By Kim Boyer
Elder Law News
October 2002
The death of a loved one is a painful time. Confusion over the loved one’s estate can often compound grief to make the hardship even worse. For example, the estate representative cannot locate property described in a will or trust, or cannot locate an insurance policy.
To avoid such situations, you can provide a “map” of your estate to go with your will or trust, compiling all the necessary information in one place. Here is an example of the type of information to provide:
Cash Accounts: Provide addresses, names, account numbers, and any joint ownership information.
Securities: Include names, ID numbers, amounts, and how to find documents.
Trust Documents: List names and addresses of trustees and beneficiaries and the location of trust documents.
Real Estate: Identify other owners and provide the location of deeds, sales contracts, and mortgage information.
Retirement Assets: Identify IRAs, 401(k)s, etc., and any other retirement plans or pensions you are eligible for, and provide beneficiary names.
Insurance Policies: Provide policy numbers, issuers, beneficiaries, and the location of the documents.
Miscellaneous Assets: Describe any valuable items and their locations, including the locations of any deeds or other related documents.
Debts: Describe what you owe and to whom, with account numbers, dates, and any other relevant information.
Personal Information: Provide the location of your Social Security card and any other important documents.
