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It Can Happen to You
by: Joyce Moseley Pierce
You see it every day on the news. You get up and turn the tv on in the morning
and learn that while you were sleeping, others were involved in accidents that
caused their death. As one friend put it, "You watch the news and think that
somehow your family is protected from these tragedies. After all, these people
don't live in your neighborhood. They come from a different social class. They
were in the wrong place at the wrong time." It wasn't until his 21 year-old
sister was killed in a skiing accident that he realized that all of his
justifications were wrong. Your family most certainly can be affected.
Donna had asked her husband to write some things down for her before his flight
to the Middle East several years ago. He scratched some things out on the
back of an envelope and told her she was being silly. He returned from that
trip, but a few short months later was killed by a drunk driver.
At least Donna had something to start with, but she wasn't prepared for all of
the questions the funeral home fired at her. She knew what bank accounts they
had, and had helped with paying the bills over the years, but what about funeral
arrangements? Did he want to be buried in Louisiana with his parents, or here in
Texas where she and her family lived? cremation or burial? What about the
obituary for the newspaper? Did she have all of the accurate information they
needed to write it?
Her emotions were raw as she tried to deal with the reality of it all. Was this
all just a bad dream that would soon end? She just wanted to go home and grieve,
but there were too many things to think about.
* How long will it take to settle the estate?
* Will I have enough cash to live on until then?
* Will the insurance come before they foreclose on the house?
* Where is the real copy of the will?
* How can I prove stock ownership?
* Do I know about all bank accounts and insurance policies?
* How do I collect social security?
* Whose advice can I trust?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, now is a good time for you to
start thinking about them. What are some things you can do to be better prepared
for these situations?
1. Talk to your spouse (and don’t forget your parents) and explain the
importance of working together to put this information together now. Accidents
aren’t something we schedule!
2. Gather important papers. Include birth certificates, pre-paid funeral
arrangements, military records, current bank and credit card statements, wills,
safe deposit information (bank, box number, authorized signers, contents),
employment information - insurance, savings plans, retirement accounts, etc.,
savings account statements, stock certificates, loan agreements, automobile titles, health and life insurance.
3. Discuss the disposition of personal items. This will help avoid family feuds
when it comes time to decide who should get grandfather's watch or mother's
pearls.
4. Make copies of these documents and file the originals in a safe place. A
fireproof safe at home is recommended so you'll have access to them on the
weekend. You might even consider scanning them and saving them to a CD.
5. Keep the information up to date. Decide to go through these records at least
annually to make sure the information hasn't changed. Take this opportunity to
discard outdated information.
6. Make sure someone in your family, and a trusted family friend, knows where
this information is stored so it can be retrieved at a moment's notice. The
fireproof box is a good place to keep it along with your original documents, but
be sure to put it back each time you update the information.
You are doing your family a disservice if you don't prepare this information for
them while you're able. It doesn’t make sense to provide for them throughout
your life, only to leave them struggling when they need your guidance more than
ever.
Copyright 2002 Joyce Moseley Pierce
Joyce is a freelance writer and owner of Emerson Publications. Her latest release is “24 Days of Christmas,” to help families center on the birth of Christ during the holiday season. She is also the creator of “All They’ll Need to Know,” a book that will be invaluable to your loved ones when you can’t be there to guide them. Visit www.emersonpublications.com for lots of good family-friendly information.