In addition to professional estate documents, we recommend that our clients round out their planning by keeping detailed personal records. This makes life much easier for those left behind and should include things like:
Personal Records
- Date and place of birth, citizenship and identification information, marital status, spouse’s information
- Name, address and date of birth information for children, siblings, parents
- Information on any prior marriages
- Current employment information
- Religious affiliation and church contacts
Estate Planning Information
- Location of all estate planning documents
- Name and address of the preparing attorney, your executor and trustee
Insurance Information
- Location of insurance policies
- Contract information for life insurance broker
- Info on any additional insurances
- Medicare info, if applicable
Assets and Liabilities
- Location of safe deposit boxes and location of keys
- Checking and saving account information, including joint account info
- Mortgage information for all properties owned
- List of any bonds, automobiles, credit cards, securities, etc.
- Inventory of belongings, including automobiles, jewelry, household furnishings
- Information on tax records
Passwords
Login and Passwords for accounts including:
- E-mail accounts
- Social Media
- Banking
- Music/Photography/Media
- Bill pay accounts (cell phone, utilities, etc.)
Contact Information
- Professional
- Attorney, Banker, Doctor/Medical, Employer, Insurance Agent
- Personal
- Relatives, personal friends, etc.
- Anyone who might need to be contacted in the event of your death
Other Information
It is highly recommended that you include other information and instructions for your family and loved ones to have after your passing. This could be an explanation of how you distributed your assets, information on how you’d like to be buried and memorialized, traditions you’d like your family to carry on, life lessons you’d like them to remember, etc.
We provide our clients with a detailed form to fill out and include with their official estate planning documents. By providing your loved ones with as much information as possible you ensure they can more easily carry out your wishes upon your death.
