RealSmartica

Educate parents and young adults in practical money matters

Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • A Resource for Schools
  • Podcasts
  • College Planning
  • Financial Housekeeping
  • Money Lessons for Kids
  • Women and Money

Life’s Unpleasantries

March 16, 2017 By Dina Isola 2 Comments

j0398765

My husband was up to something. He was pounding away at the computer and printing like a madman. When I didn’t hear the whir of the printer, there was the distinct sound of the three-hole punch chewing its way through paper.

“I’m working on something,” is all he would say. It seemed to excite him, this project. I wondered what it was.

When “it” appeared, it wasn’t impressive looking. It was a plain white three-ring binder.

“Open it,” is all he said, smiling.

I wondered if it was something romantic. I didn’t figure him as a poet; could I have missed that after all these years of marriage?

He was beaming like a cat that just dragged home a bird carcass as an affectionate offering.

“What is it?” I asked.

“The Death Book.” For some strange reason, he was still smiling. “In case something should happen to me, this book will tell you where everything is, who you need to contact…” he continued on, but I wasn’t listening any longer.

I recoiled from this stark white book like it was a jinx.

“Look at it, this is important,” he said.

He wasn’t smiling any longer. He looked irritated that I didn’t share his enthusiasm for The Death Book.

“It’s morbid,” I said, “I don’t like thinking about this stuff.”

“Well if something were to happen to me and you were stuck digging around trying to find out all this information, then you’d really be depressed.”

He flipped open the book, eager to show me that taking care of business from the great beyond would be his final loving act and would allow him to truly rest in peace.

In it was all the information I could possibly need: Copies of our wills, all the account numbers, passwords, and phone numbers for the kids’ college funds, our joint accounts and retirement accounts, information about his pension, the details of our life insurance policies, and social security information. He had totaled up what kind of payout I could expect. His excitement morphed into relief as he shut the book.

“Well, that’s that,” he said. “Everything is taken care of.”

I had the sense that he would sleep better that night knowing that this was off his shoulders. As for me, I told myself that The Death Book was the best insurance policy I could have that my husband would live a long, long life.


Want to Build Your Own Book?
There are books out there that you can buy, or you can simply get a three ring binder or folder and put the following in it:

  • Copies of your wills, healthcare proxies, durable power of attorney
  • Contact information for your estate planner/attorney, tax advisor and financial planner
  • Social Security cards and statements/log in information
  • Birth Certificates
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Divorce Papers
  • Titles/Deeds to house and cars and any other real estate
  • Current statements for all Bank Accounts, including account numbers and passwords
  • Current statements for all retirement accounts, including account numbers and passwords
  • Current statements for all taxable individual and joint investment accounts, including account numbers and passwords
  • Current statements for all college savings accounts, including account numbers and passwords
  • All savings bonds (or list of them with maturity dates)
  • Insurance policies (account number, passwords, terms of payout)
  • Employer sponsored retirement accounts, including account numbers and passwords
  • Pension funds (account number, passwords, terms of payout)
  • Any lists of instructions you have for family members
  • Any list of personal effects that you would like handed down to specific family members and/or friends (or specific instructions on how to disburse these assets)
  • Any funeral information (cemetery plots, preferences, etc.)
  • Some people personalize their books with family stories that they want handed down, or with personal messages (letters) to loved ones

Filed Under: Financial Housekeeping, Marriage & Money, Parenting & Money, Women and Money

Trackbacks

  1. Planning for the “Big” Day says:
    October 27, 2018 at 5:42 am

    […] a more basic list, check out a blog I wrote a long time ago when I deemed estate planning as an unpleasant […]

  2. Estate Planning Isn’t Just for Millionaires says:
    October 30, 2018 at 4:35 am

    […] a more basic list, check out a blog I wrote a long time ago when I deemed estate planning as an unpleasant […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dina Isola

Since 2002, Dina Isola has worked closely with investors, hearing their concerns. Drawing on her experiences and challenges, Real$martica was born, which focuses on making personal finance issues relatable to women, children and families and educating investors to make informed decisions. A contributor to A Teachable Moment, she is a client relations specialist at Ritholtz Wealth Management. She also serves on Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Task Force.

*Disclaimers

  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Recent Articles

  • Reaching Your Financial Resolutions in 3 Easy Steps
  • When I Find Myself in Times of Trouble
  • Time to Think
  • A Good Lead
  • An Age-Proof Plan
  • Dragging out a College Degree is a Drag on Finances
  • Get into Giving
  • Reflect, but Remember to Act

In the news..

Mortgage Stories
Bankrate.com
Retirement Stories
Bankrate.com
Read current mortgage rates and home loan stories.
Read the latest retirement planning topics and trends.

RSS College Tuition News

  • Miami Dade College and Intel Team Up to Offer Artificial Intelligence Education - Miami Dade College
  • College of DuPage, Valley City State University offer technology and engineering education degree transfer pathway - Daily Herald
  • UH student, faculty honored for excellence in undergraduate education | University of Hawaiʻi System News - University of Hawaii

RSS Personal Budget News

  • Why the budget should treat public health like transport – vital infrastructure with long-term econo - Architecture and Design
  • Public Policy: Big Budget Plus Tax Reform - The Lane Report
  • NYC On Track For $2.2 Billion Surplus, Budget Monitor Projects - Bloomberg Tax

© Copyright 2016 Real$martica · All Rights Reserved · Powered by WordPress ·