Getting Prepared

Where Do You Begin?

Preparing for end of life can seem like a large task. There are documents, accounts, responsibilities, personal information, and countless details accumulated over a lifetime.

The real question is: Where do you begin?

You don't have to start organizing everything at once. Start by asking yourself what someone would need to know if they suddenly had to manage your affairs.

Beyond the Documents

Having a will, power of attorney, insurance policy, or other important document is part of being prepared. But having important documents and knowing where to find them are two different things.

Someone may know that you have insurance but not know whom to contact. They may know that you have financial accounts but not know where they are held. They may know that important documents exist but not know where to find them.

Much of the information we use every day becomes so familiar to us that we rarely think about whether someone else would know it.

Think About

Asking questions.

What information should I leave my family?

What documents should I organize?

What information will my executor need?

What happens to automatic payments when someone dies?

How will my family find my online accounts?

Who needs to be contacted?

Where will someone find the information they need?

By answering questions like these, you begin to identify what information may be important.

Getting Started

Preparation doesn’t have to happen all at once. What matters is recognizing what information is important and beginning to put it together.

Once you start looking at your affairs and answering some of the questions that come up, you begin to see what it takes to manage them and how you might organize the information for the person or people who may someday need it.

Preparing for End of Life provides a practical system to help you take that step.