What should happen if you can’t speak for yourself, and what should happen after you’re gone. These are the hardest pages in the book to start, and the ones that give the most peace to the people you love.
Why it matters
There are two different situations here, and they need two different plans. If you can’t act, someone has to manage your life while you’re still here, during a hospital stay or a long recovery. If you’re gone, the questions are hard, but they’re settled: there’s a will, an executor, and a court.
Some of these decisions only work if the right people can produce the documents fast. An advance directive locked in a safe deposit box helps no one at two in the morning.
Beneficiary designations deserve special attention. Many accounts, like retirement plans, life insurance, and some bank accounts, pass to the people named on them, outside your will. If those names are out of date, your will can’t fix it. This page is easy to complete, and it’s one of the most important in the book.
And for the people reading after you’re gone, there’s one piece of advice worth writing down: in the first weeks, don’t make any permanent decision that can wait.
What to gather
- Your powers of attorney for health care and finances, and who holds copies
- Your advance directive and any care wishes, and who knows where they are
- Your will or trust, your executor, and your attorney’s contact information
- A list of every account with a beneficiary, and who is named on each
- Your funeral and memorial wishes, as specific as you’d like
- What should happen to your email, photos, and social media accounts
- A short step-by-step letter for whoever has to pick up the pieces
Where to find it
Start with what you already have. Filling in the documents you’ve signed takes about half an hour. Finding out that you don’t have one yet is a good result for one afternoon, because now you know what to ask an attorney.
For beneficiaries, log into each retirement account, insurance policy, and bank account, find the beneficiary section, and write down who is named. Then check that the names still match your wishes.
For your wishes, have the conversation, then write down that you had it, with whom, and when. Sign, tell, and hand out copies.
A free resource
Advance directive forms by state (CaringInfo): free, state-specific advance directive forms and instructions.
What the course adds
The End of Life Decisions module has seven workbook pages: If I Can’t Act, If I’m Gone, End of Life Care, Estate Plan, Beneficiaries, Funeral Plan, and Digital Legacy, each with its own lesson.
The course explains how these documents work and what to record. It isn’t legal advice, and when you reach the point where you need a professional, each lesson says so plainly.
Facts of Life Book Course · $29 · Self-paced · Included in Off The Clock, On Purpose
Keep reading
- The Facts of Life Book: what it is and how the course works
- Financial Information
- Protecting Your Identity
Disclaimer: For educational and informational purposes only. This is not medical, financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult appropriate professionals in each area.