Estate Planning Record Keeping Checklist
Once estate planning documents are in order, making sure the individuals that will be implementing your plan have all the necessary information to do so is an important step. Here is a top ten list of information to include in the records stashed in a safe location that is accessible to those who will need them:
- A list of personal information, such as your legal name, address and birth date.
- Statements from all financial accounts and list of other locations that hold assets, such as safe deposit boxes.
- Copies of any lease agreements, titles, and insurance policies for real estate holdings.
- Business records, such as a copy of a partnership agreement.
- Recent statements for any account with beneficiary designations, such as life insurance.
- Documentation of any debt owed.
- Copies of estate planning documents with a instructions on where the originals are kept.
- Tax returns and records that provide supporting documentation.
- A detailed digital assets list accompanied with account information needed to access the accounts.
- An up-to-date contact list for all professional advisors.
See Megan L.W. Jerabek & Jaime D. Levine, Estate Planning Update–February 2015: Personal Record Retention Top Ten, The National law Review, Feb. 9, 2015
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
