Organizing records for your executor

[pinkytoe]

Our estate is very simple - house, car, savings, 401K, and IRA. And of course stuff. I plan on making a notebook with all info including legal docs, account info, letter of instruction regarding last wishes and notes (provenance of various valuable items, family history, who the relatives in the photos are etc...) DD is an only child so I want to make it as simple as possible. I would like her to think her parents had their "chit" together. Although not deceased yet, the lack of non-transparency among DHs siblings who are currently overseeing MILs health and financial decisions is troubling. We are too far away to be actively involved so it is easy for them to leave us in the dark and not the way the lawyer meant for it to be. There was an article in today's local newspaper about an attorney here who handles estates of those who die without heirs. She charges a minimum of $300 hr from the estate to straighten the messes out.

[frugal-one]

The thing that no one has mentioned is a copy of bills (utilities, insurances, etc) that include phone number of who to contact to cancel. When MIL died we didn't even know who to call to cancel the telephone. Each year I update and have the most recent bills in the file.

[razz]

The thing that no one has mentioned is a copy of bills (utilities, insurances, etc) that include phone number of who to contact to cancel. When MIL died we didn't even know who to call to cancel the telephone. Each year I update and have the most recent bills in the file.

good point!

[iris lilies]

The thing that no one has mentioned is a copy of bills (utilities, insurances, etc) that include phone number of who to contact to cancel. When MIL died we didn't even know who to call to cancel the telephone. Each year I update and have the most recent bills in the file.

Yes, good idea. Someone up thread mention insurance, so I put that on my list because our executor will need to know how to cancel various insurance bills. We only get a paper bill a couple of times a year for auto and home. Our executor currently lives in the same city we do so I don’t think I would have to clue him in about utility bills because he knows who those providers are.

[iris lilies]

Oh, but phone service! Yeah, Our record should include the secret password, i.e. our favorite actor because that is what AT&T requires to make any inquiry or change on service.

[nswef]

This is a very useful thread. I hadn't thought of insurance bills. Now to just do it!

[razz]

This is a very useful thread. I hadn't thought of insurance bills. Now to just do it!

To do it and then to keep it updated with any changes in access info

[flowerseverywhere]

We have all the above mentioned writings in a safety deposit box we have jointly with our kids. Copies of everything are in there. When we moved to Fla one of the first things we did was establish a trust and sign all necessary legal documents with an attorney. We also have burial plans all paid for with a space for our cremated remains in a church. Our house has no attic or basement and we continually cull stuff out. When I look back at cleaning out our parents house, filled top to bottom it was an immense chore and one of us was 18 who took all the furniture and kitchen stuff and lived in the house for so year before we sold it. Still a royal pain.
Need to do my yearly update of all financial info this January, thanks for the reminder.

[iris lilies]

OK. I have sketched out my outline. Here it is:

I. Key people to contact in the event of death – I expect each person to pass the word of our death within their group


Iris’ family, Her brothers name and contact info


Mr. Iris’ family, his sisters name and contact info


Key neighbors in our neighborhood, their names and contact info

Garden club people, their names and contact info


Iris’ online community, key people and Contact info


Dog people, key people and their contact information


Herman neighbors, key people and their contact information

II. Sources of income


A list of pensions


III. Utilities

A list of utility providers af each property. Cell phone service provider.

Iv. Insurance

List the company that covers our real estate and our automobiles. List of the provider for our medical insurance. A statement that we have no life insurance policy.

V. Online accounts that you may need to access—note, I dont know what these are yet

VI. Online accounts that should be closed
Facebook???i really cant think of any account I care abput being closed after my death

VII General information such as lists of things we do NOT have to save someone time looking for them: we have no life insurance policy, no safety deposit box, no debit cards, no prepaid funeral plans or any funeral plans, we have no outstanding debt other than the current charges on our credit card. We have no cash in any of the houses.

The key to our mailbox hangs in the basement entry.

VIII. Copies of these documents: birth certificate, deeds, marriage certificates, social Security cards and numbers

VIII. Complete list of assets incuding account numbers, contact info for brokers, etc

[pony mom]

I'm the executor for my mom's cousin's estate. He's made a list of just about anything I would need, like satellite co., garbage disposal, financial planner and tax man, utilities, etc.

I'm actually hoping he dies before my mom does because I don't want to do all of this on my own. His house is LOADED with stuff, he has two John Deere tractors, lots of attachments for them.....to go through and get rid of it all will be a nightmare. In addition to his lists and instructions, I wish he'd get rid of stuff, move to a smaller place and make it all easier for everyone.