At Peacefully, our aim is to provide accessible, high-quality end-of-life planning solutions that meet users’ needs. To refine our offerings, we recently conducted a comprehensive study with participants aged 55+, focusing on feature desirability and prioritization.

Study Overview

• We surveyed 195 participants about which Peacefully features are most wanted.

Demographics of Survey Respondents

Understanding who participated in our study is essential for interpreting the results. Here’s a breakdown of the demographics:

• Age: All respondents were aged 55 and older, with 42% between 55-64 years old and 58% aged 65 and above.
• Gender: The gender split was 51% female and 49% male. Less than 1% identified as other. 
• Income:
  • The participants had diverse income levels, with 21% earning less than $25,000 annually and 37% earning between $25,000 and $49,999.
  • Approximately 16% reported earning between $50,000 and $74,999, while 10% earned between $75,000 and $99,999.
  • A smaller percentage earned between $100,000 and $149,999 (7%), and less than 2% had incomes above $150,000.
• Employment Status:
  • Most respondents were retired (62%), while 14% were working full-time, 11% part-time, and a small number were unemployed or students.
• Executor Experience:
  • 46% of respondents had previously served as an executor for a loved one’s estate, adding valuable context to their responses regarding end-of-life planning features.

Feature Desirability: What Users Want

The study asked participants to categorize Peacefully’s offerings into different levels of interest, revealing clear preferences:

• High Demand for Legal Documents:
  • Creating wills, power of attorney (POA), and trusts were the top choices, with 95-97% of respondents expressing strong interest in these features.
  • Notably, 26% of respondents have already paid for legal documents like wills, POA, or trusts, indicating a substantial market for these services, but also a strong unmet need..
• Strong Interest in Healthcare Planning: 92% of respondents were interested in healthcare planning services, including advance directives and living wills.
• High Interest in Expert Guidance: About 71-79% of respondents were interested in accessing expert help for estate planning support and post-death settlement assistance.
• Automation and Document Storage: Automated estate closure, post-death checklists, and secure digital storage were desired by 60-82% of participants, reflecting a need for streamlined end-of-life management.

Preference for One-Time Payments:

Over 60% of respondents favored one-time fees over monthly or annual payments, reflecting a clear preference for simple, upfront costs.

How We’ll Use This Data

This study has been instrumental in shaping the future of Peacefully’s offerings, ensuring that our services are both valuable and affordable. Stay tuned as we continue to enhance our products based on real user feedback!

Are you looking for an affordable way to start end-of-life planning? Peacefully is here to help.