In my travels the past few months, to help family and work with clients… and just to enjoy parts of our gorgeous country and Canada, I am asked continually about downsizing and getting vital estate documents in order (wills, trusts, financial and healthcare directives, etc Related Site.). I’ll reflect on downsizing at another time… for now I want to note the importance of not waiting until you are (perceived) older/old to take care of, and get in order, those most important vital estate documents.
Your estate documents are essential, but what I find not focused on are birth certificates, marriage and divorce papers and the all important “Letter of Wishes.” Your “Letter of Wishes” is a vital document attached to your estate documents that contains your burial wishes, how you want your personal effects to be distributed, a list of people to notify and all your bank, credit card, investment, insurance, property and social security information, to name a few. That information is what will help guide your executor and/or trustee to handle your wishes in the manner YOU WANT them handled.
Attaching your “Letter of Wishes” to your estate documents and making sure your executor and/or trustee are aware of it is of utmost importance.