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From "tax traps" to "safety deposit box blunders," discover the 10 most common mistakes people make when planning their estate.
By
Donna LeValley
published
14 April 2026
in Features
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Most people assume a simple will is enough, but technicalities can derail even the best intentions. Estate planning isn't just about what you leave behind — it's about how easily your loved ones can access it. This quiz exposes the common administrative and legal oversights that could leave families in probate court for years.
And don't worry if you miss an answer; you can use the links below the quiz to brush up on estate planning ins and outs.
Subscribe to the Retirement Tips newsletter, your guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement.
More on Estate Planning
- Protect Your Family's Future: Avoid These 12 Common Estate Planning Mistakes
- The Basics of Estate Planning
- 15 Estate Planning Terms You Need to Know
- Estate Planning for Millionaires
- Six Reasons to Disinherit Someone and How to Do It
- Is Your Estate at Risk? The Five Trusts You May Be Missing
- Estate Planning Checklist: 13 Smart Moves
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Donna LeValleyRetirement WriterDonna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.
