GETTING YOUR
AFFAIRS IN ORDER
Before
something unforeseen happens in your life, you should make a list of Personal Records, Financial Records and a copy of the Contents of Your Wallet.
Make a separate list for every person in your household and make
sure someone outside your home has access to a copy. Inform such a person where the list is
located, or if you really trust their judgment, give them a copy to keep in a
safe place. Remember, something could
happen to everyone in your household, so it is important to make your lists and
make sure they can be found if needed.
These records could also be valuable if you retire, move, or suffer a
disaster such as fire, flood, earthquake, or other major loss of property.
PERSONAL RECORDS
·
Full
legal name
·
Social
Security number
·
Legal
residence
·
Date
and place of birth
·
Names
and addresses of spouse and children (or location of death certificate if any
are deceased)
·
Location
of trust and/or will
·
Location
of birth certificate and certificates of marriage, divorce, and citizenship
·
List
of employers and dates of employment
·
Education
and military records
·
Religious
affiliation, name of church or synagogue, and names of clergy
·
Memberships
in organizations and awards received
·
Names
and addresses of close friends, relatives, doctors, lawyers, financial
advisors, and tax preparers
·
Any
inventories of clothing, furniture, and other possessions
·
Requests,
preferences, or prearrangements for burial and location of receipts for prepaid
arrangements
·
Obituary
outline listing all information you wish to be included
·
Xerox
copy of wallet contents (front and back of all cards, including contact
information for reporting them lost or stolen) and include phone numbers
of the 3 national credit reporting
organizations to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number
(Equifax: 1-800-525-6235; Experian: 1-888-397-3742;
Trans Union: 1-800-888-4213) and the Social Security Administration fraud line
(1-800-269-0271)
FINANCIAL RECORDS
·
Sources
of income and assets (pension funds, interest income, etc.)
·
Social
Security and Medicare information
·
Investment
income (stocks, bonds, property)
·
Insurance
information (life, health, and property) with addresses, phone numbers and
policy numbers
·
Bank
accounts (checking, savings, and credit unions)
·
Location
of safe deposit boxes
·
Copy
of most recent income tax return
·
Liabilities--what
is owed to whom and when payments are due
·
Mortgages
and debts--how and when paid
·
Credit
card and charge account names, with addresses, phone numbers, and account
numbers
·
Property
taxes
·
Location
of all personal items of value such as jewelry, artworks, and family treasures