Putting Finances in Order!
The more information you can gather before your loved one’s health declines, the better. The more organized your documents and important papers are early on, the easier things will be for you later in the senior-care journey.
It’s challenging to locate papers when you are under duress or in crisis mode. So start rounding up the following documents now. You will need them to do a complete estate plan, handle medical situations, and settle final affairs. Be aware that these documents and papers may be disorganized and in several places. Begin your search, and organize as you go — before you think you will need them.
Essential Basic Documents: (Not everyone will have all of these.) Please note that The Care Company Store offers The Empowered Caregiver Manual to help you get and stay organized and develop a system that supports you in all of your caregiving duties. We’ve done the work for you! It is available inThe Store.
Alphabetically:
- Adoption papers
- Birth certificate
- Certificate for cemetery plot or certificate of funeral pre-payment
- Citizenship/naturalization papers
- Credit card information and account numbers
- Divorce papers
- Income tax returns (most recent)
- Marriage certificate
- Military discharge papers (especially if you want a military burial)
- Receipts for tax deductions
- Passport or passport number
- Power of Attorney for Assets
- Power of Attorney for Medical – Advanced Health Care Directive
- Safety deposit box number and key
- Safe location and combination or key, plus a list of contents
- Social Security card
- Spouse’s death certificate
- Trusts
- Will (original document, addendums & spouse’s – this might be kept at the attorney’s office.
Assets
- Annuities
- Bond and stock certificates, 401-K plans, IRA’s
- Claims – amounts due
- Debts – owed or due
- Checking account – bank, account numbers and location
- Judgments
- Keogh plans
- Loans
- Military retirement benefits
- Mortgages – owned and payments due (include reverse mortgages)
- Mutual funds
- Pension plans
- Profit-sharing plans
- Promissory notes
- Property owned – independently or co-partnerships
- Royalties
- Savings accounts
Household Inventory
- Easements
- List of loaned items
- List of stored items – name of storage facility, contact info and key to lock or combination
- Valuables – list all valuables (photograph and catalog if possible)
Insurance
You need the name of the company, the policy number and agent (if there is one)
- Car insurance policy
- Disability insurance policy
- Homeowner’s policy
- Health/accident insurance policy
- Liability insurance policy
- Life insurance policy (and beneficiary)
- Long-term care insurance policy
- Renter’s insurance policy
- Umbrella policy
- Valuables insurance policy (art, jewelry etc.)
Loans – Paid to what institution, for what, how long?
- Automobile loans
- Bank loans
- Credit union loans
- Finance company loans
- Installment loans
- Personal loans – (from whom, for what?)
Real Estate
- Real estate deeds
- Rents owed
- Real estate mortgages owed
- Vacation home or timeshare
Vehicles
- Payment schedule (to whom, how long, own or lease)
- Titles to vehicles
- Service records
We realize that this is a lot of information, but you don’t need to gather it all at once. It is merely a guide to assist you in getting organized so that you will have an easier time when institutions, companies, medical facilities or government offices begin asking you for these items. It gives you an overall picture of what you will be dealing with as time goes on.
Remember, an organized caregiver is an Empowered Caregiver.
