold title and what happens to the property in the future are important considerations. Vacation homes may also be treated differently from primary residences for tax purposes, so careful planning is essential to ensure that what you would like to happen with your vacation home is accomplished.

Rental Property

Because rental property serves as an income stream rather than a residence, protecting it from lawsuits and creditors is usually the primary concern and main goal for rental property owners. As a landlord, you may face a higher probability of lawsuits arising in connection with the property as renters come and go.

Transferring ownership of the rental property to a limited liability company (LLC) (discussed below) is one potential option. One benefit is that any creditor is generally limited to the assets of the LLC, so, for example, if a renter is injured on the property, they can seek satisfaction of any claims only from other accounts and property owned by the LLC, not from your personal accounts and property or those of any other members of the LLC. In addition, ownership by the LLC may protect the rental property from your personal creditors. However, if you are forming a single-member LLC, it is important to have us check state law to ensure that creditor protection is available.

You can own title to real property in the following ways:

Sole Ownership

Owning your home in your own name allows you to take advantage of certain tax benefits that may be available for primary residences. While you have full control over the real estate during your lifetime, your primary residence will not automatically transfer to your heirs at your death without additional planning; it will likely need to go through the lengthy, expensive, and public court process known as probate first.

Tenancy by the Entirety

Tenancy by the entirety is a type of ownership available only to married couples in specific states. This ownership structure treats both spouses as one unit who own the home together, so neither spouse can sell or mortgage the home without the other’s consent. In many states, tenancy by the entirety also protects the home from the creditors of one spouse. In other words, a creditor of only one spouse generally cannot force the sale of the home to satisfy that spouse’s separate debt. When one spouse dies, ownership of the property automatically transfers to the surviving spouse, avoiding probate.

Revocable Living Trust

Another option is to place your primary residence in a revocable living trust. This type of ownership allows you to retain control of your home during your lifetime while ensuring it transfers according to your wishes without court involvement upon your passing. In some states, it may be possible to preserve certain protections, such as tenancy by the entirety when the home is held in a joint revocable trust, but this is not always the case.

If protecting your home from creditors during your lifetime is your primary concern, an irrevocable trust may be the appropriate choice. However, irrevocable trusts may require you to give up some control of the property during your life because the trust owns the home and manages it according to rules you set when you created the trust.

Joint Ownership or Tenants in Common

In a tenants-in-common ownership structure, two or more people own property together. Each owner can specify in their estate plan what happens to their share. However, one co-owner’s creditors may be able to claim the debtor’s share, potentially putting the entire property at risk of liquidation to satisfy that co-owner’s outstanding debt. In addition, when one co-owner dies, probate may become necessary to transfer their share.

Protection from Creditors

In some situations, your primary residence may have extra protection under the law if you ever face financial difficulties, such as bankruptcy. Many states provide a homestead exemption, which can help protect part or all of the value of your home from certain creditors. Protections may vary by state and may not cover all types of debts, so meeting with a knowledgeable professional is important if you have concerns.

Ownership by a Limited Liability Company

Although not commonly used to hold a primary residence, an LLC can be used to hold other real estate, such as your vacation home or investment property, by creating a legal separation between you and the property. This option generally protects your personal assets from lawsuits or creditors arising from the use of the property. With an LLC, you can also establish rules for use, maintenance, and decision-making. You may consider this option an ideal solution if multiple family members or partners share ownership.

Having an LLC own your vacation home provides limited liability from outside claims. Creditors of the LLC (e.g., a guest who is injured on the property) generally cannot reach your personal assets in addition to the LLC’s assets; the LLC’s liability is limited to its assets. At the same time, lawsuits against you as an individual generally cannot reach the property, which can be incredibly helpful if you wish to pass the vacation home on to the next generation without worrying about each new member’s financial situation. While LLCs provide liability protection, they do not cover all situations. For example, if you are the sole member of an LLC, certain creditors may still be able to reach the property to satisfy claims.

It is important to consult with us and your tax advisor to ensure that transferring your vacation home to an LLC will not cause an increase in your property taxes or other unintended consequences, especially if the property has been in your family for a long time.

Contact Us Today

Whether you are concerned about your primary residence, a family cabin, or rental property, we are here to assist you in protecting your valuable real property. Given the various considerations in selecting a form of ownership, it is important to have the right advisors by your side. Contact us to discuss your current and future real estate ventures and the best way to protect them for generations to come.

Why Title Matters

Posted on April 23, 2026

Real estate can be owned in several different ways. The form of ownership, or how your property is titled, can determine how much control you have over it, how vulnerable your property is to creditor claims and lawsuits, and what will happen to it at your death.

Individual Ownership

One of the most common ways people own real estate is as a sole owner. As the sole owner, you have full control over the real estate. You can mortgage it or transfer it to anyone you choose while you are alive and have capacity. However, your real estate could potentially be exposed to creditors’ claims. At your death, your real estate will transfer to the beneficiaries named in your estate plan (or, if you have no plan, according to state law). If you do not have an estate plan (and rely instead on state law) or you have a will-based plan, probate court involvement will be required to transfer ownership to your heirs. Probate can be time-consuming, public, and expensive for your loved ones.

Tenants in Common

Tenants in common is another form of ownership in which multiple individuals own real estate together. Unlike other forms of ownership, when several people own real estate as tenants in common, the ownership interests held by each individual do not have to be equal. One person may own a 25 percent interest (also called a share), while the other owns a 75 percent interest. Each co-owner can generally transfer or mortgage their interest as they wish. However, the more co-owners there are, the greater the likelihood of creditor issues involving one or more of them. Although creditors can collect from only the co-owner who owes them money, they may be able to force a sale of the real estate to satisfy their claim. Upon a co-owner’s passing, their ownership interest transfers to whomever the co-owner has specified in their estate plan (or by state law if no estate plan was prepared). Both options require the property to go through the probate process to transfer ownership to the co-owner’s heirs.

Joint Tenancy

In most states, joint tenancy is the same thing as joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Two or more individuals (joint tenants) each own an equal share in the real estate, and each joint tenant can transfer their interest to another person (though doing so may end the joint tenancy and result in a tenancy in common). Unlike tenancy in common, joint tenancy with right of survivorship interests automatically pass to the surviving co-owners upon the death of any joint tenant, avoiding the probate process. One downside of joint tenancy is the exposure to creditors. Because there are multiple co-owners, creditors of any one of them can generally go after that co-owner’s interest in the real estate to satisfy their debts or claims. The creditor may also be able to force a sale of the real estate, even if the other co-owners oppose it.

Tenancy by the Entirety

In some states, spouses can own real estate as tenants by the entirety. Because spouses are considered one unit under tenancy by the entirety, one spouse generally cannot transfer or mortgage the real estate without the other spouse’s consent. With some exceptions, one spouse’s creditor cannot go after real estate that is owned as tenants by the entirety to satisfy the creditor’s claims. At a spouse’s death, the surviving spouse automatically becomes the sole owner, which keeps the real estate and its value out of probate.

In a Trust

Another option for real estate ownership is to transfer it to, or have it purchased by, a trust. As the trustmaker, you can establish rules for the use of the real estate, appoint a person (sometimes yourself) to oversee its maintenance, and allow others (sometimes yourself) to enjoy it. However, it is important to note that the control and benefits available to you can vary depending on what type of trust you use. If the real estate is held in a revocable trust that you created, you are generally free to manage and use the property however you see fit. If the trust is irrevocable, the analysis becomes more complicated. While a primary residence, with or without a mortgage, can generally be transferred to a trust, other properties with a mortgage may first require bank approval before being transferred to a trust to ensure the transfer does not cause the mortgage to become due in full. One of the primary benefits of transferring ownership of your real estate to a trust is that the property does not have to go through the probate process at your death; instead, the trust terms dictate how the property passes, and the transition happens outside the probate process.

By a Limited Liability Company

Another entity that can own real estate is a limited liability company (LLC). Instead of you owning the real estate, you own a part of the LLC (known as a membership interest), which is transferred at your death according to the terms of the LLC operating agreement or your estate planning documents (or, if not addressed in the operating agreement or estate plan, based on state law). In the operating agreement, you can also include rules instructing how the real estate is to be used and managed and outline rules pertaining to the membership interests in the LLC. One major benefit of using an LLC is limited liability. If a lawsuit is filed based on a claim arising from the real estate or if a creditor seeks to satisfy a claim, the only assets available to satisfy any judgments or creditors are typically those owned by the LLC. In some states, if you have personal creditor issues, the creditors may be unable to access the LLC to satisfy their claims against you. These asset protection benefits may vary depending on state or federal law and your unique situation. If this is a concern for you, we encourage you to call us as soon as possible.

Protect Your Property

Regardless of how you think you own your real estate and how it will transfer at your death, it is important that you review your deed and accompanying estate plan and confirm your understanding with an experienced attorney. The title of your real estate can play a significant role in how your estate plan is set up and how your assets are ultimately distributed. If your real estate is not properly titled, it can completely undo your estate planning intent. Contact us today so we can review your title and ensure your estate plan protects your property for future generations.

Your Legacy in Living Color

Posted on April 21, 2026

There is a famous scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy steps into the magical Land of Oz and is transported from a black-and-white world to a Technicolor one.

The phrase in living color originates from TV and film advertising in the mid-20th century, when black-and-white imagery was standard and color television was a novelty. It represented something more vibrant and lifelike: Viewers were seeing real people rendered in natural color, often for the first time.

What started as a literal description of color TV technology has transformed into a cultural idiom for expressive and authentic portrayal. That shift can also apply to your estate plan, taking it from a purely formal black-and-white documentation process to a more vibrant representation of your life in its varied hues and tones.

There are many ways to add color to your estate plan—ways that help paint a true-to-life picture of who you are within the standard planning canvas.

Estate Planning Can Let You Show Your True Colors

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the term estate planning?

It may be paperwork or attorney meetings mixed with a fair amount of legalese and difficult decisions like who should receive what, who should be in charge, equal versus fair inheritance shares, and end-of-life preferences.

Estate planning does involve all these things, expressed through documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives. But estate planning is also much more than that.

Here are several ways you can start to color in your estate plan, moving beyond a black-and-white collection of documents to a more expressive representation of who you are in your many roles as a family member, a friend, a philanthropist, and the artist behind your legacy.

1. Ethical Wills: Adding Subtle Tones to Standard Documents

Estate planning documents are designed to be clear, legally enforceable, and objective. They are written in precise legal language to ensure that your wishes can be carried out as intended. Ethical wills serve a different (although complementary) purpose. They are personal, nonbinding documents that allow you to share your values, experiences, and perspective with your loved ones, in your own words.

How ethical wills work:

Separate from a legal will or trust and carry no legal force
Can be written, recorded, or compiled in multiple formats
May include life lessons, family history, cultural traditions, or personal reflections
Typically shared with family members during life, but may be included with estate planning documents to be shared at death

How ethical wills add color to an estate plan:

Explain the values and experiences that shaped your decisions
Preserve stories and history that do not appear in formal documents
Humanize distributions that may otherwise feel impersonal or confusing to loved ones
Give your voice permanence long after you can no longer speak for yourself

While a legal will may control inheritance outcomes, an ethical will provides context, continuity, and connection for your beneficiaries. It does not need to be lengthy or literary. Even a short ethical will, written in your own words, can add warmth, depth, and dimension to an estate plan by helping loved ones understand not just what you decided, but why. You can think of it as mixing standard colors to create a new tone.

2. Philanthropic Passions: Generous Brushstrokes That Build Shape and Texture

Charitable giving can provide financial benefits, including potential tax advantages. But for most people, its purpose runs deeper: It is an expression of identity, gratitude, and personal beliefs. Philanthropy allows your estate plan to reflect what matters to you beyond your immediate loved ones, including the causes you support, the communities you care about, and the values you hope to encourage for future generations.

How philanthropic planning works:

Often incorporated through bequests in a will or a trust
May involve charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, or direct gifts
Can be structured during life, at death, or across generations
Often coordinated with broader financial and tax planning goals

How philanthropy adds color to an estate plan:

Translates personal values into lasting impact
Tells beneficiaries what you stood for, not just what you owned
Creates a sense of continuity between generations
Offers a shared purpose that can bring families together

Donations large enough to earn a named building or library wing are beyond most people’s gifting budget. However, even modest charitable provisions can build texture and depth into an estate plan by showing how your values extend beyond the frame of family and finances. They serve as subtle accent colors that draw the eye inward and give a plan dimension.

3. Sentimental Items: Smaller Strokes That Show Personality

Not everything that matters in an estate plan is measurable in dollars. Personal belongings—jewelry, artwork, letters, heirloom quilts, collections, photo albums, or other meaningful everyday objects—can carry emotional weight that far exceeds their financial value. For example, an old painting that hung above your desk may be coveted by a family member because it reminds them of you, even if it has little financial value. These items help tell stories, reflect relationships, and preserve memories in ways formal documents and financial accounts cannot.

How planning for sentimental items works:

Items can be addressed through a personal property memorandum or list referenced in estate planning documents
Instructions may be updated over time without changing core estate documents
Preferences can account for emotional significance that transcends monetary value
Conversations with family can strengthen written guidance to avoid misunderstandings

How sentimental items add color to an estate plan:

Highlight relationships and shared history that numbers cannot capture
Reduce conflict over sentimental items by clarifying your intentions in advance
Keep alive family stories attached to specific objects
Allow meaning to live beside ownership

4. Letters of Intent: Filling in the Fine Details

Whereas an ethical will focuses on values, reflections, and meaning, a letter of intent is practical and instructional. This nonbinding document is designed to guide the people carrying out your estate plan by explaining how certain day-to-day decisions should be implemented. Letters of intent do not change legal outcomes but provide clarity where formal documents must remain intentionally limited and can be especially useful when planning for a beneficiary with special or highly specific needs.

How letters of intent work:

Supplement a will or a trust without carrying legal force
Share preferences, routines, and expectations that do not belong in formal documents
Frequently used to guide executors, trustees, guardians, or caregivers
Commonly updated as circumstances, needs, or family dynamics change

How letters of intent add color to an estate plan:

Explain the reasoning behind decisions that may otherwise feel opaque
Add nuance to instructions that legal documents must keep general
Help fiduciaries act with confidence instead of guesswork
Express personal priorities that cannot be reduced to legal language

While an ethical will helps tell your story in broad strokes, a letter of intent sharpens the image by layering in detail and direction. This is the fine brushwork carefully overlaid on the broader composition to ensure that what you intended is not only understood but carried out as you envisioned.

5. Family Conversations: Paint the Full Picture in Words

Even the most thoughtful and vibrant estate plan can appear flat if the people it affects are not part of a bigger discussion that makes the context clear. Family conversations are where your vision becomes visible, giving loved ones insight into your values, priorities, and reasoning before those ideas are filtered through documents, emotions, or assumptions.

How family conversations about your estate plan work:

Can take place gradually rather than all at once
Focus on values and intentions, not mere dollar amounts
Usually include spouses, adult children, fiduciaries, or other key decision-makers
May coincide with planning milestones or life transitions

How family conversations add color to an estate plan:

Reveal the motivations behind decisions that may otherwise surprise or confuse loved ones
Reduce misinterpretation and resentment by setting expectations early
Help loved ones see your plan as intentional and not arbitrary
Build trust by sharing perspective as well as intended outcomes

You do not need to present a finished masterpiece to start these conversations. Simply sharing rough sketches, such as what matters to you, what you hope to pass on, and what you want to avoid, can bring the bigger picture into focus. Family conversations are the “director’s cut” of your estate plan: the narrative that allows others to see what went into the production.

6. Incentive Trusts: Guiding the Brush Without Controlling the Hand

Incentive trusts are sometimes misunderstood as tools for control (specifically, “control beyond the grave”). Understood properly, they are tools for guidance that help you shape outcomes by connecting financial support with values you care about (i.e., education, work, service, or responsible stewardship) while still giving beneficiaries room to grow into their own lives and decisions.

How incentive trusts work:

Distributions are tied to specific milestones or behaviors
Popular incentives include achievement of certain education, employment, caregiving, or community involvement milestones
Terms are typically set out in a trust and administered by a trustee
Flexibility can be built in to account for changing circumstances

How incentive trusts add color to an estate plan:

Reflect what you value in addition to what you want to fund
Provide structure without rigid control
Encourage engagement, purpose, or responsibility
Signal intention that feels less like judgment

When used with a specific heir and their circumstances in mind, incentive trusts can avoid imposing a single vision of success. Instead, they can offer gentle guidance and direction without prescribing every step. In an estate plan, they function like guiding lines beneath the paint. Those just starting out or struggling can benefit from the underlying structure while having some freedom for personal touches.

7. Living Legacy Projects and Other Ways to Paint an Estate Plan

Every aspect of a legacy does not need to be captured in legal documents or even the nonlegal documents that accompany them. Some of the most meaningful expressions of legacy are created alongside the estate plan rather than inside it. Family legacy projects are a way to preserve stories and experiences that do not neatly fit into formal planning but may matter just as much.

How legacy projects work:

Created or co-created during life with family members
May exist in digital, written, audio, or visual formats
Can be shared informally or referenced in estate planning documents
Able to evolve over time; do not have to be completed all at once

Examples include recorded video interviews with family members, digital scrapbooks or photo archives for online sharing, illustrated family trees, or “story maps” that trace ancestors’ migration from other parts of the world. Families may also create music playlists, recipe collections, or written reflections that capture traditions, identity, and special everyday moments that pass quietly between major milestones.

How legacy projects add color to an estate plan:

Incorporate voices, stories, and perspectives that legal documents cannot express
Create connection across generations that complements asset distributions
Invite loved ones to participate in shaping the legacy together
Turn memories into something tangible, shareable, and enduring

Newer tools make this kind of preservation even more accessible. Services such as Remento send prompts to loved ones and record their spoken responses as digital keepsakes while others, such as Storyworth, Meminto, Memorygram, and StoryCorps, offer different ways to capture written stories, audio interviews, and multimedia family histories.

Legacy projects can function like an informational placard placed in front of your finished work or a pamphlet visitors take home. They help explain what others are seeing and make the process feel more inclusive. A legacy project may be the last part of your plan, created after the paperwork is signed and filed, but it could have the greatest emotional impact.

If you are feeling like Dorothy stuck in a black-and-white world, an estate planning lawyer can help you step into Technicolor and express your legacy with your own unmistakable artistic stamp.

Celebrate Your Life Your Way: How to Make Funerals and Memorials Meaningful

Posted on April 20, 2026

Many people have a childhood memory of somebody close to them passing away. Whether the deceased was a parent or grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a family friend, it may have been their first real encounter facing grief or attending a funeral.

That experience may have left a lasting impression, influencing what you want—or do not want—for your own memorial. For many families, traditional services offer comfort and continuity; for others, a conventional funeral may feel disconnected from the life being honored.

In addition to options such as cremation, more Americans are exploring memorial alternatives that include celebrations of life and even living funerals. Whatever your preferences, you may wish to plan for your memorial services well ahead of time.

Death Planning Is Part of Estate Planning

An estate consists of everything you own when you die, including your house, your car, and your personal possessions as well as your bank accounts, investments, and retirement funds.

When you die, certain people (e.g., an executor of your estate or a close relative) can generally exercise rights over your body including its proper disposal. However, you may want to make your wishes known by putting a plan in place. That plan should also include how the arrangements will be paid for.

Without a binding estate plan that instructs people how to handle your remains, their disposition, like the disposition of your assets, is left up to those with authority. That means your spouse, children, parents, or siblings usually decide what to do with your body. They may do what they think is best, but that may be a far cry from what you imagine for yourself.

According to a 2025 survey, two-thirds of Americans have thought through their end-of-life arrangements in detail, including the type of service, its location, and the music to accompany it. Ten percent of them say they have gone as far as determining the “overall mood” they want for the occasion; nearly one in five say they think about their own death at least once per day.¹

But thinking about death and planning for it are two very different things. In the same study, death and estate planning ranked as the second-most-difficult subject to discuss with loved ones. One-quarter called the topic “uncomfortable.”

Talking through death and estate planning, though, may not be nearly as uncomfortable—or as burdensome—as leaving family members to decide how to dispose of your body if you have not decided ahead of time, clearly stated your wishes in a legal document, and set aside money for the arrangements.

The funds to pay for your funeral, burial, or memorial services come out of your estate. These expenses have high priority and are generally paid before most other debts. However, without a plan that includes payment considerations, only “reasonable” costs are typically covered. More detailed or extravagant funeral or celebration-of-life expenses may be reduced or not covered.

Research from Choice Mutual estimates that the average cost in 2026 of a traditional funeral with burial is approximately $8,000–$9,000.² Funeral fees can also quickly expand: Add in $50–$80 per flower arrangement, $2,500–$5,000 for a funeral plot, a few thousand dollars for a grave marker, plus more (e.g., another $150–$600 to release white doves), and costs can quickly move beyond what is likely to be considered “reasonable.”³

A common way to pay for burial and funeral costs is with a life insurance or final expenses policy. Other ways to pay include putting cash in a savings account, prepaying a funeral home for the service, setting up a payable on demand (POD) account, or, as a last resort, selling off assets after death.

But the second-most-popular option, per Choice Mutual’s research (“my family will figure it out”) is revealing.⁴ It shows that people may be thinking about their death and mentally planning their memorials but not formally documenting their wishes in an estate plan. Failing to do so could result in a situation where your loved ones have no plan to follow and no funds set aside for your end-of-life wishes. You may be fine with that and resigned to whatever they choose. But if you want your loved ones to celebrate your life your way, you need to plan ahead and consider professional support long in advance.

Intentional Planning and Traditional Funeral Alternatives

You may not be able to choose how you die. But you have some say in how you are remembered and the legacy you leave. That legacy ends—or depending how you look at it, begins—with your send–off ceremony. More Americans are opting for newer or alternative burial options, which may include more personalized, eco-friendly, and tech-enabled funeral services.

Living Funerals

A living funeral is a memorial or celebration held while the person being honored is still alive.⁵ Rather than focusing on loss, these gatherings center on connection, reflection, and shared memories, with the honoree often present and involved. They can range from formal services with readings and speeches to informal dinners or parties and may be private or open to a broader community. A living funeral does not have to replace final disposition. Burial, cremation, or another method may still occur later and should also be planned.