Personal Finance

Prince, Star Trek’s Pavel Chekov, and the Importance of Getting a Will

By DiscoverTheOdds.com
Updated October 14, 2016

Recent troubles following the untimely deaths of entertainers such as singer-songwriter Prince and actor Anton Yelchin (most recognizable for his portrayal of Star Trek character Pavel Chekov in modern reboots of the beloved science-fiction franchise, including the 2016 film “Star Trek Beyond”) have highlighted the value of having a will. On American Public Media’s Marketplace Morning Report® for Thursday, August 4, 2016, host David Brancaccio talked with Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor for Marketplace, about the importance of getting a will. Farrell noted that despite the benefits, “more than half of Americans don’t have a will.”




During the broadcast, Brancaccio and Farrell weave together a conversational, yet compelling basis for the need to take the time to draft a will–with online tools it’s easier than ever, it’s how you can make life easier for those you love the most, and it “encourages you to think about your legacy.” Perhaps the healthy dose of realism necessary to nudge us all towards getting a will was best delivered in the words Brancaccio said in closing, “The death toll in America is still 100%.”

Listen to the Marketplace Morning Report® for Thursday, August 4, 2016 broadcast here. The discussion on the importance of obtaining a will begins at about the 3:27 mark.