This is the third in a continuing series on building a Roadmap for your executor/heirs to follow in the event you are not there to guide them.
To repeat the rationale for this Roadmap, just imagine if you were either gone or incapacitated and your executor/ heirs walked into your home to settle affairs. Would they know where to find everything they needed, without having to sort through every nook and cranny of your home? In some cases they would; but experience in dealing with others tells me many of you havenāt prepared for this moment.
(If you missed columns one and two, they are archived at mysundaynews.com, or if you would like a copy in Word Perfect, e-mail your request to my address listed below).
STEP THREE: The old saying āthe devil is in the detailsā couldnāt be truer when it comes to managing these types of family matters. The compilation of this information will not only be a godsend for your executor/ heirs but for a surviving spouse as well, especially if they are not involved in all of these details. So your Roadmap should contain the following:
1. Where are the spare keys for the car and the house?
2. What is the code to you garage door keypad?
3. Does your car have a keypad on the outside and if so what is the code?
4. What e-mail accounts do you have and what are the user IDās and passwords?
5. What are the user IDās and passwords for any social media you may be on?
6. Who are your Internet, cable, cell, and land-line providers, with phone numbers?
7. Do you have a lawn and/or snow removal service, names, and phone numbers?
8. Do you have a sprinkler system, if so a reminder it needs to be blown out in the fall?
Remember, this information will be extremely valuable if you are incapacitated but your life around you is still going on. Additional items to be included:
1. A list of all health insurance plans, especially supplementals, and do you have a long term care policy, include phone numbers where appropriate.
2. A list of all current medications taken by each family member.
3. A summary of all home improvements, especially those not readily visible to the naked eye, such as a roof, driveway, or HVAC system etc. This will be valuable information if and when the house has to be sold.
4. If you have a pet, who is their veterinarian and is there a reliable pet sitter youāve used in case of an emergency need?
The next several columns will deal with some of the financial information that should be in your Roadmap.
Comments or questions, email tsansom2002@gmail.com.
