By organizing your financial and legal documents before you die, you can help your family more easily:
- Apply for and claim benefits
- Get through the probate process
- Close bank accounts
- Pay any final estate or income taxes
Below are typical legal and financial accounts, and the types of documentation you should get together to get organized. For a printable checklist of all the documents you might need to collect, use our resource Checklist: Documents to Organize and Share.
Insurance Policies
- Life insurance
- Health insurance
- Car insurance
- Home insurance
- Other insurance policies (theft, fire, earthquake, etc.)
To gather for each policy:
- Company through which the policy was purchased
- A copy of the policy
- Name of policyholder
- Name of insured
- Name of primary beneficiary
- Name of contingent beneficiary
- Login and password information for online account management
Bank Accounts
- Checking accounts
- Savings accounts
- Money market accounts
- Certificates of deposit (CDs)
- Debit cards
To gather for each account:
- Name of bank
- Account number
- PIN number
- Login and password information for online account management
Credit Cards
To gather for each credit card:
- Card number
- Expiration date
- Recent account statements
- Login and password information for online account management
Mortgages Or Loans
- To gather for each mortgage or loan:
- Company through which mortgage or loan was given
- A copy of the mortgage or loan agreement
Tax Returns
- Most recent W-2 forms or federal self-employment tax return
- Income tax returns for the current and previous year, including 1040 variations and 1099s, if applicable
- Gift tax returns
Pension Plans And Retirement Benefit Information
- 401(k) or 403(b) plans
- IRAs
- Roth IRAs
- Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan
- Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension (SARSEP) plan
To gather for each plan:
- Name of organization through which the plan was established
- Name of beneficiary
- Login and password information for online account management
Titles Or Deeds To Any Property
- Real estate
- Motor vehicles
- Boats
Investment Portfolios
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Mutual funds
To gather for each investment:
- Recent statements
- Name of contact person at financial institution, if applicable
For a printable checklist of all the documents you might need to collect, use our resource Checklist: Documents to Organize and Share.
