Taking Care of Business

Information Family Members Should Know

God said in His word, “Do things decently and in order.” Preparation is the key to order. By taking time now to adhere to the information listed below you can rest more peacefully knowing that your family members will be better organized, well-informed and know exactly what to do at the time of your unfortunate passing. The items are not listed in any particular order, but they all are very important steps to follow:

Get a fire proof filing cabinet, if you don’t have one.

Purchase some file folders.
 

Record family members’ dates of birth, social security numbers, bank account numbers, and employers’ phone numbers in a file folder labeled “Impor­tant Dates and Contact Numbers.”

Make it a point to share other private numbers/pass words with your family members, as well as pin numbers, your computer password, garage door code number, and house security system code. Insert 401K, CD and IRA paperwork into a file labeled “Financial Portfolio.”

Store all insurance policies, including homeowners, • rental, auto, fire, flood, and/or hazard, as well as insurance policies/medical benefits/pension plans that you have obtained via your place of employment into a file labeled “Insurance.” Include the name, address and phone number of the Human Resources Director at your job with your employment insurance paperwork.

If you still have a mortgage, document who it is financed through and log it in a file folder labeled “Mortgage.”

If you have a car note, document where and whom it is financed through and label the file folder “Car Note.”

Put your will in a file folder labeled “Will,” if you have one; if not, get one drawn up immediately.

In addition to the regular will, get a Living Trust done. A Living Trust is much better to have than a regular will. It will protect your family from going to Probate Court. Going to Probate will cost a lot of money. If you cannot afford to do this you may want to invest in the Living Trust software that can be found in most stores. However, it is important to do things with the proper guidance to ensure that whatever you choose to do will be valid and non-revocable. If you don’t want to be put on a respirator if an illness occurs, taking the route of a Living Trust is very important. This will give your family the right to relay your wishes to your doctor.

Make sure that your beneficiary information is up to-date on everything.

Write down all medications and dosages that you are currently taking. Make three copies of this medication list; one for your medicine cabinet, one for your file cabinet, and one for the glove compartment of your car (This is very helpful if you have an accident or some other type of medical issue occurs while you are driving). Update it as needed. Also, record your doctor(s) name, address and phone number on your medication list.

Research where you would like to buried, then discuss this information with your family members.

All of this is vital information and will save time and heartache for your family members when the need for it arises. Tell your family where this important information is located. If they don’t want to talk about it, tell them any­way. Even though this is one of the most important con­versations families should have, it is one of the hardest. It is hard to discuss death because no one wants to imagine someone that they love not being around, Though not having this conversation can leave loved ones struggling to figure out what to do.

Be sure to go over all of the information with your loved ones, so that they will gain a clearer understanding of why these matters are so important to you.