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Six Kinds of Estate Planning Family Documents and Forms to Secure

Last update on: Aug 07 2020
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Some documents are so important for Estate Planning that they, or copies, should be stored securely. I don’t recommend a safe deposit box, for reasons explained in my June 2002 visit, which is available in the web site Archive. Consider a fireproof container or keeping copies at both the home and the office. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends a waterproof, portable container that you can carry in an emergency. The estate planning documents FEMA recommends securing in this container are:

  • Wills, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds.

 

  • Passports, Social Security cards, and immunization records.

 

  • Bank account numbers.

 

  • Credit card account numbers and company contact information.

 

  • An inventory of valuable household goods (for insurance claims) and important telephone numbers.

 

  • Family records (birth, marriage and death certificates)See www.fema.gov/about/drc.shtm for more details.

 

Estate Planning Document #6

Bob Carlson is the editor of the monthly newsletter, Retirement Watch, the monthly video series, Retirement Watch Spotlight, and a weekly free e-letter, Retirement Watch Weekly. In these, he provides independent, objective research covering all the financial issues of retirement and estate planning.

Mr. Carlson, is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fairfax County Employees’ Retirement System, which has over $2.8 billion in assets, and has served on the board since 1992. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System, which oversaw $42 billion in assets, from 2001-2005.

Carlson is an attorney. He received his J.D. and an M.S. (Accounting) from the University of Virginia and received his B.S. (Financial Management) from Clemson University and passed the CPA Exam. He also is an instrument rated private pilot. He is listed in several recent editions of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.

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