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Test your basic understanding of why having a estate plan is crucial to avoiding probate in our quick quiz.
By
Donna LeValley
published
16 December 2025
in Features
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This short, six-question quiz tests your basic understanding of why a comprehensive estate plan is crucial. We'll focus specifically on the key differences between asset transfers through court-supervised probate and through private estate planning tools like a revocable living trust.
Get started to see how well you understand the benefits of planning for the future and ensuring your final wishes are carried out efficiently and privately. And don't worry if you miss an answer; you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.
More on Estate Planning, from the Kiplinger team:
- The Basics of Estate Planning
- Is Your Estate at Risk? The Five Trusts You May Be Missing
- 15 Estate Planning Terms You Need to Know
- Ten Common Estate Planning Mistakes
- Probate: The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Side of Estate Planning
- Revocable vs Irrevocable Trust: It Comes Down to Control vs Protection
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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.
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