Things to Get in Order Before You Die
Updated April 2026 · 25-item checklist · The gift your family doesn't know they need
Nobody likes thinking about this. But the people who DO think about it — who organize their finances, document their wishes, and have the hard conversations — give their family the greatest gift imaginable: clarity during chaos. When you die, your family will be grieving, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Every decision you've already made is one they don't have to make through tears. This checklist covers everything. Work through it at your own pace — even doing 3-4 items per weekend makes progress.
This isn't about dying. It's about taking care of the people you love.
Organizing your affairs isn't morbid — it's generous. Every item on this checklist removes a burden from your family. The people who don't prepare aren't being optimistic — they're being unfair to the people who'll clean up after them.
"The best time to do this was 10 years ago. The second-best time is this weekend."
1. Get funeral costs covered — this is item #1 for a reason.
Your funeral will cost $7,848–$14,000+. That bill arrives within 7 days of your death. If your family doesn't have $10,000 sitting in a bank account earmarked for your funeral, they're paying out of pocket — from savings, credit cards, or GoFundMe.
Three ways to cover it:
A. Final expense insurance (recommended for most people over 50)
$30–$70/month. No medical exam. Pays $5,000–$25,000 to your beneficiary within 24-72 hours — fast enough to pay the funeral home before the service. Rate never increases. Can't be outlived.
B. Prepaid funeral plan
Pay the funeral home directly, in advance, at today's prices. Locks in costs. Downside: your money is tied to one funeral home — if they close, get sold, or you move, complications arise.
C. Dedicated savings account
Earmark $10,000–$15,000 in a separate account. Tell your family it's for funeral costs. Downside: savings can be eroded by medical bills, emergencies, or Medicaid spend-down. Not protected the way insurance is.
"Option A (final expense insurance) is the most reliable because it can't be spent, can't be reduced by medical bills, and pays within 72 hours. It's the only option that guarantees the money is there when it's needed."
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2. Make a complete list of your financial accounts.
Write down EVERY account: bank accounts (checking, savings, CDs), retirement accounts (401k, IRA, pension), investment/brokerage accounts, life insurance policies (company, policy number, beneficiary, agent phone), mortgage, car loan, credit cards, student loans, personal loans, and business accounts.
Where to keep this list: In a folder, binder, or envelope labeled "If Something Happens to Me." Tell ONE trusted person where it is. NOT in a safe deposit box — those are often sealed at death and hard to access quickly.
3. Update beneficiary designations on everything.
This is more important than your will. Beneficiary designations on life insurance, retirement accounts, and bank accounts OVERRIDE your will. If your ex-spouse is still listed as beneficiary on your 401k, they get the money — even if your will says otherwise.
Check and update beneficiaries on: life insurance policies, 401k / 403b / retirement plans, IRA accounts, bank accounts (payable-on-death designations), and brokerage accounts (transfer-on-death designations).
"Do this today. It takes 30 minutes per account. The consequences of NOT doing it can devastate your family."
4. Understand what debts die with you — and what don't.
Dies with you (generally): Credit card debt in your name only, personal loans, medical bills, student loans (federal).
Transfers to your family: Joint debts (joint credit cards, co-signed loans), mortgage (if the surviving person wants to keep the house), private student loans with a co-signer.
"Your family is NOT responsible for your individual debts. But collectors will call and pressure them to pay. Knowing the difference protects them."
5. Organize your tax documents.
Your executor will need to file your final tax return. Make findable: last 3 years of tax returns, W-2s or 1099s, Social Security statements, property tax records, and any business tax documents.
Your "If Something Happens to Me" Document
After completing this checklist, create a ONE-PAGE summary your family can grab in an emergency:
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME
My attorney: [Name, phone]
My financial accounts list is located: [Location]
My will is located: [Location]
My advance directive is located: [Location]
My funeral wishes: [Burial/cremation, specific instructions]
My life insurance: [Company, policy #, phone, beneficiary]
My final expense insurance: [Company, policy #, phone, beneficiary]
Person who knows everything: [Name, phone]
Digital passwords are in: [Location]
"Print this. Put it in the front of your planning binder. Tell one person where it is. Done."
Item #1 Is the One That Matters Most
Most people who work through an end-of-life checklist do the will, the advance directive, and the account list. They skip Item #1 — covering funeral costs. They think savings will be enough, or that "someone will figure it out."
Your family won't figure it out. They'll scramble. They'll fight about money. They'll put it on credit cards. And they'll wish — desperately — that you'd spent $40/month on a final expense policy instead of leaving them with a $10,000 bill.
Every other item on this checklist organizes information. Item #1 solves a problem. Do it first.
Start With Item #1 — It Takes 5 Minutes
Final expense insurance: $30–$70/month. No medical exam. Your funeral is covered. Your family is protected.
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