Checklist: Data Collection Checklist

Effective estate planning goes beyond legal documents; it’s about equipping your executors, heirs, fiduciaries, family, and friends with the resources and tools they need to seamlessly continue your affairs. Organizing critical information is a cornerstone of this process, ensuring that not only the legal aspects but also the practical aspects are in place for a smoother transition when you’re no longer here.

1. Personal and Family Information

• Personal Information
  • Foundation for Estate Planning: Collect your general personal details, which include your full name, birth date, social security number, spouse’s information (if applicable), residence and domicile information, etc. Having this data readily available will make all future estate planning processes much easier.
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• Career, Professional, & Education
  • Consolidation of Career and Educational Records: Gather and document all significant career and educational information, including degrees, certifications, awards, and major professional milestones. This also encompasses details of retirement accounts, pensions, and any other employment-related benefits. This information helps your beneficiaries understand your accomplishments, skills, and potential assets related to your work.
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• Military Service
  • Access to Military Benefits and Entitlements: Document military service history, including service dates, ranks, deployments, and discharge status, is essential to access various veterans’ benefits. These can include pension plans, education benefits, and health care services.
  • Locate Your DD Form 214: Request a copy from the National Archives if you don’t have it.
  • Honoring Service and Memorial Preferences: Military history is not just about benefits; it’s also about honoring your service. Details about your military service can inform decisions about funeral arrangements, such as eligibility for military honors or burial in a national cemetery.
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• Religious and Spiritual
  • Detail Religious Affiliation: Document your religious denomination or spiritual affiliation and the specific congregation or community you are part of, to provide clear context for your beliefs.
  • Record Place of Worship Information: Include details about your preferred place of worship, such as its location and contact information, to facilitate communication and any relevant religious observances.
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• Personal and Family Information Documents List
  • Documents Summary: The documents mentioned in this section are summarized in the Guide to aid in understanding their purposes. For personalized guidance on their necessity in your specific situation, it is advisable to consult with a professional.
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2. Children and Dependents

• Guardianship and Care for Children and Dependents
  • Document Care Plans and Guardianships: Clearly outline arrangements for the care and guardianship of minor children or dependent adults, including details of appointed guardians and any specific care instructions.
  • Financial Provisions for Dependents: Specify financial arrangements for dependents, such as trusts, education funds, or ongoing support plans, to ensure their financial security and well-being.
  • Legal Arrangements: Emphasize that legal documentation becomes particularly significant upon one’s passing. Even if someone has sole custody of a child during their lifetime, it doesn’t automatically translate to having granted guardianship in the event of their death. The determination of guardianship is a legal matter, and it necessitates the review of pertinent legal documents by a court.
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• Children and Dependents Documents List
  • Documents Summary: The documents mentioned in this section are summarized in the Guide to aid in understanding their purposes. For personalized guidance on their necessity in your specific situation, it is advisable to consult with a professional.
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3. Pets

• Pet Care
  • Designate a Caregiver for Pets: Identify a trusted individual to take responsibility for your pets, ensuring their continued care and well-being.
  • Consider a Pet Trust: Establishing trusts for pet well-being and including provisions in a will can secure a pet’s future care. When making these arrangements, consider responses to questions like “Do you want to allocate funds for the animal’s care?” and “Do you want to prevent the pet from being surrendered to a shelter unless it is a no-kill facility?” to ensure comprehensive planning.
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4. Important Contacts

• Important Contacts Directory
  • Emergency Contacts and Family Members: Provide a comprehensive list of emergency contacts, close family members, and friends, along with their relationship to you and relevant contact details.
  • List of Key Professional Advisors: Include contact information for your lawyer, financial advisor, accountant, and any other professionals involved in your estate planning and financial affairs.
  • Sort Contacts into Groups: We recommend sorting your contacts into five groups – Family, Friends, Business and Work Related, Professional Advisors, and Religious/Spiritual.
  • Existing Resources Can Save You Time: The Estate Preparation Package’s Important Contacts Log provides a straightforward way to record who your important contacts are, how to contact them, and helps keep track of when they’ve been notified of your death.
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5. Your Assets & Income

• Assets and Income Documents List
  • Documents Summary: The documents mentioned in this section are summarized in the Guide to aid in understanding their purposes. For personalized guidance on their necessity in your specific situation, it is advisable to consult with a professional.
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• Real Property
  • List of Real Estate Holdings: Provide a comprehensive list of all real estate properties you own, including residential, commercial, and land, with addresses and property descriptions.
  • Deeds and Ownership Documents: Ensure all deeds and legal documents proving ownership are accessible, detailing the location of these documents and any related property records.
  • Mortgage and Loan Information: Document details of any mortgages or loans attached to the properties, including lender information, account numbers, and remaining balances.
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6. Personal Property

• Bank Accounts
  • List of All Bank Accounts: Document all bank accounts, including checking, savings, and any other types, with bank names, account numbers, and access information like online usernames and passwords.
  • Designate Account Managers or Beneficiaries: Clearly identify who should manage or inherit these accounts, ensuring smooth transfer and management of funds.
• Investment and Retirement Accounts
  • Detailed Inventory of Accounts: Compile a list of all investment and retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and pensions, including account numbers, institutions, and contact information.
  • Beneficiary Designations and Succession Plans: Ensure that all accounts have up-to-date beneficiary designations and outline any succession plans, particularly for accounts with significant tax implications.
  • Strategy for Distribution or Continuation: Provide a strategy for how these accounts should be distributed or managed, considering factors like minimum distribution requirements and tax consequences.
• Digital and Cryptocurrency
  • Inventory of Digital Assets: List all digital currency holdings, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, including wallet addresses, keys, and access instructions.
  • Secure Storage of Access Information: Ensure that access information, like private keys and passwords, is securely stored and accessible to your executor or designated individual.
• Physical Assets (Excluding Vehicles, Firearms, and Weapons)
  • Inventory of Physical Assets: Create a detailed list of significant physical assets such as jewelry, art, collectibles, furniture, and electronics, including their location and estimated value.
  • Appraisal and Documentation: Obtain appraisals for valuable items and keep any certificates of authenticity or purchase receipts that verify their value and ownership.
• Vehicles
  • List All Vehicles: Document all vehicles you own, including cars, motorcycles, boats, and RVs, with details like make, model, year, VIN, and location.
  • Loans, Titles, and Ownership: Document details of vehicle loans and titles, provide guidance on loan repayment or transfer, and include succession plans for leased vehicles.
• Firearms and Weapons
  • Inventory of Firearms and Weapons: Catalog all firearms and weapons, including make, model, serial number, and any relevant licensing or registration information.
  • Secure Storage: Detail the location and secure storage measures of these items to ensure safety and legal compliance.
  • Designated Beneficiaries: Clearly identify who is to inherit these items, considering their eligibility and ability to legally own firearms.
• Debts and Obligations That Are Owed to You
  • List of Debtors and Amounts Owed: Compile a detailed list of all individuals or entities that owe you money, including the amount, terms of repayment, and any relevant documentation.
  • Instructions for Collection or Forgiveness: Provide guidelines on whether these debts should be collected, renegotiated, or forgiven, and under what conditions.
• Other Assets
  • Document Intangible Assets: List any other assets not covered in other categories, like intellectual property rights, mineral or air rights, royalties, or business interests.
  • Instructions for Management or Sale: Provide clear directions on how these assets should be managed, sold, or transferred, including any specific conditions or wishes.
• Other Sources of Income
  • Detail All Remaining Income Streams: Compile a comprehensive list of all your remaining income sources, such as salaries, business income, rental properties, dividends, pensions, social security benefits, and any other regular payments.
  • Instructions for Managing Ongoing Income: Provide guidance on how to handle these income streams after your passing, including which may continue to benefit dependents and which will cease.

7. Your Debts & Expenses

• Credit Cards & Lines of Credit
  • List All Credit Cards and Lines of Credit: Document all credit cards and lines of credit, including issuer names, account numbers, balances, and any associated payment obligations.
  • Instructions for Handling Debt: Provide guidelines on how to manage or settle these debts after your passing, including whether to close accounts or maintain them for specific purposes.
• Debts and Obligations That You Owe
  • List Outstanding Debts Owed to You: Document all outstanding debts owed to you, including personal loans, business loans, or other receivables, with details on the debtor, amount owed, repayment terms, and any associated documentation.
  • Provide Collection Instructions: Outline specific instructions for how these debts should be collected or handled after your passing, including any leniency or forgiveness you wish to extend to certain debtors.
• Memberships, Subscription Services, and Reward Programs
  • List of Memberships and Subscriptions: Compile a comprehensive list of all memberships, subscription services, and reward programs, including details like account numbers, user IDs, and passwords, for easy identification and management.
  • Guidance for Handling Accounts: Provide instructions on whether to continue, modify, or cancel these memberships and subscriptions, and specify any loyalty or reward points and how they should be allocated or used.
• Debts and Expenses Documents List
  • Documents Summary: The documents mentioned in this section are summarized in the Guide to aid in understanding their purposes. For personalized guidance on their necessity in your specific situation, it is advisable to consult with a professional.

8. Health and Medical

• Medical Providers & Health Directives
  • Compile Medical Records and Medical Provider Contact Information: Begin by collecting all medical records, including a detailed medical history, current medications, and a list of treating physicians and specialists. This information will be essential for notifying healthcare providers and managing medical affairs after the loved one passes away. In doing so, create a list of doctors and medical professionals as well as their area of expertise and their contact information.
  • Instructions for Ongoing Medical Care: Provide specific directives or preferences for ongoing medical treatments or health care needs, and include contact information for primary care physicians and specialists, to guide decision-making in health-related matters.
  • Discuss End-of-Life Care Wishes: Have a conversation with the person who will pass away about their end-of-life care wishes, including any advanced healthcare directives or do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Knowing their preferences can help guide medical decisions.
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• Health and Medical Insurance
  • Detail Insurance Policies and Coverage: List all health and medical insurance policies, including provider names, policy numbers, coverage details, and contact information for insurance companies, to ensure easy access and management of health benefits.
• Health and Medical Documents List
  • Documents Summary: The documents mentioned in this section are summarized in the Guide to aid in understanding their purposes. For personalized guidance on their necessity in your specific situation, it is advisable to consult with a professional.

9. Technology, E-Mail, and Online Presence

• Password Managers and Two Factor Authentication
  • Document Password Management Systems: List all password managers and two-factor authentication methods used, including master passwords, recovery codes, and setup instructions, to enable authorized access to digital accounts and assets.
• Computers and Devices (not including mobile phones)
  • Document Device Details and Access Credentials: List all personal computers and digital devices, specifying types (e.g., laptop, tablet), models, and login information, including passwords and encryption keys, to ensure access for managing digital assets and accounts.
  • Instructions for Data and Account Management: Provide guidelines for handling stored data, online accounts, and digital assets linked to these devices, including which should be preserved, closed, or transferred.
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• Mobile Phones
  • Record Access Information: Document your mobile phone’s model, number, carrier, and any important access information like passwords or PINs, to enable executors or family members to manage or retrieve essential data.
  • List of Key Apps and Accounts: Provide a list of significant apps and accounts accessed through your phone, including banking apps, social media, and other services, with instructions on how to handle them.
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• E-Mail and Online Presence</b >
  • Inventory of Email Accounts: Document all email accounts, including usernames, passwords, and any recovery information, to allow access for managing communications and digital assets linked to these accounts.
  • Guidelines for Online Presence Management: Provide instructions for handling your online presence, including social media profiles, blogs, and personal websites, detailing whether to preserve, deactivate, or delete these accounts.
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10. Miscellaneous

• Tax Records and Preparation
  • Maintain Organized Records: Keep a comprehensive and organized record of all tax returns, relevant receipts, and documents for at least the past seven years, ensuring easy access for estate executors and tax professionals.
  • Detail Outstanding Tax Obligations: Document any ongoing or anticipated tax liabilities, including income taxes, property taxes, or estate taxes, to provide clear guidance for settling these obligations from the estate.
  • Include Information on Tax Advisors & Provide Access to Digital Tax Records: List contact details for your tax advisor or accountant who can assist in navigating tax-related matters in your estate. If tax records are stored digitally, ensure access credentials are available to authorized persons to facilitate the management and filing of necessary tax documents.
• Business and Self-Employment
  • Document Business Ownership and Structure: Clearly outline details about any businesses you own or are involved in, including business structure (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC), ownership shares, and roles in the operation.
  • Plan for Business Succession: Establish a succession plan for your business or self-employment venture, detailing how it should be managed or transferred upon your incapacity or death, and who will take over these responsibilities.

11. End of Life and Final Arrangements

• Final Arrangements and the End-of-Life Plan
  • Document Your Final Wishes: Clearly outline your preferences for funeral arrangements, burial or cremation, memorial services, and any other end-of-life wishes.
  • Include Specific Instructions: Provide detailed instructions on any specific rituals, religious or cultural practices, and the handling of your remains, to ensure your wishes are respected.
• Create a Living Will
  • Document Medical Preferences: Outline your preferences for medical treatment and interventions, including decisions about life support, resuscitation, and palliative care.
  • Designate a Healthcare Proxy: Appoint someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated and unable to communicate your wishes.
• Create an Ethical Will
  • Provide Guidance, Not Legal Instructions: Remember that an ethical will is not a legal document but a personal one, meant to express your moral and spiritual values rather than legal or financial instructions.
  • Define Your Values and Legacy: Reflect on the values, beliefs, and life lessons that are most important to you and that you wish to pass on, forming the foundation of your ethical will.
  • Express Personal Thoughts and Wishes: Use the ethical will to share personal thoughts, stories, wisdom, and wishes for your loved ones, offering guidance, love, and support beyond your physical presence.
• Create Afterlife Messages
  • Decide on the Medium and Recipients: Choose the format for your afterlife messages, such as written letters, recorded videos, or digital messages, and identify the intended recipients for each message.
  • Personalize Messages for Loved Ones: Craft individualized messages that convey your feelings, advice, or special memories, providing comfort and closure to your loved ones.
  • Set Delivery Instructions: Arrange for the delivery of these messages, specifying when and how they should be shared, whether immediately after your passing or at a future milestone or anniversary.
• VA Burial Benefits and Memorial Items
  • Eligibility for VA Burial Benefits: Determine your eligibility for VA burial benefits, which can include a gravesite in a VA national cemetery, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, and a government headstone or marker.
  • Understand Coverage and Limitations: Familiarize yourself with what VA burial benefits cover, such as burial allowances to help cover funeral costs, and what they do not cover, like the cost of cremation or a funeral service.
• Donating a Body for Education and/or Research
  • Consider the Benefits and Requirements: Research the requirements and benefits of donating your body to medical education or research institutions, including any specific arrangements that need to be made in advance.
  • Document Your Wishes: Clearly document your decision to donate your body, including any necessary consent forms and the contact information for the institution receiving the donation.
• Understanding End-of-Life Care Options
  • Research Care Options: Explore different end-of-life care options, including hospice care, palliative care, and in-home care, to understand the services and support available.
  • Document Your Preferences: Clearly document your preferences for end-of-life care, including the type of care you wish to receive and the specific providers or facilities you prefer.