We give our estate planning clients a binder to store their estate planning documents. Within that binder, we advise them to add documents enabling their agents (trusted persons) to access information on their behalf when needed.
Keep items such as the following in your estate planning binder to assist your agent:
Names and contact information for bankers, lawyers, and insurance agents
Digital and hard assets
Bank accounts, bills, debts, credit cards
Insurance policies, annuities, pensions
PINs and passwords
Include a list of all companies and invoice types (monthly, quarterly, annually) that automatically debit money from your checking account. This list is about anyone and anything that is part of your financial life.
A bank statement from each account you hold
Vehicle titles
Contracts and business agreement documents
Funeral arrangements
We have great hope that you already have an estate plan with necessary documents such as a will, living will, durable power of attorney, and health care proxy. If you do not, schedule your consultation so you can check this off your list in 2024.