The Hidden Gender Gap in Estate Planning—and How to Close It
The overall rate of estate planning in the United States is low, with less than one-quarter of Americans having a basic will. Within those already low numbers, men are more likely than women to have formal estate plans. This disparity is due not simply to differences in income or asset levels but also to timing, priorities, and the roles men and women tend to occupy over the course of their lives. Closing the estate planning gap may be addressed at an individual level through education, conversations, and professional guidance.