In my last post, I urged you to write down your wishes for a funeral or memorial service. This week, I’m encouraging you to create a financial cheat sheet for use by your loved ones should something happen to you (either death or disability). Write down or type up the following:
- The location of important legal documents: will, trust, insurance policies, car titles, property deeds, etc.;
- A list of your financial assets including savings and checking accounts, stock accounts, IRAs, 401(k)s, etc., including account numbers, PINs, and passwords to allow access to those accounts;
- A list of any pension or profit-sharing plans;
- The location of your latest tax return and social security statements;
- Information about safety deposit boxes and the location of the key, or about your fire-proof safe; and
- Information about any social media, email, or other online accounts, including user name and password, that will need attention if you are unable to do so.
Writing down this important information, putting it somewhere safe, and telling someone you trust where the information is if they should need it, would be a major help to your loved ones if something happened to you.
