Statistically speaking, you’re not going to die today. But statistically speaking, 67% of millennials have no will — and at least a few of them thought the same thing the morning everything went sideways.
This isn’t a lecture. It’s a reality check with a $69 price tag and a 30-minute time commitment. Keep reading.
You’re Not Invincible. You’re Just Irresponsible.
Estate planning has a branding problem. It sounds like something your grandparents did in a wood-paneled office with a guy named Gerald. It conjures images of rolling estates, family trusts, and monogrammed silverware being divvied up between cousins who all hate each other.
Here’s the actual truth: estate planning is just instructions for when you can’t give instructions anymore. That’s it. It’s a document (or a few documents) that tells the world what to do with your stuff, your body, your pets, your passwords, and your debt when you’re dead or incapacitated.
And if you don’t do it? A judge who has never met you will make those calls. Cool system.
67% of millennials have no will. That means most people reading this are one bad accident away from leaving their family to figure it out — on their worst day — with zero guidance.
Why Young People Don’t Do This (And Why Every Reason Is Wrong)
Let’s speedrun the excuses:
“I’m too young to need a will.”
The average age of someone who dies in a car accident is 37. The average age of someone diagnosed with a serious illness is… not 80. Age is a factor in probability, not immunity.
“I don’t have enough money to bother.”
This one’s particularly fun, because estate planning isn’t just about assets. It’s about decisions — who makes medical calls if you’re unconscious, who gets your dog, what happens to your accounts. None of that requires a net worth.
“It’s too expensive.”
You’re currently paying for 2-3 streaming services you barely use and a gym membership you haven’t activated since January. Killswitch is $69. That’s less than one month of Netflix + Spotify combined.
“It’s too complicated.”
It was. Now there are online tools (hi) that walk you through it in about 30 minutes.
“I’ll do it later.”
Later is doing a lot of heavy lifting in your life right now, isn’t it?
“But I Have Nothing to Leave”
This is the big one. “I rent. I have student loans. My most valuable possession is a slightly-too-expensive espresso machine. What exactly am I leaving?”
More than you think.
Digital Assets Are Real Assets
Do you have crypto? Even $50 in a wallet with no written instructions is $50 that disappears forever. Bitcoin wallets don’t have a “deceased account holder” customer service line. Without your seed phrase documented somewhere accessible, that money is gone.
Do you have a monetized YouTube channel, an Etsy shop, a Substack with paying subscribers? Those are income-generating assets. They have value. Someone should inherit them — or at least know how to wind them down.
Your Social Media Accounts
Facebook has a “memorialization” process. Instagram has one. TikTok doesn’t make it easy. Without instructions, your accounts just… exist, forever, posting nothing, waiting to be hacked, a weird ghost of you floating in the internet.
You can designate a legacy contact, request account deletion, or leave instructions in your estate plan for how you want your digital presence handled.
Sentimental Items Hit Hardest
Your family won’t fight over your savings account. They’ll fight over your grandmother’s ring, your vinyl collection, and who gets the dog. Sentimental items cause more post-death conflict than financial ones — because there’s no dollar amount to split evenly.
Write it down. Your people will thank you.
Student Loans (Yes, Really)
Federal student loans are discharged at death — meaning your family doesn’t inherit your Sallie Mae debt. But private student loans? That depends on the lender. Some have discharge provisions. Some don’t. If someone co-signed your private loans, they could be on the hook.
Your estate plan is where you document this so no one is blindsided. Read more about what happens to debt when you die without a will.
Life Events That Mean “Do It Now”
If any of the following describe you, stop procrastinating:
You got a new job with a 401(k). Your 401(k) has a beneficiary designation — a form you probably filled out on day one without thinking about it. Who did you put? Your mom? An ex? Go check. That form overrides whatever your will says.
You’re getting married. Marriage automatically changes your legal status in most states, but it does not automatically update your existing accounts or create a will. Your new spouse may not be entitled to anything without the right documents in place.
You had a kid. Full stop. If both parents die without a will, a court chooses your child’s guardian. Do you have strong opinions about who raises your kids? Write them down. Legally.
You bought a car or a home. You now have titled assets. Those need to go somewhere. A will tells them where.
You moved in with a partner. Not married? Your partner has zero legal claim to anything without a will. In most states, an unmarried partner isn’t even notified of your death by default.
What a Basic Estate Plan Actually Looks Like for Someone in Their 20s–30s
You don’t need a trust. You don’t need a lawyer named Gerald. Here’s the starter kit:
1. A Will
Designates who gets your stuff and who raises your kids (if applicable). Also names an executor — the person who actually handles wrapping up your affairs.
2. A Healthcare Directive / Living Will
Tells doctors what to do if you’re incapacitated. Do you want extraordinary measures taken? Do you want to be kept on life support? Don’t make your family guess.
3. A Durable Power of Attorney
Names someone to make financial and legal decisions if you can’t. Without this, your family may have to go to court to get that authority — which takes time and money you don’t have.
4. Beneficiary Designations
Review every account: 401(k), IRA, life insurance, bank accounts. These pass outside your will, so they need to be updated separately and regularly.
5. A Digital Assets Inventory
More on this below. But the short version: write down your accounts, passwords (in a secure way), and instructions. Store it somewhere trusted.
Not sure if you even need a will? Start here.
The Digital Assets Problem Nobody Talks About
Let’s get specific, because this is the section millennials and Gen Z actually need.
Crypto
No seed phrase = no access. Full stop. Your family cannot call Coinbase and explain that you died and could they please just hand over the funds. Well — they can try, but Coinbase has a process and it is not fast, and not all wallets work that way at all.
Best practice: Write your seed phrases on paper (not digital — paper can’t be hacked). Store in a fireproof safe or with a trusted person. Reference the location in your will without including the phrase itself in the public document.
Social Media Accounts
- Facebook: You can designate a legacy contact in settings. Do it now.
- Instagram: Same, via Facebook settings.
- Google: Inactive Account Manager lets you decide what happens after 3–18 months of inactivity.
- Twitter/X: No official legacy process as of 2025. Document your wishes anyway.
- TikTok: No official process. Your executor will have to contact support.
Subscriptions
Your Netflix, Spotify, Adobe Creative Cloud, gym membership, meal kit — all of these will keep charging whatever card they’re linked to. Indefinitely. Until someone cancels them. Leave a list. It sounds morbid. It saves your family a lot of annoying phone calls.
Monetized Accounts and Side Hustles
Etsy, Patreon, OnlyFans, Substack, YouTube AdSense — these are real businesses with real revenue. Name a beneficiary or at minimum document what you want done with them. Transfer of ownership is possible for many platforms with the right documentation.
FAQ
Do I really need a will in my 20s?
Yes. If you have any assets, any people you care about, any opinions about your own medical care, or any digital presence — you need at least a basic estate plan. Age is not a qualifier; adulthood is.
What happens if I die without a will?
Your state’s intestacy laws decide everything: who gets your assets, who raises your kids, who serves as executor. These laws don’t know your situation, your relationships, or your wishes. See exactly what happens when you die without a will.
Does estate planning cover my student loans?
Federal loans are discharged at death. Private loans vary by lender — some discharge, some don’t. If you have a co-signer on private loans, they need to know what the terms are. Document everything in your estate plan.
What about my crypto if I don’t have a will?
Without documented access credentials (seed phrases, passwords), your crypto is likely unrecoverable. A will alone isn’t enough — you need a secure way to pass on access information. Document it separately in a secure location referenced in your estate plan.
Can I do this without a lawyer?
For most people in their 20s and 30s with relatively straightforward situations — yes. Online platforms like Killswitch handle the legal heavy lifting. Complex situations (business ownership, blended families, large estates) may warrant a human attorney.
What if I’m not married — does my partner get anything?
In most states, no. Unmarried partners have no automatic inheritance rights. Without a will that specifically names them, your partner could get nothing — even after years together. This is one of the most important reasons young people need estate plans.
I rent and have no savings. Do I still need this?
You need a healthcare directive and a power of attorney at minimum. These aren’t about assets — they’re about who makes decisions for you if you can’t. You also likely have more assets than you think: digital accounts, personal property, sentimental items, and potentially beneficiary rights.
How long does it take with Killswitch?
About 30 minutes to complete your core estate plan. It costs $69. That’s less than a month of streaming subscriptions. You’ve already spent more time reading this article.
Do This Today. It Takes 30 Minutes and Costs $69.
You’ve read 1,800+ words about estate planning. You’re already doing more than 67% of your peers. Don’t let that effort end with a browser tab you close and forget about.
Here’s what happens next:
- You go to killswitch.rip/signup
- You spend 30 minutes answering questions about your life
- Killswitch generates your legally valid estate documents
- You sign them (we walk you through how)
- You stop being one of the 67%
$69. 30 minutes. One less thing your family has to figure out on the worst day of their lives.
