Article: THE OLDER WE GET, THE MORE WE AVOID ESTATE PLANNING, MERRILL LYNCH SURVEY FINDS Only One-Third Of Respondents Have Written Estate Plan

PRINCETON, N.J., May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Most Americans postpone or avoid estate planning, and few are taking the necessary steps before their death to protect their wealth from going to taxes rather than to their families, according to the second annual Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) survey on trends in estate planning.

Respondents in their 60s and 70s were more likely than those in their 40s and 50s to deny the need to plan their estates: Twice as many respondents aged 65 (22%) and over as those under 65 (11%) said they didn't need estate planning because they were in good health.

Only one-third of all survey respondents said they have a written estate plan, and ...

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