It can be extremely difficult to focus on administrative and other tasks when dealing with the loss of a family member. This checklist will help you account for all the various details that need to be addressed.
Contact:
- Funeral home
- Primary care physician
- Deceased’s place of worship
- Close family and friends
- Deceased’s current and past employers
- Financial advisor
- Attorney, if necessary
- Accountant
- Executor
- Trustee
- Landlord
- Credit card companies
- U.S. Post Office
- Social Security Administration
- Veterans Administration
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (if not a U.S. citizen)
- State Department of Motor Vehicles
- Credit-reporting agencies
- Insurance companies, including health, dental, life, disability, long-term care, automobile, and home insurers
- Associations, clubs, unions, and professional organizations
- Service providers, such as housekeepers, landscapers, trash collectors
- Doctors, dentists, and other health care professionals
Arrange for:
- Funeral, cremation, or memorial services, if not prearranged
- Your own bereavement leave
- Obituary
- Certified copies of death certificates
- Security for deceased’s home and close relatives during the funeral
- Care for minors and dependent family members
- Care for pets
Locate:
- Estate documents (wills, trusts, and written preferences for final arrangements)
- Prepaid funeral or cremation documents
- Deed to cemetery plot
- Safe-deposit box, if any
- Deeds and titles of property
- Birth, marriage, divorce, prenuptial, child support, and military discharge documents
- Birth or adoption documents of children
- Brokerage and bank account statements and checkbooks
- Credit card statements
- Pension and retirement plan administrators
- Life insurance contracts, including policies through associations, employers, and banks
- Annuity contracts
- Business buy-sell agreements
If you are looking for guidance after the loss of a loved one, we are here to help. We will work closely with you and your tax and legal professionals to make sure your loved ones’ financial affairs are handled properly. Contact the Odyssey Group team here.
Please note: Some items will be completed by the executor or personal representative in the course of opening the probate process.
This material has been provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute either tax or legal advice. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a tax preparer, professional tax advisor, or lawyer.
© 2020 Commonwealth Financial Network®
