Your Just-In-Case List

Some lists are easy and fun to write. Other lists are so grim that procrastination kicks in – your Just-in-Case list likely falls into this category.

A Just-in-Case list is where you keep your personal information, names of professional advisors, location of your Will, insurance policy numbers, end of life preferences, maybe even requested details of your Celebration of Life party, and so forth.

It’s a lot of work, but a little time and attention now can save your family an enormous amount of effort at a time when they need the most help.

Depending on how organized you are at the outset, this effort could be quite time consuming. It’s also going to take some discipline to keep it up to date.

1. Here’s the first step: decide what your list looks like. Is it a binder? Is it the top drawer of your filing cabinet? Is there clever app you can download for that.

2. Secondly, decide how you’ll secure access to all this sensitive information. You can password protect a Word document; you can keep the list in your safe at home; you can put it in your safety deposit box in your bank.

3. Next, figure out how your executor or trusted someone will know where to find and how to open your Just-in-Case list. Do you write down the location and the password for the digital document? Do you want to write down the combination to your home safe or the location of the key to your safety deposit box?

4. Now begin pulling everything together. Give your executor an original version of your will, as he or she may not be able to persuade the bank to let you into the safety deposit box in order to get the original.

As a start, I’ve listed the basic records to consider including in your Just-in-Case file:

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Include photocopies of documents, document numbers, and/or location of document

• Date of Birth

• Place of Birth

• Social Insurance Number

• Driver’s License Number

• Provincial Insurance Number

• Passport Number

• Principal Family Contact and other family members’ names and contacts

• Funeral Arrangements and wishes

PERSONAL ADVISORS

Include name, institution, address, phone and email contact details

• Executor

• Power of Attorney for Property and Personal Care

• Financial

• Lawyer

• Accountant

• Doctors

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Include photocopies, or just state the location of both the original document as well as a copy

• Wills, Powers of Attorney

• Passport, Birth Certificate and Citizenship documentation

• Marriage Certificate

• Real estate records and deeds

• Location and contents of Safety Deposit Boxes

• Bank Accounts, Investment Accounts and Credit Cards (Institution, Branch, account number and account type)

• Pension(s) details

• Income Tax Returns

• Subscriptions, Memberships

• Utilities accounts

INSURANCE

List provider, details, payment schedule, or simply include actual policy documents

• House and Property

• Vehicle

• Mortgage

• Life Insurance

• Critical Illness Insurance

• Retiree Group Life Insurance

• Supplementary Health and Dental

• Cottage, boat, plane

As you think about the things you’d rather do with your time on a Saturday afternoon, contemplate how long it would take your executor (have you even assigned an executor?) to sift through your filing cabinets and computer files to assemble all of this material. This effort could seriously prolong the time and expense required to settle your estate.