Making a “When I Die” File

Before funerals at funeral homes in Oakwood, OH, you need to pull together – and add to, as needed – a “When I Die” file, and you need to make sure that the person who’s appointed to handle your affairs after your death knows where the file is.

Why do you need a “When I Die” file? It may surprise you to find out why having this file is so important for helping the person you want to take care of everything after you die. A “When I Die” file is like a final gift you leave behind after you die.

You need a “When I Die” file because your life is a mosaic comprised of many different elements and things, some of which you seldom think about or, perhaps, are even consciously aware of.

What do you need to put in your “When I Die” file?

Do you have insurance policies? These could include insurance policies for life, for burial, for your property (cars, homes, recreational vehicles, work sites, etc.). If you have any kind of insurance policies, you should put a copy of them in your “When I Die” file.

Make sure that, on each insurance policy, you highlight the type of insurance, the policy dollar amount, the insurance company name, and contact information for redeeming or handling the policy (property insurance may need to be transferred or cancelled, depending on how your assets are to be distributed).

Do you have a will or a revocable trust? Wills and revocable trusts are legal vehicles that authorize a person or people to distribute your assets and to take care of any outstanding business on your behalf after you die.

Technically, the person you name as the executor or trustee in your will or revocable trust should also know where to locate your “When I Die” file when you die. That is because they’ll be overseeing and taking care of the things in your “When I Die” file after you die.

Do you have credit cards? The account information for those credit cards, along with the contact information for the credit cards should be in your “When I Die” file. If you have online accounts with the credit card companies, the information needed to access those accounts should be included as well (provide the company’s website information, along with the username and password that you use to log in to each account).

Do you have checking, savings, and retirement accounts? The information for these accounts should also be included in your “When I Die” file. If you have online access for these accounts, that should also be something that is included in your “When I Die” file. Be sure to include the company website, your username, and your password.

Many people have at least one email account. Some people have several email accounts they use as a way to organize the information they receive. Whether you have one or several email accounts, you should include the login information for them in your “When I Die” file.

If you have pets, you’ll want to make sure they are taken care of when you die. Include a document in your “When I Die” file to indicate who you want them to live with. Also include copies of their veterinary records.

Finally, you probably have a least one social media account. The access to any social media accounts you have should be included in your “When I Die” file so that these accounts can be managed by your executor or trustee (either as memorial sites or deactivated).

If you’d like more guidance about what to include in your “When I Die” file from funeral homes in Oakwood, OH, our compassionate and experienced staff at Glickler Funeral Home & Cremation Service can help.