Wills, beneficiaries, retirement —
in order, in plain English.

There's a widely-used general sequence, and we tune it to your situation: first capture any 401(k) employer match (it's free money), then knock out high-interest debt, then build your emergency fund, then fund tax-advantaged accounts like an HSA and Roth IRA, then a 529 if you're saving for a child's education, and finally a regular taxable brokerage for anything beyond that. The exact order shifts based on your income, your debt, and your goals — which is what the account priority sequencer is for. This is general education, not personalized investment advice.

It depends on what you own and your family situation. Many accounts — retirement plans, life insurance, and "payable on death" bank accounts — pass directly to whoever you name as beneficiary, no will required, which is exactly why keeping those up to date matters so much. But a will (and sometimes a trust) covers everything else: property, guardianship of minor children, and assets without a named beneficiary. We walk you through where simple beneficiary designations are enough and where you genuinely need an estate document, with guidance that varies by state — and we'll point you to a qualified estate attorney when your situation calls for one. We're not a law firm and don't provide legal advice.