Get It Together

About This Book

• A. Who Needs to Plan Ahead?
• B. How It Works
• C. The Perils of Incomplete Planning

Completing Your Planner

• A. What the Planner Contains
• B. Seven Steps to Preparing Your Planner
• C. After You Finish Your Planner

1. Letter to Loved Ones

• A. Tips for Writing Your Letter
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Letter Up to Date

2. Instructions

• A. In Your Planner
• B. Keeping Your Documents Up to Date

3. Biographical Information

• A. Where to Get Help
• B. In Your Planner
• C. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

4. Children

• A. Arranging Care for Children
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

5. Others Who Depend on Me

• A. In Your Planner
• B. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

6. Pets and Livestock

• A. Arranging Care for Pets
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

7. Employment

• A. In Your Planner
• B. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

8. Business Interests

• A. Estate Planning for Small Business Owners
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

9. Memberships

• A. Types of Memberships
• B. Membership Benefits for Survivors
• C. Transferring Frequent Flyer Miles
• D. Where to Get Help
• E. In Your Planner
• F. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

10. Service Providers

• A. In Your Planner
• B. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

11. Health Care Directives

• A. Types of Health Care Directives
• B. How Health Care Directives Work
• C. Choosing Your Health Care Agent
• D. What You Can Cover in Your Health Care Directives
• E. Duty of Medical Personnel to Honor Your Health Care Directives
• F. Where to Get Help
• G. In Your Planner
• H. Keeping Your Documents Up to Date

12. Durable Power of Attorney for Finances

• A. How Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances Work
• B. Choosing Your Agent
• C. Where to Get Help
• D. In Your Planner
• E. Keeping Your Documents Up to Date

13. Organ or Body Donation

• A. Do You Want to Be a Donor?
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

14. Burial or Cremation

• A. Burial or Cremation?
• B. Related Decisions
• C. Where to Get Help
• D. In Your Planner
• E. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

15. Funeral and Memorial Services

• A. Types of Memorial Services
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

16. Obituary

• A. What to Include in Your Obituary
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Obituary Up to Date

17. Will and Trust

• A. Which Estate Planning Documents Do You Need?
• B. An Overview of Wills and Trusts
• C. Choosing Your Executor or Successor Trustee
• D. Avoiding Probate
• E. Where to Get Help
• F. In Your Planner
• G. Keeping Your Documents Up to Date

18. Insurance

• A. What Kind of Insurance Do You Need?
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

19. Bank and Brokerage Accounts

• A. Making Your Accounts Accessible
• B. Avoiding Probate for Bank and Brokerage Accounts
• C. Where to Get Help
• D. In Your Planner
• E. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

20. Retirement Plans and Pensions

• A. Planning for Your Retirement
• B. What Happens to Retirement Accounts When You Die?
• C. Where to Get Help
• D. In Your Planner
• E. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

21. Government Benefits

• A. About Social Security
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

22. Credit Cards and Debts

• A. Evaluating and Reducing Debt
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

23. Secured Places and Passwords

• A. Who Has Access to Your Safe Deposit Box?
• B. In Your Planner
• C. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

24. Taxes

• A. Tax Basics
• B. Estate and Inheritance Taxes
• C. Where to Get Help
• D. In Your Planner
• E. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

25. Real Estate

• A. Ways to Own Property
• B. Special Rules for Married Couples
• C. Where to Get Help
• D. In Your Planner
• E. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

26. Vehicles

• A. Leaving Your Vehicles to Others
• B. Where to Get Help
• C. In Your Planner
• D. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

27. Other Income and Personal Property

• A. In Your Planner
• B. Keeping Your Information Up to Date

Index