Are You Prepared For The Worst-Case Scenario?

Here's How To Make Sure Your Affairs Are In Order!

Legal Tasks

• Update your Last Will and Testament
• Update any Trusts
• Update your Living Will ("Health Care Directive" or "Medical Directive") document
• Update your Power of Attorney document
• Review beneficiary designations and account titles to see if they are worded appropriately

Organizational Tasks

• Keep important papers in one place
• Organize your important records so they would be somewhat self-explanatory to other people
• Make a master Estate Information packet (see next section)
  • This is a non-legal, informational document
  • It will tremendously help your spouse, executor, and anyone else helping with your affairs
  • Update it every year
• Let your spouse, a trusted family member, or trusted friend know where your Estate Information is located
• Consider getting a good quality fireproof box or fireproof safe for important records

Download this information as a Microsoft Word document

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Contents of your Estate Information packet

Although you have knowledge about all of these items already, it could be extremely difficult for someone else to gather these facts.  If you have one master document containing all the following information, it will save your loved ones many, many hours of anxiety and work.

Print and use this check-off list as a guide or template.  Type your own information into a computer Word document, or write it out by hand.  It doesn't matter how you do it.  The important thing is that you get it done.

• Date that this Estate Information packet was last updated
• Your full legal name
• Date of birth, location
• Your address, phone numbers
• Social security number
• Parents names; mothers maiden name
• Spouse and children names, birthdates, addresses, phone numbers
• Executor
  • Name, address, phone number
• Accountants
  • Names, addresses, phone numbers
  • Description of services used
• Attorneys
  • Names, addresses, phone numbers
  • Description of services used
  • List of important documents drawn by attorney
  • List of original documents that are in their possession
• Last Will and Testament
  • Location of original document
  • Location of copies
  • Preparer of document
  • Date the latest version was signed
  • Details about any addendums
• Living Will
  • Location of original document
  • Location of copies
  • Preparer of document
  • Date the latest version was signed
  • Brief summary of important document details
• Power of Attorney
  • Location of original document
  • Location of copies
  • Preparer of document
  • Date the latest version was signed
  • Brief summary of important document details
  • Type - general, durable, financial
• Term Life Insurance policies
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Policy value
  • Location of original policy papers
  • Name of benefactor
• Annuity Insurance policies
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Short description of policy details -- values, purchase date, face value
  • Location of original policy papers
  • Name of benefactor
• Disability Insurance policies
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Short description of policy details -- waiting period, monthly benefits, term of policy
  • Location of original policy papers
• Long-term Care Insurance
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Short description of policy details
  • Location of original policy papers
• Medical Insurance
  • Company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Group number, policy number
  • Location of original policy papers
• Supplemental Medical Insurance
  • Company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy number
  • Location of original policy papers
• Homeowners Insurance
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Location of original policy papers
• Automobile Insurance
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Location of original policy papers
• Umbrella Insurance
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Location of original policy papers
• Business Insurances
  • Insurance company name, phone number
  • Insurance agent name, phone number
  • Policy account number
  • Location of original policy papers
• Checking and Savings Accounts
  • Bank name, branch name, address, phone number
  • Account numbers
  • Account types
  • Date account was opened
  • Names on each account
  • Location of bank statements, blank checks
• Investment Accounts
  • Name of financial institution
  • Broker name, address, phone number
  • Account numbers
  • Account types
  • Date accounts opened
  • Location of account paperwork
  • Location of monthly statements
  • Brief description of account, and it's use
• Credit Cards
  • Issuing bank name, phone number
  • Account numbers
  • Names on accounts
  • Location of monthly statements
• Home Mortgage
  • Current mortgage company (where payments go) name, address, phone number
  • Account number
  • Exact name on account
  • Location of paperwork for financing loan
  • Location of paperwork for monthly payments
• Home Ownership
  • Location of deed, title, mortgage satisfaction proof
  • How home is titled (sole ownership, joint tenancy, jtwros, tenancy in common, etc)
  • Exact name on title or deed
  • Property tax information
• Loans
  • Lending institution name, address, phone number
  • Account numbers
  • Exact names on account
  • Location of paperwork
  • Brief description of each loan -- original date, amount, terms
• Credit Lines
  • Lending institution name, address, phone number
  • Account numbers
  • Exact names on account
  • Location of paperwork
• Businesses
  • Location of businesses
  • Contact information for key partners or employees
  • Contact information for accountant
  • Location of important business paperwork
  • Name of trusted person to oversee or advise business operations during any transition
  • Your desires on what to do with the business
• Real Estate
  • List of real estate holdings and rental properties
  • Location of records
  • Names of any brokers, partners, corporations, and other important contacts
• Tax Returns
  • Location of past tax returns
  • Name of tax return preparer
• Safe Deposit Box
  • Name of institution, address, phone number
  • Location of key
  • Names of authorized co-signers
  • Description of exactly what is stored in the box, including list of important documents
• Safe
  • Location of safe
  • Description of exactly what is stored in the box, including list of important documents
  • How to access contents
  • List of people who know how to access contents
• Automobiles
  • Location of original title
  • Exact name(s) on title
  • Location of maintenance paperwork
  • Location of registration
• Physicians
  • Names, addresses, phone numbers
  • Brief description of services utilized
• Computers
  • Description of any important documents or information that might be on each computer
  • Logon names and passwords, or where password list is kept
  • List of who has access to each computer
  • List computers that contain family or personal photographs
  • Locations of any back-up disks, tapes
  • List computers that contain sensitive information that you wouldn't want "undeleted" and read if computer is given to anyone else
• Creditors and Liabilities
  • List everyone to whom you might owe money
    • Utility companies - electricity, gas, water, sewer, garbage
    • Cable television
    • Internet
    • Credit cards
    • Home mortgage
    • Commercial Loans
    • Loans from family or friends
    • Lines of credit
    • Physician, dentist, other health care providers
    • Insurance companies
• Marriages, Divorces
  • Names of current and past spouse(s)
  • Dates of marriage
  • Dates of divorce
  • Location of marriage certificate
  • Location of divorce records
• Citizenship
  • Location of citizenship records
  • Location of naturalization records
  • Brief summary of citizenship history
• Adoption
  • Location of adoption records
  • Brief summary of adoption
• Military Service
  • Location of military records, including discharge papers
  • Brief description of service
  • Brief description of any ongoing benefits
  • Ranks, awards
• Veteran's Benefits
  • Location of VA records
• Social Security, Medicare
  • Location of Social Security and Medicare records
  • Social security number
  • Exact name on the Social Security account
  • Location and phone number of local Social Security service office
• Pension Plan
  • Location of pension plan records
  • Brief description of benefits
• Birth Certificate
  • Location of original birth certificate
  • Exact name on birth certificate
• Names
  • List of all prior names, legal or otherwise
  • Any other nicknames you have gone by, or might be on any documents or legal papers
  • Prior names from marriages
  • Dates of any name changes
  • Name changes of children
• Voters Registration
  • Location of card
  • Local voter's registration office, phone number
• Passport
  • Location of current passport
• Memberships
  • List of unions, book and record clubs, service organizations, fraternal organizations, professional groups, boards
  • Contact names and phone numbers
• Miscellaneous Numbers
  • Professional organizations, phone numbers, membership numbers
  • Retail store memberships, phone numbers, membership numbers
  • Tax ID numbers
  • AARP
  • AAA
• List of Family Heirlooms
  • Description and history of each item
  • Your desires on what should happen to each item
• List of people who should be notified upon death
• Religious contacts
  • Names, phone numbers
• Desires for care of pets
• Desires for guardians for your children
• Funeral and Burial—consider storing a copy of this section with your Last Will and Testament, or in a location where it will be quickly and easily found.
  • Preferred funeral home name, address, phone number
  • Description of any prepaid funeral arrangements
    • Location of paperwork
  • Burial instructions
  • Burial location
  • Description of preferences for funeral program
    • Officiate
    • Music
    • Poems, readings
    • Speakers
    • Pallbearers
  • Desires for organ or body donation
  • Preference for burial or interment; cremation
• Obituary
  • Write out basic information found in most obituaries
    • Full name, including nickname
    • Birth date, place
    • Parents full names
    • Siblings full names
    • Marriages
    • Education
    • Designations, awards, recognitions
    • Employment
    • Places of residence
    • Survived by (list spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, others)
    • Memorial funds or donation suggestions
  • List of places to publish obituary
    • Local newspaper
    • Hometown newspaper
    • Professional organization newsletter

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