Additional Practical Steps

 Additional Practical Steps

In addition to having a will and testament and power of attorney, there are additional practical steps you can take during your lifetime which will make things much easier for your family at the time of your passing. Here are a few suggestions.

Burial instructions - if you have bought a plot or made funeral arrangements, explain.

List your life insurance policies and how your beneficiary can contact the insurance company

List where your important documents are: Do you have a safe deposit box? Where? Where is the key? List what's in it.

Describe where your checkbooks are kept

Learn how to make a short, free zoom video, and how to share your screen. Make a video showing how to log on to your email and your bank accounts, and show your passwords. Put this video on a flash drive and in a safe place such as in your safe or safety deposit box after making sure your loved ones can access them. Show on this video how to log on to your important accounts from your primary computer, as well as how to log on to your email accounts. 

Go through your bank account monthly statements. List what is needed and what can be discontinued by your family after your death. Tell your loved ones not to discontinue your cell phone, if you have two-factor security for your bank accounts, otherwise your family won't be able to log on to your bank account - unless you have other provisions.

If you have paid monthly accounts consider carefully which ones will need to continue while your family settles your affairs, so they can continue access to your banking, etc. They should notify your health insurance company of your death so that the premiums do not continue to be withdrawn from your bank.

If you handle your home finances, leave information with your family about how to notify the electric company and other utilities, so that utilities are not switched off for nonpayment. 

If some important data is on your cell phone, explain how to access it, e.g. passwords for various accounts which are stored on your smartphone.

Tell your loved ones how to access your credit cards and student loan accounts so that they can be notified of your death. 

Tell your family to notify the local spiritual assembly and the national spiritual assembly. 

If you have a lawyer or accountant, tell your family how to notify them. 

Tell your family how to notify the Social Security Administration and how to log on to SSA.GOV .

You may wish to write a note to each of your loved ones and have envelopes addressed to each of them with your last loving thoughts, and perhaps a gift or book, for each of them.