Having a will is an essential component of having your personal financial house in order. However, it’s one aspect many people neglect! In this Willful review outline why you need a will, and how to set one up for as little as $99!
What is Willful?
Willful is an online tool that lets you put together a legal will quickly and at a low cost. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars meeting with a lawyer, you can get your legal will in the privacy and comfort of your own home at a great price.
Like many of the new fintech brands cropping up in Canada, Willful makes a complex and intimidating aspect of personal finance easy to access.
Why do I need a will?
Having a will is part of having your finances under control. We tend to focus on the everyday aspects of cutting spending and paying off debt and saving for retirement, but it’s as important to plan for the unexpected.
Having a will goes hand in hand with having life insurance. The larger your collection of assets and the more people depend on your income (like a spouse or children) the more you need a will.
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Your will outlines how your estate will be managed after your death, who will care for your children, and what funeral arrangements you would like to have. A will means you get to decide how you want your things and money managed after your death, instead of the laws in your province or state.
What goes into a will?
Here are some of the things your will can outline:
- a medical directive, communicating your wishes for pain management and resuscitation, in the event you cannot advocate for yourself
- who cares for your children
- a set up of a trust for your children, and at what age they can receive their full inheritance
- how your debts will be managed (student loans are forgiven in the event of your death, but credit card debt, mortgages, and other loans will be paid by your estate)
- how you want your savings and investments allocated
- what kind of funeral or end of life celebration you want
- to whom you want to bequeath any special items, such as jewelry or collectibles
Are online wills legal?
Online wills like those created by Willful are legal!
Once you complete your will online, you will need to print it out and have it signed by two witnesses. You can then register your will at CanadaWillRegistry.org. This typically costs $35, but Willful will provide a code to give you 100% off.
Why not just go to a lawyer?
You might hesitate using a platform like Willful and wonder if it’s as good as getting a will from a lawyer. It is, and it’s a helluva a lot cheaper, too!
Getting a will from a lawyer will cost anywhere from $600 to over $1,000. If you need to make any changes, you’ll have to pay every time you update your will! With Willful, you have unlimited edits and updates to your will.
How much does Willful cost? As little as $99
Willful is extraordinarily affordable, and a fraction of what you’d pay a lawyer to set up a will. With Willful, you can get a legal will for as little as $99.
Willful will actually offer you 3 different choices of wills to set up, whether you’re doing it alone or as a couple.
I chose the premium tier because the Healthcare Emergency Representative & Wishes was very important to me. My grandfather recently passed away and having his medical directive, wills, and other financial documents in the order made the logistical side of things easier to manage so we could focus on our mourning.
Final thoughts on your final will and testament
There are a lot of aspects of good financial management that are less sexy than simply getting “rich”. Making a will is one of them. However, it’s also one of the most important financial measures you can take.
