Gather important documents

Gather (or, in some situations, create) important documents to make sure loved ones do not have to worry about making decisions, legal consequences, or searching for documents to allow the transfer of assets and closing of accounts.

Here is a worksheet of important documents to complete for you or on behalf of the person you’re planning for:

How to handle the documents

For printed records, we recommend keeping all copies of documents in a secure but easily accessible place. Other options include a safety deposit box, or a locked filing cabinet.

For digital records, we recommend using a digital file storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

Make sure to keep a photocopy in a different physical location, so that it is protected in case of natural disaster.

Wherever the documents are stored, make sure to give access to trustworthy people, so that they can easily access them if you’re unable. We recommend considering giving access to a family member, friend, or a trusted professional, such as a doctor, financial advisor, lawyer, or clergy member.

How to find the documents

If you are gathering documents for a family member who does not remember or cannot tell you where the documents are, you can use this guide to find documents, accounts and assets.

The documents that we suggest you gather include:

Most important

  • Legal estate plan (will, power of attorney, guardianship, trust)

  • Advance Directive / POLST / Living Will / Designated Agent / Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care forms

  • Pre-paid funeral contracts (if applicable)

  • Pre-paid cemetery contracts (if applicable)

  • Letters of Instruction / Final Instructions / Disposition Authorization

  • Organ donation (if applicable)

Legal

  • Marriage and Divorce Certificate(s)

  • Social Security Card or number

  • Birth certificates of family members

  • Court documents for adoptions and divorces (including property settlement agreements, name changes, and prenuptial agreements)

  • Drivers license

  • Passport, citizenship, and immigration papers

Tax

  • Income Tax Returns - federal and state for the past three years

  • Gift Tax Returns - federal and state

  • Property tax returns

  • Business documents - if the deceased owned a business: Corporate, LLC or Partnership Documents, account statements, contracts, business licenses, income tax returns

Veterans

  • Military service papers, including discharge records (call 314-801-0800)

Financial Assets

  • Bank accounts (checking, savings, CD), investment/brokerage account statements

  • Retirement account (IRA, 401[k], annuity, money market, CDs, custody, managed) statements

  • Stock and Bond certificates - For stocks or bonds held in certificate form, the original certificate will be required to transfer legal title

  • Benefit papers - survivor annuity, employer retirement/pension, veterans benefit, disability

  • Any promissory notes/loans owed by or to you or the person you’re planning for

  • Any business accounts or loans

Real estate, vehicles, and physical property

  • Real estate deeds & any recent appraisals (residential, partial holding, REIT, etc.)

  • Mortgage documents including promissory / loan notes

  • List of safety deposit boxes, where to find keys, and names of authorized users

  • Storage facilities

  • Document storage office/professional storage

  • Vehicle titles and registrations (cars, boats, RVs, etc.)

  • Locations of any other valuable/special personal items (collectibles, coins, jewelry, antiques, sentimental items)

Insurance

  • Life Insurance, Life Insurance Annuity, and / or accidental death

  • Health insurance (Medicare or Medicaid, private, dental, long term care)

  • Homeowners/renters

  • Auto insurance

  • Workers’ compensation insurance

  • Veterans’ insurance

  • Employers or pension insurance

  • Funeral/final expense insurance

  • Mortgage and / or credit insurance

  • Credit card insurance

Bills & leases

  • Utility Bills (water, trash, gas, electricity, sewage)

  • Cell Phone Bills

  • Real Estate Tax Bills

  • Storage Unit Bills

  • Medical Bills

  • Real estate lease

  • Automobile lease

  • Memberships

  • Credit cards

Digital

  • Usernames and passwords for online accounts (email, financial, social media)

  • Usernames/passwords/PINs to access computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices

If you are missing a key document, you can find guidance on how to complete it here:

Featured
Set up password sharing for after a death
Set up password sharing for after a death

Sharing passwords may make it easier for your loved ones to find important documents, access pictures, and shut down the accounts you do not need anymore.

Add a loved one to all valuable property and financial accounts to avoid probate
Add a loved one to all valuable property and financial accounts to avoid probate

Add a joint owner or transfer on death to each bank and investment account and asset (e.g., car, real estate, business) to avoid probate.

Document medical wishes
Document medical wishes

It is important to document your healthcare wishes. The failure to document one’s end of life wishes beforehand can lead to unfortunate outcomes such as family conflict or unnecessarily aggressive and expensive end-of-life care. The common instinct to “do everything” to keep a loved one alive, can sometimes take over and skew one’s perspective. In these situations, clear instructions are incredibly helpful to both the physicians, the patient, and the family.

Prepare a legal estate plan
Prepare a legal estate plan

You need a legal estate plan to determine what happens to your property, who takes care of your kids, and who makes decisions for you if you can’t. It will also help you avoid probate, a costly legal process where the government gets involved in distributing your assets.

important documents, getting organizedJennifer Goodplanning, medical and legal, legacy and funeral, financial and propertyComment