This is the part everyone avoids — and the part that protects the people you love most. Estate planning isn't only for the wealthy or the elderly. It's simply making sure that, whatever happens, the right people inherit what you intended and the right people are empowered to decide on your behalf.
The mid-year check is mostly about beneficiaries. The names listed on your retirement accounts, your life insurance, your bank accounts — those designations override whatever a will says, and they're shockingly easy to leave outdated. An ex-spouse still listed. A child born after the form was filed and never added. Take ten minutes and confirm every beneficiary still reflects your wishes.
Then the bigger pieces: do you have a will? Someone named to make medical and financial decisions if you can't? If those documents don't exist or haven't been looked at in years, this is your nudge. It's the most loving paperwork you'll ever do — and finishing this step completes your mid-year review.