Do you have room for one more New Year’s resolution on your list? If so, click here to read an article that appeared in Time magazine entitled “Why You Need to Make a ‘When I Die’ File—Before It’s Too Late.”
While this is a topic that makes many of us uncomfortable, the article is filled with practical suggestions for getting your affairs in order. Do you have boxes of unidentified photos? Do you have a current will? A list of service providers? Although getting things sorted may seem like a daunting task, you don’t have to do it all at once. Here are a few things the article suggests you address to get started:
□ An advance directive that’s signed (and notarized if necessary)
□ A will and living trust (with certificate of trust)
□ Marriage or divorce certificate(s)
□ Passwords for phone, computer, email, and social media accounts
□ Instructions for your funeral and final disposition
□ An ethical will
□ Letters to loved ones
The article has many other practical suggestions to offer. Creating a “When I Die” file may be the best gift you can give your family this year.
Click here for an annotated list of resources to help with wherever you are in this process.
–Tidelines Editors