Somewhere in your house, right now, is a drawer full of papers your family will have to sort through when you die. Bank statements mixed with junk mail. Insurance policies from 2003. A password written on a sticky note that fell behind the desk. Your family will spend weeks searching, guessing, and making phone calls that you could have prevented with one document.

This page IS that document. Print it. Fill it in. Put it in a folder. Tell one person where the folder is. That's it. Your family will never have to search for anything.

1

Page 1 — The Emergency Contacts

If I die, call these people first:

Person to handle everything:
Their phone:
Their relationship to me:
My attorney:
Attorney phone:
My doctor:
Doctor phone:
My financial advisor (if any):
Phone:
My employer (if still working):
HR phone:

Call this person FIRST. They know where this folder is because I told them. They will coordinate everything else.

2

Page 2 — How My Funeral Is Paid For

⚠️ THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PAGE IN THIS FOLDER.

☐ I have final expense / burial insurance:

Company:
Policy number:
Phone to file claim:
Beneficiary:
Coverage amount: $

This policy pays within 24-72 hours. File the claim IMMEDIATELY with a death certificate.

☐ I have life insurance:

Company:
Policy number:
Phone:
Beneficiary:
Coverage amount: $

Note: This may take 30-60 days to pay. The funeral home needs payment in 7 days. You may need to front the cost.

☐ I have a prepaid funeral plan:

Funeral home:
Phone:
Contract/plan number:
What's covered:

☐ I have money set aside for the funeral:

Bank:
Account number:
Approximate amount: $

☐ I have NO funeral coverage. My family will need to cover the cost.

Options: See wvfuneralboard.com/guides/how-to-pay-for-funeral-with-no-money

If this box is empty — STOP.

Before you fill in anything else, get funeral costs covered. A 5-minute phone call: 1-855-321-3094. No medical exam. $30-$70/month. Then come back and fill in the rest.

3

Page 3 — My Financial Accounts

Bank Accounts:

BankAccount TypeAccount NumberOnline Login?
    
    
    

Retirement Accounts:

CompanyType (401k/IRA/Pension)Account NumberBeneficiary
    
    

Investment / Brokerage:

CompanyAccount NumberBeneficiary
   

Debts I Owe:

LenderType (Mortgage/Car/CC)Account NumberBalanceJoint?
     
     
     

IMPORTANT: My family is generally NOT responsible for my individual debts. Only joint debts (marked "Yes" above) transfer to the surviving co-signer. Do NOT agree to pay individual debts when collectors call.

4

Page 4 — My Legal Documents

My will is located:
Attorney who has a copy:
My power of attorney is:
Financial POA agent:
Healthcare POA agent:
My advance directive / living will is located:
My trust documents (if any) are located:
Trustee:
Safe / lockbox location:
Combination or key location:

Safe deposit box:

Bank:
Box number:
Key location:

Note: Safe deposit boxes are often sealed at death. The executor may need a court order to access it.

5

Page 5 — My Funeral Wishes

I want: ☐ Burial ☐ Cremation ☐ Green Burial ☐ Water Cremation ☐ Body Donation

Funeral home preference:

(Or: "Use whoever is most affordable")

Service type: ☐ Religious ☐ Secular ☐ No service — just cremation/burial

Location: ☐ Church: _______________ ☐ Funeral home chapel ☐ Other: _______________

Casket / urn preference:

(Or: "The least expensive option is fine")

Open or closed casket: ☐ Open ☐ Closed ☐ No preference

Clothing I want to wear:
Cemetery / burial location:
Plot number (if pre-purchased):

Songs I want played:

1.
2.
3.

Readings / poems:

1.
2.
Who should give the eulogy:

Pallbearers:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Flowers or donations: ☐ Flowers are fine ☐ In lieu of flowers, donate to: _______________

Anything else about the service:
6

Page 6 — My Digital Life

Phone PIN / Passcode:
Computer password:
Email password:
AccountUsername / EmailPasswordNotes
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
Facebook legacy contact (if set up):

Photos are backed up to: ☐ iCloud ☐ Google Photos ☐ External drive at: _______________

🔒 SECURITY NOTE: Store this page SEPARATELY from the rest of the folder — in a sealed envelope labeled "Digital Access — Open After My Death." Passwords in an open folder are a security risk while you're alive.

7

Page 7 — People to Notify

Family:

NameRelationshipPhoneEmail
    
    
    
    
    

Close Friends:

NamePhone
  
  
  
Employer / Colleagues:
Church / Pastor:
Clubs / Organizations:
Neighbors who should know:
8

Page 8 — Important Numbers

Social Security Number:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Driver's License #:

Military Service: ☐ Yes (Branch: _______________ Dates: _______________ ) ☐ No

DD-214 location:
VA claim number (if any):
Health Insurance:
Policy #:
Medicare #:
Medicaid # (if applicable):
9

Page 9 — Things I Want to Say

"This page is optional. But it's the one your family will keep forever."

A letter to my spouse / partner:

A letter to my children:

A letter to my grandchildren:

Something I never said but should have:

My favorite memory:

"These letters don't have to be long. 'I love you and I'm proud of you' is enough. But those words — in your handwriting, found after you're gone — become the most treasured thing your family owns."

What to Do With This Document

1.

Print this page (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P). Fill it in by hand — your handwriting makes it personal.

2.

Put pages 1-5 and 7-8 in a folder labeled "What My Family Needs to Know" or "If Something Happens to Me."

3.

Put page 6 (passwords) in a sealed envelope — store it IN the folder but sealed. Label it "Digital Access — Open After My Death."

4.

Put page 9 (letters) wherever feels right — in the folder, in a separate envelope, or given to each person directly while you're alive.

5.

Tell ONE person where the folder is. Spouse, adult child, sibling, trusted friend. "There's a folder in [location]. It has everything you need."

6.

Update it every 2-3 years — new accounts, new passwords, new grandchildren, changed wishes.

"You just created the most generous document you'll ever write. It's not a legal filing. It's not a financial product. It's a love letter to the people you'll leave behind — disguised as a folder full of paperwork."

Page 2 Is Where Most People Get Stuck

Most people who print this document fill in everything EXCEPT Page 2 — "How My Funeral Is Paid For." They know their bank accounts. They know their passwords. They know what songs they want. But they don't have funeral coverage — so they leave that line blank.

That blank line is the one that costs your family $8,000-$14,000.

Fill it in. One phone call. Five minutes. Then the rest of the document is just details.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Build the Estate Plan Behind This Document

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