I haven’t done it yet, but I should. Estate planning.
I don’t have a mansion, financial empire or lots of cool stuff for people to inherit. But, I do want to spare relatives and friends big hassles when the inevitable happens. I read an article in the New York Times (as usual 🙂 ) and it got me thinking.
Click the link below for the article:
There’s More to Estate Planning Than Just the Will
Here’s a checklist of some of the things from the above article that every adult should have, especially seniors:
- Make a will or living trust (Use a lawyer)
- Complete health care directives, e.g. a living will also sometimes called an advance directive and a health care power of attorney
- Power of attorney for someone to take care of your finances
- Compile lists of passwords to online accounts for everything
- Old tax documents
- Lists of school and employment history
- Lists of previous addresses
- Your medical history
- List companies and services that direct debit your bank account or charge your credit cards
- List all insurance polices
- Write down everything about your house, how e.g. how the sprinkler timer, lawn mower, etc. works, where keys are located.
- Write letters to those close to you.
Wow! It seems impossible but there is a good way to get started. There is a free book you can download that discusses all of the information that every senior should have stored in a safe place. Appropriately it is called
Make sure to download the Excel spreadsheet. It has a place for you to put all your important information. I can’t wait to get started on my Book of Everything.