Continuing with the series on Preparing for End of Life, I wanted to share the documents you should collect and store in a safe place that can be retrieved when needed.

In Part One, I addressed some of the financial information you should gather so that those you ask to close your Estate or Trust will have the necessary information to perform their role. If you did not read it, click here to catch up.

In Part Two, I would like to share some important documents that you should keep close and have readily available. Review each item and identify what needs to be added to ensure they are up to date. Contact the various companies to find out what they require to close your account upon your passing. Depending on what they say, add that documentation to the list. Ensure the contact information for each company is up to date, as it is necessary to identify your accounts. Remember, you won’t be around to ask/answer any questions, so preparing new will help those who you have requested to close out your estate.

They include:

• Funeral Home documentation, if you have pre-made plans for how you want things handled after you die. Many people are pre-planning their funerals and end-of-life celebrations, so they make sure that things go the way they want and take the burden off those who are left to help close out their life.
• Current estate documents: Will, Living trust, Power of attorney, Healthcare Surrogate, Living Will. If you make changes to these documents, ensure that you replace them with the updated versions you want to retain.
• Birth certificates
• Marriage license
• Divorce Decree
• Life insurance policies, account numbers, and the name of the company, along with their contact information.
• Bank accounts: Include the name of the bank and account numbers. If you do online banking, add your username and passwords. You can keep a copy of the Trust or Estate Agreement with this information, so your bank knows you have designated this specific person to handle your affairs if you are not able or die.
• Investment accounts: Name of your Investments, the company(s) managing them, and the contact information so your Trustee or Estate Managers can reach them.
• Credit Care Accounts. Account numbers and contact information for the file.
• Loan documents: Name of the lender, contact information, and any account numbers needed. This will enable your Trustee or Estate Managers to know how to access the information and make changes or pay off accounts as required.
• Automobile titles: If you have the actual title, add it to the saved document. If the vehicle is financed, include the company, account numbers, and the frequency of loan payments.
• Property deeds are essential to keep if you own property. Again, any additional information related to this is necessary to keep on hand.
• Copies of keys to automobiles, safe deposit boxes, and other relevant items.
• Account and device passwords. Be cautious with this list. Keep a paper copy or consider an ultra-secure password app like DashLane.

In next week’s Post, I will cover some of the technologies being developed and what you need to consider to ensure you choose a project that meets your needs and is safe.

Contact the various individuals who serve the above accounts. Ask them what the procedure is when the time comes for your Trustee or Estate Manager to close out your accounts.

They may have written documentation on what to do when the time comes. Read this information to ensure you have the necessary documentation for each area. Keep the information with your important papers. This will save time, ease frustration, and save money for those you leave to settle your estate.

If you have any additional information to share, please include it in the comment section or email me, and I will consider adding it to a future post.

I appreciate any help you can provide.