An essential document holds the key to making sure your assets go exactly where you want when you pass away. And it's not a will. I'm Sharon Eper, the senior personal finance correspondent at CNBC and the author of the Money 101 newsletter.Actor Chadwick Boseman, singer Liam Payne, and the Queen of Soul, Artha Franklin, are among famous celebrities who died without a will. In fact, only 24% of Americans have a will, according to a 2025 survey by caring. com.But that legal document may not be most important ...