Have you ever considered writing down a list of all your assets (with account numbers, passwords, and so on), as well as debts and recurring payments?
Why Should I Make a List?
Making such a list and putting it in a secure place can be a godsend if something ever happens to you and you become incapacitated, because your family will have a much easier time looking after your affairs.
In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, a middle-class couple described the extraordinary difficulties they faced when the wife’s parents developed medical problems and could no longer handle their own finances. The couple had no idea what assets the parents owned, what insurance they had, where to find records, what bills needed to be paid, and so on. Handling the parents’ affairs became a nearly full-time investigative job.
As a result of the experience, the couple resolved to maintain such a list for their own children.
The problem has only gotten worse in recent years, because of the proliferation of electronic reporting. In the past, bills and account statements would arrive regularly by mail, but now, many people access everything online. As a result, a family might never have the comfort of knowing they’ve located all of a person’s assets.
If you make such a list, a good plan is to update it at least once a year, maybe when you do your taxes. The list has other advantages – for instance, you can always go to one spot if you forget an account number or a password. Also, reviewing and updating the list regularly can help you see what changes or improvements might be needed in your own estate planning.
If you have any additional questions about estate planning or would like to schedule a free review of your documents, please feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience.
Image courtesy of Sira Anamwong at Freedigitalphotos.net
