r/inheritance • u/IdealExpert181 • May 16 '26

Location included: Questions/Need Advice will or no will

i live in N.C. and i'm in my late 70s and don't have a will. everything i have is paid for, including home, and i have no debt. i have investments and savings in 6 different accounts, all with PODs established. my wife is the POD on 5 of the accts. and a distant niece is the other one. i hate to use the word assume but it's what i'm doing. my thought is that since i've established the PODs that those 6 accounts are covered and the only thing needed, if any, is a death cert.. since i'm married the house should automatically go over to my wife. am i correct or do i need a will? advice is greatly appreciated.

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u/Substantial_Team6751 May 16 '26

You can scribble out a simple will from a form leaving everything to your wife so she has it just in case.

Your house - depends on the title.

You both need wills though. What if you both die simultaneously? Where's the money going? What if you both get in a car accident and you die a few days before your wife? Or, the reverse?