Practical Estate Planning: Organize Your Documents
by
Melanie Cullen
Help your family -- and make your executor's job easier -- by getting your paperwork in order.
Estate planning isn't just about legal issues -- there are practical ones as well. After you die, many of the tasks and decisions your loved ones will have to handle usually aren't covered by basic estate planning documents. You can save them some headache by making your wishes known on such issues as:
- Who should be notified of your death?
- Do you want a funeral or a memorial ceremony? If so, what type? Who should attend? Do you want people to send flowers, or would you prefer donations to charity? (For help, see Planning Your Funeral or Memorial Service.)
- Did you prepare a will or living trust? Where did you keep them? (For help creating a will or trust, see Nolo's Wills & Estate Planning Resource Center.)
- Do you own a life insurance policy, pension, annuity, or retirement account? Where are the documents stored? (For advice on sharing this information, see Help Your Family Claim Retirement Benefits.)
- Do you have bank accounts? Do you have a safe deposit box? Where are the records? (For some guidance, see Help Your Executor: Secured Places and Passwords.)
- Do you own stocks, bonds, or money in mutual funds? Where are the records?
- Do you own real estate? Where are the deeds?
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