Estate Planning For Women (And the Men Who Love Them)

In this article, Forbes’s Deborah L. Jacobs offers an expansive look into the unique position of women in estate law, especially given current developments as of last December, and the unique necessity for women to practice proper estate planning. Among Americans 65 and older, 42 percent of women, but just 14 percent of men are widowed. Women’s longer life expectancy, combined with their tendency to marry older mates and their lower lifetime earnings means they are far more likely to see their living standards compromised in retirement if proper estate planning isn’t done. The article includes a gallery of the “Nine Things Women Should Know About Estate Planning.”