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Your wishes checklist
By Dana
Dratch • Bankrate.com
Dealing with grief after a death is hard enough. Struggling
to find paperwork only adds to the stress. Here's a list of things
you want your heirs to know how to find. In the interest of privacy
you don't have to share the information now. But be sure they know
where to find the information at a later date:
- Will
- Social Security number
- Prepaid funeral plan, if you have one, or an outline
of your wishes if you don't
- Attorney
- Financial planner/accountant
- Bank: how many accounts, what kind, where and how
much in each?
- Insurance agent/information on all policies
- Retirement accounts/IRAs/401(k)s
- Stocks/bonds/treasury bills
- Safe deposit box location
- Post office box location
- Property: addresses and deeds or mortgage information
- Keys and access codes for car, garage and home
or building security systems
- Computer logon or security codes (source of bill-paying
information, etc.)
- Debts: names of creditors, how much is owed and
how they can be reached
- Credit card accounts: address, how much you owe
and information on any
- points or rewards accumulated
- Monthly bills: location of all relevant statements
- Records of any personal loans: receipts for payments/receipts
marked "paid in full"
- Record of personal items on loan
- Debtors: who owes you and how much?
If you operate a small business, think of including:
- Suppliers: addresses and contact information
- Marketing agents
- Insurance agent for the company
Source: Les Kotzer, co-author
of "The Family Fight: Planning to Avoid It"
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