Estate planning comes with its own vocabulary. Here are plain-language definitions for the terms you'll encounter most often.

Beneficiary

A person or entity you name to receive your assets.

Executor

The person named in your will to carry out your wishes after you die.

Intestate

Dying without a valid will. The state decides who gets your assets.

Power of Attorney

A legal document that lets someone make financial or medical decisions on your behalf.

Probate

The court process that validates a will and distributes a deceased person's assets.