You have spent your whole life organizing your legal documents, so each piece is readily available for doctors’ visits, taxes or other financial opportunities. But does your family understand where to find these vital documents in a time of need?

 

Utilize this checklist to create an inventory of all of your personal, financial, and legal affairs to provide your family with sound solutions in case someone else has to take over the reins.

 

“The only thing you take with you when you’re gone is what you leave behind.”- John Allston

 

 Personal Items – Communicate or write down the location of the items below:

• Birth Certificate
• Driver’s license
• Social Security Card
• Passport/Citizenship ID
• Adoption Papers
• Marriage Certificate
• Pre-Nuptial Agreement
• Divorce or Separation Papers
• Safe Deposit Box(es) and Keys
• Safe and Combination

Key Professional Contacts – Make sure you know the contact name, company, and contact information.

• Financial Professional
• CPA/Accountant
• Attorney
• Executor of Estate

 

Personal Financial Documents   – Communicate or write down the location of the items below:

• Appraisals for Valuable Items
• Inventory for Valuable Items
• Buy/Sell or Partnership Agreements
• Deferred Compensation Agreements
• Federal/State Gift Tax Returns
• Your Prior Tax Returns
• Motor Vehicle Title and Registration Papers
• Lawsuit or Documents on Pending Legal Actions
• Promissory Notes
• Outstanding Loans
• Mortgage Documents
• Medical Bills, Records, and Prescription Plan Cards
• Property and School Tax Records
• Real Estate Deeds and Title of Ownership
• Rental or Lease Agreements
• Trust Documents

 

Legal Documents   – Communicate or write down the location of the items below:

• Living Will/Health Care Proxy
• Durable Power of Attorney
• Proprietary Power of Attorney Forms

Final Arrangements Paperwork   – Communicate or write down the location of the items below:

• Death Certificates
• Last Will & Testament
• Burial or Cremation Instructions
• Cemetery Plot Deed or Cremation Documents
• Funeral Home Preference
• Letter of Instruction
• Information of Obituaries
• Charitable Donations Military Discharge Papers
• Contact Information of Country Surrogate Court

 

Securities offered through SCF Securities,Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC 155 E. Shaw Ave. Suite 102, Fresno, CA 93710 • (800) 955-2517 •Fax (559) 456- 6109. SCF Securities, Inc. and Creative Financial Strategies LLC are independently owned and operated. www.scfsecurities.com Note: Securities offered through SCF Securities Inc., Investment Advisory Services offered through SCF Investment Advisors, Inc.