One of the hardest things about being young is realizing how much you don't know. When I graduated from Dartmouth, I discovered two important things.

Death Readiness Dispatch

June 3, 2026

Hi there,

 

One of the hardest things about being young is realizing how much you don't know. When I graduated from Dartmouth, I discovered two important things.

 

First, I had somehow forgotten to pay my final month's rent. While my classmates proudly posed with their diplomas, I was holding a blank piece of paper because the college wasn't releasing mine until I paid the bill.

 

Second, I almost ignored an invitation to join Phi Beta Kappa because I thought it was a sorority. Apparently, Phi Beta Kappa is not a sorority. Who knew? Thankfully, my mother did.

 

I was smart enough to earn a college degree, but not necessarily smart enough to navigate all the practical details of adulthood.

 

Estate planning is one of those details of adulthood that no one teaches us how to navigate. Most people in their twenties and thirties aren't avoiding estate planning because they're irresponsible. They're avoiding it because nobody has ever explained it to them.

 

When we hear “estate planning,” we tend to picture wealthy retirees with trusts and complicated legal documents. But that's not where most people need to start.

Bad Things Happen to Young People, Too

This week's podcast episode was inspired by a young mechanic who asked a simple question: “What should someone my age actually be doing about estate planning?”

 

In the episode, I share:

• The estate planning documents I actually had at 30, and why

• Why powers of attorney and advance directives often matter more than Wills for young adults

• The story of Nancy Cruzan and how it changed the way I think about advance directives

• A recent Michigan court case that changed how healthcare directives work for pregnant patients

 

Sometimes the most important estate planning conversation isn't with your parents. It’s with your kids.

Affordable first steps in estate planning

Not ready to hire an attorney? That's okay. One of the simplest things you can do is organize the information the people you love would need if something happened to you. I've created a set of free worksheets to help you get started.

📁 The Dossier: The Unsung Hero of Estate Planning

❤️ Vitals: The Office Specs on This Model

☎️ Hotline: Who to Call Before You Post on Facebook

🏠 Infrastructure: How This House Actually Runs (Without Me)

💰 Financials: Money, Debt, and Everything That's None of Your Business (Until Now)

👨‍👩‍👧 Wrangling: Parenting Instructions I've Been Improvising for Years

🐾 Sidekicks: Because They're Furry, Irrational, and Not Low-Maintenance

🧠 Mental Load: The Invisible Labor I've Been Doing Quietly for Years

Have a child over 18? 

Healthcare powers of attorney and advance directives allow them to choose who can receive medical information and make healthcare decisions if they're unable to do so themselves. 

📝Access free state-specific forms here.

Looking back, I didn't know what Phi Beta Kappa was, I forgot to pay my last month's rent, and I certainly didn't know much about estate planning.

Thankfully, life gives us plenty of opportunities to learn what we didn't know before.

Thanks for being here.

PS: Want the deluxe version of "I've got my act together"? Check out The Death Readiness Playbook.