I have just done my annual update of my "In case of my death" document. I thought it might be a good time to prompt others to do the same.
My dad died in 2024. We had quite a lot of information on where his savings etc were stored as well as other information like where he wanted to be buried, music he wanted etc. This was very useful and has meant we could get on with things a lot better than others I have known who were trying to track down various accounts which may or may not have significant amounts of money in.
I also run a small business, so if I die with little warning I would want to leave instructions for someone to operate that while they get it sold.
So... If you are mortal and have any dependents. This could be a good time to make some notes to make their lives easier when the inevitable comes.
Things to include - How to get access to all your stuff (ie do you use a password manager, how can they access that?) - Any accounts, savings, pensions, etc. - Where is your will (this doc could likely be stored with your will) - Any music you want at the funeral and why (this was useful for us as my dad had 3 pieces down and while we were grieving didn't have to plan what music to play at the funeral) - Any plans for your funeral, ie do you want to be cremated, buried, etc.
Things to also include if you run a business - Names/Contacts of key employees and what they do - Rough overview of how it works, and who from employees/freelancers to ask for more info - How to run the business day to day, what is the minimum someone would have to do if they want to keep it afloat for a sale - I have nominated a friend who I trust to help running the biz and handle the sale process for my family. Depending on the size of your biz this may or may not make sense. - Suggestions on how to get a quick/easy sale (ie a brokerage you trust to handle this)
Add any other suggestions below, live long and prosper!
