The "In Case I'm Gone" Binder: Exactly What to Include

The first thing in your binder should be a single summary page your family can read in 60 seconds. It doesn't need to be perfect — just clear.

• ☐Your full legal name and date of birth
• ☐Your Social Security number (consider storing this separately and noting its location here)
• ☐The name and phone number of your estate attorney
• ☐The name and phone number of your executor
• ☐Location of your original will
• ☐Location of your life insurance policies
• ☐Three people to call in the first 24 hours (with phone numbers)
• ☐Your funeral home preference (if you have one)
• ☐A one-line note on burial vs. cremation preference

Your family needs to know where your money is — not the passwords or account numbers, just the institutions. Include enough to start the process.

• ☐Name of every bank where you have an account (checking, savings)
• ☐Name of your brokerage or investment firm
• ☐Type of retirement accounts held (401k, IRA, Roth IRA) and the institution name
• ☐Any pension plan — employer name and HR contact
• ☐Outstanding loans: mortgage lender, auto loan, any personal loan
• ☐Name and contact of your financial advisor (if applicable)
• ☐Location of your most recent tax return
• ☐Safe deposit box location and where the key is kept

Life insurance is one of the most commonly unclaimed assets after a death — because families don't know it exists. List every policy here.

• ☐Life insurance: company name, policy number, agent name and phone
• ☐Life insurance through your employer (check with HR)
• ☐Health insurance: company name, group number, member ID
• ☐Medicare / Medicaid information (if applicable)
• ☐Homeowner's or renter's insurance: company, policy number, agent
• ☐Auto insurance: company and policy number
• ☐Long-term care insurance (if applicable)
• ☐Any annuities or cash-value life insurance policies

Copies only here — originals should be with your attorney or in a fireproof safe. The point of this section is letting your family know these documents exist and where to find the originals.

• ☐Copy of your will (with note: 'Original is at [attorney name and address]')
• ☐Trust documents (if you have a living trust)
• ☐Financial power of attorney — who has it, and their contact info
• ☐Healthcare power of attorney / healthcare proxy
• ☐Living will / advance healthcare directive
• ☐HIPAA authorization for medical records
• ☐Guardianship designations for minor children or dependents
• ☐Military discharge papers (DD-214) if applicable

Anything your family might inherit or need to manage — real estate, vehicles, and anything else of value.

• ☐Home: address, mortgage lender name, approximate payoff, where the deed is stored
• ☐Vehicles: make, model, year, and where the title is stored
• ☐Real estate you own (rental properties, vacation home, land)
• ☐Boat, RV, or other titled property
• ☐Safe deposit box: bank name, box number, key location
• ☐Storage unit: location, unit number, access code or key location
• ☐Business ownership: business name, your role, attorney contact
• ☐Any property held in a trust

Your digital life needs to be managed too. Don't leave passwords here — leave enough information that your family knows what to shut down, memorialize, or inherit.

• ☐Your primary email address (this is the key to resetting everything else)
• ☐Your phone PIN (critical for two-factor authentication)
• ☐Location of your password manager (app name, type — not the master password)
• ☐Social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn — and your wishes for each (memorialize vs. delete)
• ☐Google / Apple account: note these lock down your phone, photos, and contacts
• ☐Subscription services to cancel immediately: streaming, news, software
• ☐Subscription services NOT to cancel: anything tied to your estate business or shared plans
• ☐Online bank or financial accounts (list the institution — family can call to claim)

Write your preferences clearly. Your family will be grieving. The less they have to guess, the better.

• ☐Burial or cremation — clearly stated
• ☐Funeral home preference (or one you've already pre-arranged with)
• ☐Church or religious institution (if applicable), and who to contact
• ☐Names of people you'd want to serve as pallbearers
• ☐Songs, readings, or specific wishes for the service
• ☐Charitable donations in lieu of flowers (if desired)
• ☐Where you'd like to be buried or have ashes scattered
• ☐Any pre-paid funeral plan details: company name, contract number
• ☐Organ donation preference (and whether it's on your driver's license)
• ☐Instructions for pets

This is the section that turns a binder into something genuinely meaningful. Optional — but worth the twenty minutes it takes.

• ☐A letter to your spouse or partner
• ☐Letters to your children or grandchildren
• ☐A message to your executor thanking them for what they're taking on
• ☐Any unfinished personal business you'd want handled
• ☐Who you'd like to receive sentimental items not covered by the will
• ☐Passwords or instructions for any journals, diaries, or digital writing