准备将你的财产传承下去

准备好把你的财产传下去吧，因为这一天迟早会来的。

Prepare to pass on your possessions because it's eventually going to happen.

没错。

That's right.

在《Motley Fool 隐藏宝石投资播客》的周六个人理财版块，我们今天要聊的是遗产规划。

We're talking estate planning on this Saturday personal finance edition of The Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing Podcast.

我是罗伯特·布罗坎普，欢迎收听我们2026年财务规划挑战的下一期节目，虽然提前了几天。

I'm Robert Brokamp, and welcome to the next installment of our 2026 financial planning challenge a few days early.

通常，我们《年度规划》系列的每一集都会在每月的第一个周六发布，但这次我们觉得这个周六也差不多。

Usually, you publish each episode of our year well planned series on the first Saturday of the month, but we figured this Saturday was close enough.

今天，我们要聊的可能是财务规划中最让人不舒服的部分——遗产规划。

And today, we're gonna cover perhaps the most unpleasant aspect of financial planning, estate planning.

但这很有必要，因为虽然个人理财的大多数方面都很难预测未来，但有一件事是肯定的：你、我，还有我们认识的每个人，总有一天都会离开，留下资产和物品需要分配。

But it's necessary because while it's nearly impossible to predict the future when it comes to most aspects of personal finance, there's one thing we can guarantee, and it's that you, me, and everyone we know will one day pass away, leaving assets and stuff behind to be divvied up.

今天和我一起聊聊如何确保你的所有资产都能快速、高效地交给你想给的人，这位是我的蠢人同事，注册理财规划师斯蒂芬妮·马里尼。

Here to join me to talk about what you should do to ensure that all your assets go to who you want as quickly and efficiently as possible is my foolish colleague, certified financial planner, Stephanie Marini.

欢迎回来，Stephanie。

Welcome back, Stephanie.

非常感谢你邀请我。

Thanks so much for having me.

我知道这听起来可能有点奇怪，但我真的很喜欢这个话题，所以我很期待聊这个。

I know this may be weird to admit, but I actually really like this topic, so I'm excited to go through it.

好的。

Okay.

你真是个怪人。

You weirdo.

其实，开玩笑的。

Actually, just kidding.

我也喜欢聊这个话题，因为遗产规划真的是财务规划中每个人都需要的一部分，但它也是最容易被忽视的之一。

I like talking about this topic too because estate planning is really the one aspect of financial planning that everyone needs, yet it's the one that's among the most neglected.

对吧？

Right?

根据皮尤研究中心的数据，只有不到三分之一的成年人有遗嘱，而这只是遗产规划的一个方面。

According to the Pew Research Center, less than a third of adults have a will, which of just just one aspect of estate planning.

那我们先从基础开始吧。

So let's start with the fundamentals.

你如何定义遗产规划，它都包括哪些内容？

What's your definition of estate planning and what it entails?

对我来说，遗产规划就是确保你的意愿被明确表达，这样你的资产就能按照你想要的方式转移。

Estate planning to me is making sure that your wishes are clearly defined so that your assets can be transferred the way you want.

但更重要的是，遗产规划是一种提前为你的亲人减轻压力的方式，帮他们提前做好决定。

So more importantly though, estate planning is a way to take the stress off of your loved ones to help make the decisions for them ahead of time.

对。

Yeah.

我很喜欢这一点，因为遗产规划不仅仅是一堆文件。

And I love that part because estate planning isn't just a collection of documents.

它实际上是给你家人的一份礼物。

It's really a gift to your family.

一份全面的遗产规划能帮他们省时间、省钱、省麻烦，也许还能省去请律师的费用，更重要的是能避免家庭纷争，因为没有遗产规划，填补空缺的往往是争吵、分歧和怨恨。

A thorough estate plan is gonna save them time, money, hassle, maybe having to hire a lawyer, and really potential family strife because without an estate plan, what fills the void sometimes fights, disagreements, resentments.

所以现在就把这些都做好很重要，这样等你离开后，你的家人留下的多是美好的回忆，而不是家庭争吵。

So it's important to do all that now so that when you are gone, your family has mostly pleasant memories and not family fights.

在这一集里，我们会从比较高的层面讲一些遗产规划的基本要点，然后深入探讨如何创建一份文件，为万一你发生什么事时提供一份行动指南。

In this episode, we're gonna cover some estate planning essentials at a pretty high level and then dig deeper into creating a document that will provide a road map to follow if something happens to you.

首先，我要从一条标准建议说起，那就是你真的应该去咨询你所在州的遗产规划律师来制定你的计划，因为很多遗产规划法律都是各州特有的。

And first, I'm gonna start with the standard advice that you really should see and experience the state planning attorney in your state to actually do your plan because a lot of estate planning laws are very specific to each state.

话虽如此，我通常不太愿意这么说，因为这样一来人们就会想，那我是不是得先找律师才能做遗产规划。

That said, I'm often a little reluctant to say that because then people think, well, I don't I can't do any estate planning until I get an attorney.

但其实不是这样的。

But that's actually not true.

听完这一集，你马上就能在没有律师帮助的情况下完成很多事情。

You can get an awful lot done today right after you're done listening to this episode without a lawyer's help.

那么，跟我们说说，受益人指定以及死后支付和死后转让指定，在遗产规划中是如何发挥重要作用的吧。

So, tell us about how beneficiary designations as well as payable on death and transfer on death designations can do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to estate planning.

我觉得你说到点子上了。

So I think you hit the nail on the head.

我想大多数人之所以回避遗产规划，是因为他们觉得这事儿特别复杂。

Most people, I would imagine avoid estate planning because they think it's this big thing.

他们以为得请律师，把所有文件都准备好，就像报税一样，但更麻烦。

They have to hire a lawyer, get all of the documents, like taxes, but on steroids.

但实际上，个人能处理很多事情，可以推动整个流程。

But in reality, there's a lot that an individual can handle that would help further the process along.

所以对于大多数账户类型，比如401(k)、IRA、经纪账户，甚至支票账户、储蓄账户、高收益储蓄账户，都有办法直接指定受益人。

So for most account types, four zero one k's, IRA's, brokerage accounts, even down to checking and savings account, high yield account, high yield savings accounts, there is a way to designate a beneficiary directly.

通常是在开户的时候设置，但随时都可以修改。

Usually that happens during account opening, but it can be modified at any time.

这样做的目的是，作为账户持有人，你可以直接指定在你去世后，账户里的钱给谁、给多少比例。

And it's so that you, the account owner, can directly name the person and percentage that your account will go to upon death.

这非常重要，因为这些指定可以让账户避免遗嘱认证，直接按照你的意愿给到指定的人。

So this is huge because these designations allow the account to avoid probate and go directly to the individual based on your wishes.

而且很多时候，你甚至还可以指定一个次要受益人。

So often there's even a way to designate a secondary beneficiary.

举个例子，在我个人的经纪账户里，我把我丈夫列为第一受益人，占100%，然后我的两个孩子列为第二受益人，各占50%。

So as an example, for my individual brokerage account, I have my husband listed as the primary beneficiary at a 100%, but then my two kids are listed as secondary beneficiaries at 50% each.

所以我觉得这是一个很好的起点，因为这一步通常不到十五分钟就能完成。

So I think it's a great place to start because it's a step that usually takes less than fifteen minutes.

很多时候，你可以通过网上账户直接操作，这是遗产规划中一个低投入高回报的步骤。

Oftentimes you can do it through your online portal, and it's a low lift, high reward step in estate planning process.

人寿保险单也是这样，你可以在上面指定受益人。

Life insurance policies to that as well, something that you put the the beneficiary designation on.

而且当你想想自己拥有的账户和资产，这基本上覆盖了很多美国人大部分的净资产。

And when you think of the accounts and assets that you own, this pretty much takes care of most of the net worth for a lot of Americans.

你提到了遗嘱认证，这是一个人去世后进行的法律程序。

You mentioned probate, which is the legal process that takes place after someone dies.

这个过程包括很多步骤，比如在法庭上证明遗嘱有效，确认并清点这个人的财产，可能还要进行估价，然后分配这些财产。

It involves all kind of steps, proving in court that a will is valid, identifying and vendor inventorying the person's property, maybe having it appraised, and then distributing the property.

这取决于所在州的情况，可能会很耗时。

Depending on the state, this can be time consuming.

也可能很花钱。

It can be costly.

而且在大多数情况下，你真的想尽一切办法绕过遗嘱认证，而这些受益人指定、POD、TOD指定就能做到这一点。

And in most situations, you really wanna do all you can to bypass probate, and these beneficiary POD, TOD designations could do that.

在一些州，像房子或车子这样的财产也可以有这些指定。

And in some states, property like a house or a car could have one of these designations.

这通常是在契约或所有权文件上完成的。

It's usually done on the deed or the title.

所以去了解一下你所在州允许哪些做法。

So find out what's possible in your state.

我们刚才提到了遗嘱，这通常被视为遗产规划的基础。

Now we just mentioned wills, which are often considered the foundation of an estate plan.

那么，订立或更新遗嘱有哪些最令人信服的理由呢？

So what are some of the most compelling reasons to get or update your will?

请耐心听我说，因为这可能有点牵强，但我听过一个关于婚前协议的观点，我觉得这个观点在这里也很适用。

So bear with me because this is a stretch, but I've heard an argument made about prenups that I think really applies in this situation too.

每个人其实都已经有一份遗嘱了。

Everybody already has a will.

要么是你自己起草的，要么是州政府替你起草的。

It's either you have drawn one up or the state has drawn one up for you.

因为就像之前提到的，大部分遗产规划都是在州层面处理的，每个州都有自己的法律。

Because like mentioned, most of estate planning is handled at the state level with individual law individual state laws.

这些法律决定了资产如何传承。

And they determine what how assets are passed down.

那么，你知道你所在州的法律是什么样的吗？

So do you know what your state's laws are?

你对这些法律满意吗？

Are you happy with them?

说实话，我得坦白讲。

I you know, I'm gonna be honest.

我直到有了孩子才立遗嘱。

I didn't have a will until I had kids.

我可能应该早点立，但一旦有了孩子，就必须得办了。

I probably should have had one sooner, but as soon as kids were involved and you needed to get done.

但遗嘱是一份法律文件，用来指导如何执行你的所有意愿。

But the will is a legal document that provides direction for executing all of your wishes.

它应该涵盖账户、实物资产、房产等，还包括为你的孩子指定监护人，并让你有权指定执行人来执行遗嘱和你的意愿。

It should encompass things like accounts, physical assets, house, but also includes things like guardian for your children and allows you the power to name an executor for the person who is going to be the one to execute the will and your wishes.

我确实认为现在每个人都应该有一份遗嘱。

I do think that everyone should have a will right now.

我们稍后可以再详细谈谈。

We can touch a little bit more on that later.

但即使在我二十出头单身的时候，我的父母也不会知道我的账户在哪里，或者我的健康保险提供商是谁。

But even as single in my early twenties, my parents wouldn't have known where my accounts were or who my health insurance provider was.

我当时一个人住。

I lived on my own.

如果当时我出了什么事，他们肯定会非常头疼。

It would have been a major headache for them if something had happened to me.

所以即使你最初立好了遗嘱，我觉得像重大人生事件、年龄节点这些，都应该是更新遗嘱的重要时机，去检查一下情况有没有变化。

So even after you get an initial will set up, I'd say things like major life events, age milestones should really be those pillars for when to get a will updated, check-in to see if things have changed.

如果你看这些人生节点，比如有了新孩子、重组家庭、退休，这些都是很好的里程碑。

If you're looking at those life milestones, new kids, blended families, retirement, those are all great life milestones.

从年龄角度来说，我建议每十年检查一次，四十岁、五十岁、六十岁、七十岁，特别是在RMD开始之前。

And then from an age front, I like ten year increments, Forty, fifty, sixty, 70 two, specifically before RMDs start.

不是说所有这些都需要完全重写遗嘱，但这是一个很好的检查点，看看一切是否仍然合理。

Would not that all of these would involve a full will rewrite, but it's a good touch point of does everything still make sense?

一切是否还和原来一样？

Is everything still the same?

我们是否需要做出调整？

Do we need to make adjustments?

从时间角度来看，我觉得即使没有重大人生事件，每三到五年也应该检查一下你的遗产计划，看看是否需要更新。

Just from a time based perspective, I think every three to five years, even if you haven't had a major life events, it's a good idea to look at your estate plan and see if it needs updating.

我和我妻子其实也正在做这件事。

My wife and I actually are in the process of doing that ourselves.

你刚才提到了个人财产这块。

And you touched on the personal property part.

对吧？

Right?

我们每个人都有很多东西。

We all have a lot of stuff.

家具、衣服、珠宝、艺术品、收藏品，等等等等。

Furniture, clothes, jewelry, art, collectibles, you know, on and on.

衣柜都塞满了。

Closets are full.

车库也塞满了。

Garages are full.

这些东西可能看起来没有谁拿到你的IRA或401k那么重要，但律师会告诉你，很多家庭最大的争吵都是因为谁拿到了珍贵的传家宝或者其他有情感价值的东西。

And this stuff may not seem as important as who gets your IRA or four zero one k, but attorneys will tell you that some of the biggest family fights are over who gets stuff like a treasured family heirloom or some other item with sentimental value.

所以你可以在遗嘱里指定这些东西归谁。

So you can direct in your will who gets this stuff.

可以直接写在遗嘱里。

It could be directly in the will.

有时候会放在一个附属文件里，通常叫做个人财产备忘录。

Sometimes it's in an accompanying document usually known as the personal property memorandum.

其中一部分可以是问问你打算把东西留给谁，比如你的孩子们。

And part of this could be asking the people who you're gonna leave stuff to, like your kids.

比如，你想要我们的哪些东西？

Like, what of our items do you want?

如果出现两个或三个孩子都想要同一件东西的情况，你现在就商量好，写进遗嘱里，这样你去世后就不会有争执了。

And if there's a situation where, like, two or three kids want the same item, you work that out now, put it in your will so there's not a fight after you're gone.

那些看起来比其他人完成更多事情的人，并不是工作时间更长或者喝更多咖啡。

The people who seem to get more done than everyone else, they're not working longer hours or running on more caffeine.

他们只是不再浪费时间在那些不能推动工作进展的事情上了。

They've just stopped wasting time on the stuff that doesn't move work forward.

切换应用、重新解释背景、找文件，这些可不是小问题。

Switching apps, re explaining context, hunting for files, those aren't small inefficiencies.

它们每周浪费你几个小时。

They're hours wasted every week.

Superhuman Go 能帮你把这些时间找回来。

Superhuman Go gives you those hours back.

作为 Grammarly 的开发者推出的产品，Go 是一款 AI 聊天工具，它嵌入在你已经使用的每个标签页和工具中，随时可用，帮你处理手头的工作。

From the makers of Grammarly, Go is an AI chat that sits inside every tab and tool you already use, always available and ready to help you with what you're working on.

你可以让它起草内容、总结长对话、调出文件，或者帮你为会议做准备。

Ask it to draft something, summarize a long thread, pull up a file or prep you for a meeting.

Go 都能搞定，而你完全不需要离开当前页面。

Go handles it without you ever leaving the page you're on.

这就是 AI 真正融入工作，而不是增加负担的样子。

This is what it looks like when AI actually fits into your work instead of adding to it.

就像有一个队友，他的唯一任务就是帮你把工作做得更好。

It's like having a teammate whose only job is to help you be better at yours.

Go 能跟上你的节奏，让你继续前进。

Go keeps up so you can move forward.

有 Go 在你身边，你就能尽情展现你的所长。

With Go working with you, you can show off what you do best.

去 superhuman.com 看看超人的 Go 能做什么。

See what superhuman Go can do at superhuman.com.

就是 superhuman.com。

That's superhuman.com.

好的。

Alright.

接下来我们聊一个遗产规划中比较复杂的问题，那就是是否需要设立信托。

Let's move on to one of the more complicated questions when it comes to estate planning, and that is whether someone needs a trust.

那么，Stephanie，你认为设立信托最有力的理由是什么？

So, Stephanie, what do you see as the most compelling reasons to get a trust?

我觉得是复杂性。

I'm gonna say complexity.

我知道，对于这么复杂的问题，这个答案听起来有点笼统。

And I know that that's a really generic answer when it comes to a complicated question.

但归根结底，这需要根据你所在州的具体情况和你的个人情况，和律师一起决定。

But ultimately, it's one that that one needs to be decided with an attorney in your specific state with your specific circumstances.

但那些情况更复杂的家庭，确实需要额外的保护措施。

But the families that have additional complexities are going to need those extra protections in place.

也许是对亲人的额外嘱咐。

Maybe they're extra instructions for their loved ones.

比如要传承下去的企业。

So we're talking businesses that are gonna be handed down.

比如重组家庭，或者关系不太和睦的家庭。

We're talking about maybe blended families or contentious families.

有些情况比简单的“这份资产给哪个孩子”要复杂得多。

Something that needs a little bit more than asset one goes to kid two.

所以原因可能多种多样，但归根结底，如果事情比这更棘手、更复杂，我会建议找律师介入。

So it could be many different reasons, but ultimately, if it's something more challenging or difficult than that, I would get an attorney involved.

对。

Yeah.

而且我想指出，如果设立信托会增加你遗产规划的成本，那这就是为什么这件事有点争议，因为一般来说，如果你不需要信托，你是不想为它花钱的。

And I'll just point out that if you're getting a trust that is going to increase the cost of your estate plan, that's why it's somewhat debatable because you generally don't want to pay for a trust if you don't need it.

但在很多情况下，信托绝对是应该有的东西。

But in many situations, it is the absolute right thing to have.

另外还有几个好处值得提一下，就是信托里的资产可以绕过遗嘱认证，这是个很大的好处。

A couple other benefits to highlight is that assets held in trust do bypass probate, so that's a big benefit.

而且如果你的继承人可能不应该一下子继承所有钱，那信托绝对值得考虑。

And they're definitely worth considering if your heirs perhaps shouldn't inherit all their money all at once.

比如他们可能有特殊需求，无法管理这笔钱，或者把钱放在信托里可以保护他们，让他们能获得一些政府福利。

So maybe they have special needs, and they can't handle the money or the money that having it in trust protects them so that they can get some government benefits.

也许你的继承人有成瘾问题，或者他们就是没有好的理财习惯，或者他们嫁给了理财习惯不好的人。

Maybe your heirs have addiction challenges, or maybe they just don't have good financial habits, or maybe they're married to someone who doesn't have good financial habits.

所以信托是一种在身后还能保持一定控制权的方式，就像人们说的，可以决定钱怎么管理、怎么分配。

So a trust is a way to have some control beyond the grave, as they say, and dictate how the money is managed and how it will be distributed.

对。

Right.

所以这些就是遗产规划的基本要点。

So those are the estate planning essentials.

这些文件还有很多可以讨论的，但再次强调，你真的应该找一位合格的律师来处理。

There's a lot more to talk about with all these documents, but, again, you really should see a qualified attorney for doing that.

但现在我们来谈谈一个重要的文件，它应该是遗产计划的一部分，但我觉得它经常被忽视。

But now let's move on to an important document that should be a part of an estate plan, but I think it's often neglected.

事实上，甚至很多律师都不会提到这个。

In fact, even many attorneys don't bring this up.

那么，Stephanie，给我们讲讲财务保险库吧。

So Stephanie, tell us about the financial vault.

回到我们不需要通过律师就能控制的事情上。

So circling back to things that we have control over without going through an attorney.

说实话，它没有法律效力。

I'm gonna be honest, it doesn't have legal standing.

但我所说的财务保险库，就是把所有财务信息集中在一个地方，做一个清单。

But what I'm calling a financial vault is an inventory of all things finance in one spot.

不只是列出账户类型，而是你需要能立刻拿到，并且希望你的遗嘱执行人也能访问的东西。

So not just account types, but it's something that you'd want immediately accessible and that you'd want your executor to have access to.

所以我们要说的不只是列出账户，还包括账户在哪里、登录信息是什么，以及需要采取哪些初步步骤。

So we're talking about things like not just having the account listed out, but where it is, what is a login for it, and what are some first steps that needs to be taken.

所以，这就是你的家人在已经情绪低落的时刻，可以当作地图来用的资源。

So it's that resource that your loved ones can use as that map during an already emotional time for them.

我还想强调一下，这不仅在你去世时有帮助，如果你失去行为能力时也一样有用。

And I'll just highlight that it could also be helpful if not only in death, but if you ever become incapacitated.

对吧？

Right?

比如你出了事故，昏迷不醒，或者类似的情况，有人必须在你无法自理时接管你的财务。

You you're in an accident, you're in a coma, something like that, and someone has to take over your finances while you're incapacitated.

所有这些信息都能帮助他们在你康复期间管理你的财务。

All this information will help them manage your finances while you recover.

我想说，做这件事的过程是梳理你财务的好方法，因为如果你结婚了，你和你的配偶必须查看你们拥有的所有东西，并把所有信息放在一个地方。

And I'll just say the process of doing this is a great way to go over your finances because you and your spouse, if you're married, have to look at everything you own and put all that information in one place.

所以这真的是一个思考你整个财务版图的好方法。

So it's a it's a great way to really think about your entire financial empire.

我想补充一点，即使是我和我丈夫经历遗嘱流程的时候，我们也确实需要创建某种财务保险库。

I would add even from when my husband and I went through the the will process and we did have to create some type of financial vault.

我是说，我就在这个领域里，两周后，我还想起了一些当时没列进去的东西。

I mean, I'm in this world and two weeks later, I remembered things that I didn't include on that list.

所以现在就开始这个过程，然后不断添加内容。

So starting that process now and then adding to it.

再说一次，这个财务保险库不是法律文件，但它能把所有信息整合在一起，这样你的亲人就能访问它，然后进一步访问账户。

And again, this is not this financial vault is not a legal document, but it is something that would consolidate all the information together so that your loved one can access it and then access the account further.

我们来看看这份文件的每个部分，重点讲讲从保险库设置开始的部分。

Let's go through each section of the document and highlight what's important starting with the vault setup.

所以我会说，保险库设置就是这些信息要存放在哪里？

So I would say the vault setup is where is this information going to be stored?

是像那种一键密码的网站吗？

Is it like a one password digital site?

我知道那种现在特别流行。

I know that's become very popular.

是文件柜吗？

Is it a file cabinet?

是保险箱吗？

Is it a safe?

我不是说你现在就得把密码告诉家人，但应该有一个统一的地方，把所有信息都放在那里，方便家人找到。

I'm not saying you have to share your passwords to your loved one today, but there should be one place to go where this is consolidated and where the resources will be.

所以这是第一步的准备工作。

So that's the first set of the setup.

信息放在哪里，以及你怎么让别人知道那个地方在哪里。

Where is it going to be and how will you let somebody know where that place is?

现在这里有很多选择。

Now there's so many options here.

有虚拟的，你知道，我曾在播客上听说过，某人的爸爸告诉播客主持人，如果我死了，我桌面上有个文件，标题是‘如果我死了’，里面包含所有信息，或者放在盒子或保险箱里，但你只需要决定放在哪里，然后告诉少数需要知道的人去哪里找。

There's the the virtual, you know, and just I've heard about on a podcast where someone's dad just told the podcast host, if I die, there's a file on my desktop, which is called titled if I die, and it has all the information, or it's in a box or a safe, but you just have to decide where you're gonna put it and then tell the select few people who need to know where to find it.

好的。

Alright.

这个保险库的关键部分将是账户清单。

And a key part of this vault is going to be the account inventory.

那是什么？

What's that?

很简单，对吧？

Pretty straightforward, right?

列出账户，我建议一定要包括加密货币。

List of accounts and I would include make sure to include crypto.

但同样，列出账户，可能说明它们的用途，或者哪些付款从哪个账户扣款。

But again, including the accounts listed out, maybe what they're used for or maybe what payments come out from which account.

这样，如果像你所说，你失去行为能力，有人可以接管并管理你的财务生活。

So that if someone like you said, you are incapacitated, that someone could come in and take over and manage your financial life.

所以，账户是什么，可能用来做什么，有哪些自动转账，但还要包括登录名和密码，甚至客服电话，这样你的亲人就不用费那么多步骤才能拿到访问权限，看到他们需要看的东西。

So what the accounts are, maybe what they're used for, what automatic transfers come, but then including a login and password, maybe even a customer service number to reduce that number of steps that your loved one would have to take in order to get that access and see what they need to see.

想想看。

Think about it.

如果没有这个，万一你出了什么事，你的亲戚怎么知道去哪里找所有东西？

Like without this, if something were to happen to you, how would your relatives know where to find everything?

这几乎是——我是说，告诉别人你的账户，还有所有其他保单和你拥有的一切，这真的很重要。

This is almost I mean, it's essential to tell people not only your accounts, but all the other policies and everything you own.

嗯，而且我想说，尤其是在当今这个时代，想想这些信息有多分散。

Well, and I would say, especially in today's age, think about how spread out that information is.

我的意思是，我们不是生活在那种街角就有本地银行、约翰认识你、你的家人、你爸妈，大家都住得不超过五英里的时代了。

I mean, we don't live in an age where it's your local bank down the street where John knows you, your family, your mom, your dad, nobody's lived more than five miles apart.

他们看着你长大。

They've watched you grow up.

对吧？

Right?

我们不仅分散在不同地方，而且因为现在的数字时代，我甚至可以在北卡罗来纳州以外的地方开户。

Not only are we spread across geography, but I can bank somewhere that might not even be in North Carolina because of today's digital age.

再进一步说，根据我工作单位提供的资源，以及我换工作后的资源，账户可能到处都是。

And then to take it a step further based on the resources available at my job, the resources as I've changed jobs, there could be accounts all over the place.

比如退休账户、以前的退休账户，你的健康保险在哪里？

I mean, retirement accounts, old retirement accounts, where's your health insurance?

你的人寿保险在哪里？

Where's your life insurance?

东西太多了。

There's a lot.

谁能全都知道呢？就算是我最亲近的人，我觉得我丈夫也不可能一下子全想起来。

How could anybody, even the closest people in my life, I don't even think my husband might know everything off the top of his head.

而且你想，如果我出了什么事，我希望他是在悲伤或者至少是手足无措的状态，那样的话他不可能马上想到这些。

And if you think about if if something happened to me, I hope he would be mourning or at least overwhelmed that it wouldn't come to mind right away.

所以，这其实就是把所有东西整理成一份贴心的文件，方便你的家人使用。

So really this is just putting it all together in one lovely document and resource for your family to use.

你提到了加密货币，但这特别重要，因为人们有各种方式存储加密钱包和U盘。

You mentioned crypto, but boy, that's particularly important because people have all kinds of ways of storing crypto wallets and and USBs.

而且密码通常不在Schwab或Vanguard那里，你没法查有没有账户。

And the passwords, you know, they're usually not held at Schwab and Vanguard where you could find out if there's an account there.

所以上网搜一下关于人们因为信息不全而无法访问家人加密货币的文章吧。

So just do an online search for articles about people losing access to their family members' crypto because they didn't have the right information.

所以你一定要把这些记下来。

So you definitely wanna get that down somewhere.

好的。

Alright.

你的保险库里应该有的下一个部分是关于遗嘱执行人和监护权的信息。

The next section you should have in your vault is information about executors and guardianship.

如果你有孩子，你永远不想考虑这个，但你必须考虑。

So if you have kids, you never wanna think about this, but you have to think about it.

如果你不在身边照顾他们，会发生什么？

What happens if you're not around to take care of them?

这就是我觉得家庭内部可能会变得非常非常混乱的地方。

And this is where I could see it getting very very messy within families.

因为每个人都希望爱你，并且希望你的孩子得到最好的。

Because everyone hopefully loves you and wants the best for your children.

而且每个人都觉得自己最了解你的孩子需要什么。

And everyone thinks that they know best for your children.

所以，为你的孩子明确写下执行人和监护人。

So having a written out executor and guardianship for your kids.

而且我也会确保这一点清楚地传达给那些相关的人，这样就不会让人感到意外，我觉得这很重要。

And and I would also, you know, make sure that is clearly communicate to the those parties responsible so that it isn't a surprise, I think is important.

但这部分也应该包括在内，因为如果有孩子的话，就需要立即做出一些决定。

But this should also be included because if there are kids involved, there are immediate decisions that need to be made.

所以，把这些信息准备好，并且明确说明你的愿望，这非常重要。

And so having those available and and what instructions with what those wishes are is very important.

关于执行人，重要的是要选择一个最好在你所在州的人，并且是一个非常注重细节的人。

With the executor, it's always important to just choose someone ideally in your state and someone who's very detail oriented.

而且你可能想列一个备选人，因为你不能强迫别人当执行人。

And you might wanna list a backup because you can't make someone be an executor.

有人可能会说，好的。

Someone might say, yeah.

我愿意当执行人，但后来他们又改变主意了。

I'll be the executor, and then they change their mind later.

我还想说，作为当过执行人的人，如果你承担这个责任，你应该要求拿到这份文件，以及那个人愿意分享的所有信息，因为一旦你成为执行人，你会承担很多责任。

And I will say too, as somebody who's been an executor, if you take on that responsibility, you should ask for this document and as much information as that person is willing to share because you're gonna be on the hook for a lot once you become the executor.

既然你提到孩子的监护权，我也要指出，这也可能涉及老年人。

And since you mentioned kids with guardianship, I also point out it could also be older adults.

所以我们有一位前Foolish同事，他的兄弟是他们母亲的监护人，然后他的兄弟去世了。

So we have a a former Foolish colleague whose, brother was the guardian for their mother, and then his brother passed away.

他不得不接手，成为他母亲的监护人，但还得找到所有账户在哪里，以及所有那些东西。

And he had to step in and be the guardian for his mother, but then find where all the accounts were and all that stuff too.

所以这也是需要考虑的另一件事。

So that's another thing to think about.

好的。

Alright.

我们接着聊人寿保险吧。

Let's move on to life insurance.

我觉得人寿保险是单独的一项。

So I think life insurance is separate.

我把它和账户分开来列，因为它通常就是单独的一项。

I kept it separate for from the account side of things because it is often that separate line item.

再说，很多时候都有受益人指定，但我还是把它单独列出来，因为它也可能是很久以前从当前雇主那里办的，后来就被忘了。

Again, a lot of times there are beneficiary designations, but this one I kept because it could also have been from a current employer established a long time ago and then forgotten about.

但了解如果你出了什么事，继承人或者整个遗产能拿到哪些人寿保险，这一点很重要，而且不是每个人都会想到。

But knowing what life insurances are available to heirs or to the estate as a whole should something happen to you is important and not always something that people think about.

再说，这种保险你可能不会每周或每月收到账单。

Again, it's not something that you might get a statement for every week or every month.

所以如果有人接手你的生活，他们可能根本不知道有这份保险。

And so if someone is stepping into your life, they might not even know it exists.

这种事情平时在饭桌上很少会聊到。

That's not something that's talked about on a Sunday dinner table oftentimes.

所以它应该被包含在这种清单、这种保险库里。

So it should be it needs to be included in this type of list, in this type of vault.

既然你提到了雇主，你可能想加入一些来自人力资源部门的信息，因为你不知道你可能有哪些员工福利，或者你还有别的什么，比如灵活支出账户、公司股票，所以你想让公司里有个人可以联系到。

And since you mentioned employer, you might wanna include information from, like, your HR department because you don't know what employee benefits may be due to you or some other thing you have, like a flexible spending account, company stock, so you wanna have someone at the company to be able to reach out to it.

我觉得你还可以扩展到任何专业人士，你的财务规划师、你的会计师，或者其他你认为了解你情况的人，需要的时候别人可以联系他们。

And I guess you could expand it to really any professional, your financial planner, your accountant, someone else that you think is a is a professional who knows your situation, who someone should contact if they need to.

接下来我们谈谈一个比较新的发展，那就是平台遗产设置。

Let's move on to a relatively new development, and that is platform legacy settings.

所以这是一个新问题，新一代的问题。

So this is a new problem, new generation.

但是因为现在很多东西都控制和保存在我们的手机、设备和电脑上，提前设置好访问云存储和技术的权限很重要。

But with so much being controlled and saved on our phones, our devices, our computers, having access to that cloud storage and just technology is important to set up ahead of time.

所以和受益人一样，你现在就可以做，比如在苹果或谷歌上设置一个可信联系人，这样他们就可以在等待期过后或者提供医疗法律文件后访问你的云存储、手机和历史记录。

So similarly to beneficiaries, that's something you can do now, but set up a trusted contact with Apple, Google that would be able to be named so they can access again, cloud storage, your phone, your history, either after a certain waiting period or providing medical legal documentations.

对。

Yeah.

这也包括社交媒体。

And this includes social media too.

比如Facebook有一些设置，就像你想让某人访问的任何东西一样。

Like Facebook has certain settings, like anything that you want someone to have access to.

我只是觉得想想这个挺有意思的。

I just think it's interesting to think about.

你希望你的Facebook账户在你去世后继续存在吗？

Do you want your Facebook account to continue beyond when you've passed away?

你可能想，也可能不想，但这是一整套事情，二三十年前人们不会去想，但今天绝对值得考虑。

You might or you might not, but whole set of things that, you know, twenty, thirty years ago people weren't thinking about, but certainly worth thinking about today.

好了。

Alright.

作为最后一部分，你可能想要一封指示信，尽管它通常放在最前面。

As a final part of it, you might wanna have a letter of instruction even though it comes at the beginning.

跟我们说说这封指示信吧。

Tell us about the letter of instruction.

我把它想象成是一封求职信。

So I'm thinking about this as like a cover letter.

所以，你即将在这页后面发现的所有内容，都是接下来要看的。

So what you're about to find behind all of these behind this page, it's all to come.

所以，列一个清单，可能只需要两到三个你马上要采取的步骤，再列一个清单，可能有两到三个需要留意的警示信号。

So a list of maybe just two to three immediate steps that you're gonna need to take a list of maybe two to three red flags to watch out for.

但几乎就像那种求职信加目录的样式页面，应该放在最显眼的位置，然后放在所有这些重要文件的最上面。

But almost that cover letter table of contents style page that should be front and center and then on top of all of this vault.

可能还会有其他信息。

There could be other messages.

如果你听这个播客有一段时间了，你可能听我提过鲍勃·哈斯米勒，他是Motley Fool的长期会员，每年都会更新他所谓的“来自你已故丈夫的信”，给他妻子看，因为他负责家庭财务。

If if you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you've heard me mention Bob Hassmiller, a longtime Motley Fool member who every year would update his what he called his letter from your dead husband for his wife to look at because he handled the family finances.

遗憾的是，鲍勃在2016年去世了，他的妻子苏写了一本书，讲述了她如何从鲍勃去世中走出来，但也谈到了这封信有多么宝贵。

Sadly, Bob passed away in 2016, and his wife Sue wrote a book about what it was like to move on from Bob but talked about how valuable this letter was.

鲍勃那封信里有一些内容，是给苏和他家人的充满爱意的留言，但也有一些建议，比如该找谁帮忙、该避开谁。

And some of the aspects in that letter from Bob was was very loving messages to Sue and his family, but also advice of, like, who to turn to and who to avoid.

对吧？

Right?

比如某些家人，别听他们的建议。

Like family members, don't take any advice from these people.

所以，任何你觉得人们在你离开后需要知道的事情，比如如何继续生活、如何处理你的资产，都会非常有帮助。

So anything like that that you just think people should know about moving on without you and handling your assets would be very helpful.

好的。

Okay.

所以这套文件会包含很多敏感信息。

So this collection of documents is gonna have a lot of sensitive information.

那么，斯蒂芬妮，你觉得这些文件应该放在哪里呢？

So, Stephanie, any suggestions on where this should be kept?

我之前提到过1Password。

So I mentioned 1Password early.

我知道很多人现在都选择用数字方式保存。

I know that a lot of people are returning digital.

但我得说，我这个人特别老派。

I have to say I'm super old school.

我在家里的保险箱里放了一份，而且我姐姐是我除了丈夫之外最亲近的人。

I have a copy in our home safe and I have my sister is the closest person in my life outside of my husband.

她知道保险箱的密码，也知道如果需要打开的话，里面有什么在等着她。

And so she knows the code to that safe and knows what is waiting for her should she need to go into it.

所以，我真的很感激能和家人关系这么好。

So I'm really, really thankful to have a great relationship with my family.

我也很感激我们在很多事情上都非常坦诚。

Also am thankful that we are super open about a lot of these things.

所以每个人都有个财务保险库。

So everybody's got a financial vault.

我们基本上可以用同样的框架来处理这件事。

We can kinda use the same framework around it.

根据我们的人生阶段不同，有些人的保险库会更厚实一些。

Some are thicker than others depending on our life stage.

但每个人都有自己信任的人，也知道需要采取哪些步骤。

But everybody has a person and knows what what steps they would need to take.

而且我觉得你提到自己曾经担任过遗嘱执行人，这很重要，确实很繁琐。

And I also think it's important that you mentioned you were an executor at one point and and it is cumbersome.

非常耗费精力。

It is labor intensive.

所以如果你也能考虑到这一点，我来自一个大家庭，稍微分散一下财富。

And so if you can be mindful of that too, I come from a bigger family, kinda spread out the wealth a little bit.

万一我们出了什么事？

Should something happen to us?

而且我非常感谢我的父母，他们提出了这一点，因为他们知道不要把太多权力交给一个人，尤其是考虑到情感上的负担。

And I think my I'm very thankful for my parents who brought that up because they knew not to give too much power to one person more so from the emotional weight of it all.

对。

Yeah.

我和我妻子有一个盒子，那是个套装，你可以在网上买到这种套装，它会一步步指导你清点所有财产，提供说明，而且通常配有一个防火或至少是阻燃的盒子。

My wife and I have box that's a kit, and you can buy these kits online that walk you through the process of inventorying all you have, providing the instructions, and often comes in a fireproof box or at least a fire resistant box.

我们已经告诉我们的四个孩子，如果他们需要的话，去哪里找这个盒子。

And we've told our four kids where to find this if they ever need it.

所以这就是我们处理这件事的方式。

So that's how we've handled that.

我还想补充一点，因为再次强调，我很感激我的家人很开明，我们能有这样的对话。

I will also add because again, I'm very thankful my family is open and we have this conversation.

但有一件事是，我姐姐是监护人，或者如果将来需要的话，会是我孩子的监护人。

But one thing that came up was my sister who is the guardian or future guardian if needed for my children.

她问了一些问题，而且她想要额外的信息，要随手就能拿到。

She asked questions and she wanted additional information right front and handy.

所以这也促使了那些对话的发生。

And so it did also prompt those conversations.

她最关心的是，她想立刻知道医生的信息。

Her big thing was she wanted to know doctor's information right away.

你知道，我们关系很近，但她不住在我同一个城市。

You know, we are very close, but she doesn't live in my same town.

所以，随着孩子们长大，更新那些日常任务，我觉得也是保持信息更新的另一种方式。

So some of those daily tasks for my kids and updating those as they get older, I think is is another way to to keep things up to date.

但进行对话，确保负责的人感到自在，并且有任何可用的东西，他们可能有自己的偏好。

But having the conversation, making sure the person responsible and feels comfortable having anything available for them, they might have a preference.

要知道，如果你和孩子们讨论如何为他们存储信息，数字化可能更好，尤其是如果他们住得远或者地理位置不近。

Know, if if you're talking to your kids and how to store it for them, that might be better digitally, especially if they're not close or nearby proximity wise.

所以我会把这个也考虑进去。

So I would add that to the mix.

那么，Stephanie，关于遗产规划，你还有什么最后的想法吗？

Well, Stephanie, any final thoughts about estate planning?

我只想说，我见过家人为了很少的东西争吵，而遗产规划可不是小事。

I would just say that I've watched families fight over very very little and estate planning is not very little.

我自己也经历过，当亲人去世时，我感到非常悲伤，几乎被淹没。

I have felt myself personally like I was drowning in sadness when I've had loved ones past.

我简直无法想象，在没有任何地图或路线图的情况下，还要一步一步往前走。

And I could not imagine needing to put one foot in front of the other and make steps with no map or no roadmap.

所以，把一切写下来，既通过遗嘱在法律上明确，又通过财务保险库这样的方式把想法都倒出来，这让我心里踏实了很多，因为我知道，万一我出了什么事，我的亲人能清楚明白地知道该怎么做。

So having things written out both legally through a will, but then also more as this brain dump with financial of a financial vault has given me a lot of peace of mind that I'm providing clarity and direction to my loved one should something happen to me.

我还要补充一点，我强烈建议大家主动和家人沟通。

I'll add that I strongly encourage you to reach out to your family.

和他们聊聊你的遗产规划，同时也鼓励他们谈谈自己的。

Talk to them about your estate plan, but then nudge them to talk about theirs.

对吧？

Right?

你不需要知道所有细节，除非你是他们的遗嘱执行人。但除此之外，你真的没必要知道所有细节。

And you don't need to know all the details unless they're your executor, by the But, otherwise, you don't need to know all the details.

但你一定要确保他们有计划，因为如果他们没计划，最后付出代价的就是你和你的其他家人。

But you do wanna make sure that they have a plan because if they don't, you and the rest of your family will be the people who pay the price.

好了，带着这个有点沉重的话题，我们今天的节目就到这里了。

And on that cheery note, our show has come to an end.

非常感谢你周末抽出时间收听我们的节目，也感谢本期节目的工程师巴特·香农。

Thank you so much for spending part of your weekend with us, and thanks to Bart Shannon, the engineer, for this episode.

和往常一样，节目中的嘉宾可能对他们谈论的投资有兴趣，而Motley Fool可能为我们的嘉宾提供正式推荐。

As always, people on this program may have interest in the investments they talk about, and The Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for our guests.

所以不要仅仅根据你听到的内容就买卖投资。

So don't buy or sell investments based solely on what you hear.

所有个人理财内容都遵循Motley Fool的编辑标准，并且未经广告商批准。

All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and is not approved by advertisers.

广告是赞助内容，仅供参考。

Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only.

要查看我们的完整广告披露，请查看节目说明。

To see our full advertising disclosure, please check out the show notes.

我是罗伯特·布罗坎普。

I'm Robert Brokamp.

大家，狩猎愉快。

Wool hunt, everybody.