As hard as it may be to think about, death is an inevitable part of our lives. It’s never easy to face the idea, especially as we age, but it is crucial to create a plan and organize your affairs while still in good health. Doing so will ensure there is less work for your loved ones to deal with as they mourn the loss of you.
Not only will it be less work for those you leave behind, but having your affairs organized properly now means that your assets, be it money, property, or anything else, is taken care of as you’d wish. With no two lives being the same, organization priorities will look different for everyone but here’s 3 important ways to make things easiest for loved ones.
Create A Will
This sounds like an obvious course of action for anyone looking to plan out the remainder of their lives, but some will find this difficult to actually commit to as they’ll be looking right at their own morality. While it may be tough to stomach, it’s crucial to have your wishes laid out in a legally binding document.
It’s about more than just money as a will can be all-encompassing and cover anything from who you’d like to watch over your minor-aged children to the fact that you are firmly set on donating your body to science. Having a will makes sure your assets are spread out the way you’d want all while hopefully being a means to avoid family conflict.
Organize Your Documents
Beyond your will, it is also crucial to have any and all important documents in a place that’s either easy to find or somewhere a loved one has access to. Think of documents and papers such as your social security card, birth certificate, a marriage license and deeds to anything like a car or house. Also organize items such as banking information, any investments or insurance policies.
Having all paperwork like this in a safe or deposit box that a friend or family member can access makes for less work they have to do as they are executing your wishes. With all needed documents in one organized place, it will also be easier for the wishes laid out in your will to be fulfilled.
List Your Passwords
Given we live in an ever increasingly digital world, it is important to have a complete as possible list of account names and passwords for anything important you do online. Share these however you feel comfortable, be it literally hand writing out passwords, typing out your passwords in a Word document, or sharing the master password for a password manager you may use.
As your affairs are being sorted out, your loved ones having access to account information for things like online banking, shopping, and social media will make the process for them all the easier. Social media accounts may not seem important but will be the easiest way to inform all distant friends and relatives of your passing.
