When someone dies or becomes seriously ill, the people left to handle things often spend weeks searching: for the life insurance policy, the bank that holds the mortgage, the password to the phone, the name of the attorney who drew up the will. Much of that search can be avoided with a few hours of organizing now. This checklist walks through what to write down and where, so your family has a clear map of your affairs. It is about organizing information, not about legal planning itself; for wills, trusts and other legal documents, work with an estate planning attorney in your state.
Organizing versus estate planning
These are two different jobs, and both matter.
| Estate planning (with an attorney) | Organizing (you can do this yourself) |
|---|---|
| Will or trust | A record of where the will is and who prepared it |
| Financial and health care powers of attorney | The names of the people you chose, and where the documents are |
| Beneficiary designations | A list of accounts and who is named on each |
| Guardianship nominations for minor children | Your notes on who you chose and why, plus the children's routines |
A well-organized binder cannot do what a will does. But a will that no one can find, or accounts no one knows exist, make everything harder. The organizing piece is the part most families skip.
Step 1: List your accounts
Write down each financial relationship you have. Record the institution, the type of account and the last four digits, not the full number.
- Checking and savings accounts
- Retirement accounts: 401(k), 403(b), IRA, pension
- Brokerage and investment accounts
- Health savings accounts
- Credit cards, loans, mortgage and any other debts
- Recurring income: salary, Social Security, rental income, annuities
- Bills and autopays, so someone knows what to keep paying and what to cancel
Next to each retirement account and life insurance policy, note who the beneficiary is. Beneficiary designations often pass directly to the named person regardless of what a will says, so it is worth checking that they are up to date. Ask your attorney or financial professional how this works for your situation.
Step 2: Gather your insurance
- Life insurance, including any group policy through work
- Accidental death coverage, which sometimes comes with a credit card or employer plan
- Disability and long-term care insurance
- Home, renters and auto policies
- Health insurance cards and plan information
For each policy, record the company, where the policy is kept, the agent or claims phone number, and the beneficiaries.
Step 3: Handle passwords and digital accounts safely
Writing every password on a sheet of paper creates its own risk. A safer approach is to record how to get in, not the passwords themselves.
- Your phone. Many accounts send verification codes by text. Decide who should be able to unlock your phone in an emergency, and how.
- A password manager. If you use one, note which, and look into its emergency access or legacy feature so a trusted person can request access.
- Email. Most other accounts reset through email, so list your main addresses.
- Legacy settings. Several major tech companies let you name a legacy contact or set up what happens to an inactive account. Check the settings for your phone, email and social accounts.
- Your wishes. Should social media accounts be memorialized or deleted? Who should get the family photos?
- Subscriptions. Streaming, software, memberships and anything else that bills automatically.
Step 4: Make a documents locator
Keep originals where they belong and write down where that is. A single page that lists each document and its location saves your family enormous time.
- Will or trust, and the attorney who prepared it
- Financial power of attorney
- Health care power of attorney and advance directive or living will
- Deeds, vehicle titles and loan documents
- Birth, marriage and divorce certificates
- Military discharge papers, if applicable
- Social Security card and passport
- Recent tax returns
- Safe deposit box location and who has the key
Add contact information for your professional team: attorney, accountant, financial advisor, insurance agent.
Step 5: Write down your wishes
Some of the hardest moments for families are not about money; they are about guessing what you would have wanted.
- Medical wishes. Who should speak for you, and what matters to you if you were seriously ill. Make sure the person you choose has seen your advance directive.
- Funeral or memorial wishes. Burial or cremation, a service or not, religious traditions, music, readings, any prepaid arrangements.
- People to notify. Friends, colleagues, groups and organizations who would want to know, with contact details.
- Letters. A note to your spouse, children or friends. These often mean more than anything else in the binder.
- Personal items. Informal notes about who you hope receives certain keepsakes. If you want these wishes to be legally binding, ask your attorney how to include them properly.
Step 6: Plan for kids, dependents and pets
- Who you have chosen as a guardian, and where the legal nomination is (usually in a will)
- Each child's school, doctor, allergies, routines and important people
- Anyone else who depends on you for care or money
- Pets: vet, medicines, food, and who has agreed to take them
Step 7: Tell someone, and review once a year
An organized binder only helps if someone knows it exists. Tell your executor, your health care agent or a trusted family member where it is kept. Store it somewhere safe but accessible, like a home file cabinet or fire-resistant box, and shred old pages when you replace them.
Then put a yearly reminder on your calendar. Accounts open and close, beneficiaries change, children grow up. Thirty minutes once a year keeps the information accurate. Review sooner after a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move or job change.
When to talk to an attorney
If you do not have a will, if your documents are more than a few years old, if you have moved to a different state, or if your family situation has changed, an estate planning attorney can tell you what you need. Many offer flat-fee packages, and legal aid organizations may help if cost is a concern. Bring your organized binder to the meeting; it makes the conversation faster.
The medical part of being prepared
You can do all of this with a notebook or a simple folder. Record where things are kept rather than full account numbers or passwords, and remember that a list like this does not replace a will, power of attorney or advance directive. For the medical part of being prepared, get the free ER-Ready Kit: the one-page Emergency Health Summary, the "Where should I go?" guide and interpreter wallet cards, in English and Spanish.
The Ambos Health team
General information, not legal, financial or medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.