What do most Americans want their funerals to be like?

That’s according to a survey of 750 Americans, split evenly by those who are single, engaged and married.

From how (29%) and where (19%) they want to be buried, to what type of service they want (17%), what music should be played (14%) and even the overall “vibe” (10%), results revealed that only 35% of those polled haven’t given their funeral or death any forethought.

In fact, almost one in five (17%) think about their own death at least once per day.

But just because they’re thinking about it, doesn’t mean they’re talking about it. Death and estate planning ranked in the top most difficult or uncomfortable topics to discuss with their family (25%).

This falls second only to sex and relationships (33%) and is equally as difficult to address as past mistakes and regrets, and mental health (both at 25%).

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Trust & Will, results also revealed that avoiding these topics may result in some uncomfortable situations later down the road.

Only 17% of those surveyed, or 23% for married respondents specifically, have thought about who will inherit their possessions after they pass.

But this may be a two-way street. Nearly half of Americans polled (46%) either don’t plan to talk to their loved ones about which of their items they want to inherit themselves or don’t feel it’s their place to ask.

Regardless, they’re secretly eyeing some sentimental treasures. Aside from the classic jewelry, money and photos, one respondent is hoping for an “antique shoe shining table,” while another wants their dad's shorts “that he cut up with a chainsaw.”

Others are hoping for items such as their “stepfather's bear carved from a log” or their “mom's classic car.”

Still, according to another survey of the same sample conducted by Talker Research, two-thirds of those polled (64%) have yet to create an estate plan. A little more than one-third (36%) plan to do so within the next five years, though 28% aren’t planning to make an estate plan period.

More specifically, 45% of married respondents don’t have an estate plan, compared to 65% of single respondents and an overwhelming 81% of engaged respondents.

The top reason these respondents don’t have an estate plan is due to the fact that they don’t believe they have enough assets to justify one (38%).

Two in five married respondents (39%) say that they aren’t sure where to start, while one in five single respondents worry about the cost.

On the flip side, of the 36% of Americans polled who have a will, trust or Advanced Healthcare Directive, a majority (52%) did so for peace of mind. Others were motivated to protect their assets (48%), protect their children (44%), and avoid probate (36%).

“The idea that you need to be rich to justify an estate plan is one of the most damaging myths out there. If you care about what happens to anything— your kid, your pet, your car, your crypto — you need a plan,” says Cody Barbo, Co-Founder & CEO, Trust & Will. “It’s not about how much you have. It’s about making sure the right people are protected when it matters most.”

The survey also uncovered some interesting differences in motivators for creating an estate plan. One in three married respondents (30%) cited that a serious illness or health care is the number one reason they’d opt to create or update their plan, followed by their spouse encouraging it (25%).

For engaged respondents, getting married (38%) or having kids (35%) were the top two motivators. And while almost one in five single respondents also cited having children (17%), they’re equally likely to say that a death in the family (17%) might prompt them to reconsider.

“Most people want to plan ahead. They just don’t know where to start. Only 17% of people in the survey said they feel very knowledgeable about what an estate plan even includes,” continues Barbo. “So it’s not a lack of love. It’s a lack of clarity. Our job is to meet people where they are, make the process feel human, and turn one of life’s hardest conversations into something empowering.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed two groups of 750 Americans, split evenlyby 250 single, 250 engaged and 250 married, with 375 men and 375 women; the surveys were commissioned by Trust & Will and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 16 and May 23, 2025 and Sept. 5 and Sept. 15, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.