Welcome to the Legacy Notebook Series. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
This series, part of the write-31-days challenge, walks you through the process of capturing and organizing your important ‘life’ info for your loved ones.
What’s a legacy notebook, anyway?
A legacy notebook is just my term for a binder (or file or box) that contains the really important stuff that your family needs to know when you are no longer around to tell them. This blog series will take you step-by-step through the process of getting all your mission-critical information in one place and put together in a way that is meaningful to you and helpful to ‘your people’ after you are gone.
Your loved ones don’t just need your will. There’s a bunch of other stuff that is truly helpful to have and will take some of the stress out of an already stressful and emotional time. This isn’t something that only applies to people with oodles of cash, either.
I call it a creating a legacy notebook. Maybe you have a better name for it. Call it whatever works for you (and share the name with me!).
Your financial legacy isn’t just about the assets you leave behind. Sure, the wealth you’ve worked hard to accumulate is part of the picture, but it’s also your wishes for how your “stuff” should be handled and the unfinished business that outlives you and needs tidying up.
We won’t venture into anything in the realm of complex estate planning. Instead, we will cover the basics that most of us need to address, whether we have $1,000 in the bank or $1,000,000 or somewhere in between.
Creating your legacy notebook will take worries off your shoulders that you didn’t even know were there. Subscribe below to get the series delivered to your inbox, along with helpful checklists and worksheets.
Let’s get started!
Intro: Your Financial Legacy & Why It Matters
Day 1: What’s a Legacy Notebook, Anyway?
Day 2: Topics We Will Cover During the Series
Day 3: Managing Passwords
Day 4: Organizing Banking Information
Day 5: Your Investment Accounts
Day 6: Credit Card Accounts
Day 7: Vehicle Loans, Mortgages, Other Loans
Day 8: Utility Accounts
Day 9: Week One Recap
Day 10: Life Insurance Policies
Day 11: Auto Insurance Policies
Day 12: Homeowners and Renters Insurance
Day 13: Long-term Disability Insurance & Other Supplemental Coverage
Day 14: Health Insurance Policies
Day 15: Organ Donation Preferences, Cord Blood Banking, Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Day 16: Week Two Recap
Day 17: Vehicle Titles, Real Estate Ownership Docs
Day 18: Official Docs to Prove You Exist
Day 19: Wills & Living Trusts
Day 20: Advance Medical Directives
Day 21: Durable Power of Attorney [financial]
Day 22: Recent Tax Return(s)
Day 23: Week Three Recap
Day 24: Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Special Treasures
Day 25: Explanatory Letter To Support Your Will
Day 26: Your Wishes
Day 27: Letters To Your People
Day 28: Letters To Your People [part 2]
Day 29: Cliff Notes Version
Day 30: Tell Your Peeps
Day 31: Share With Me
The Legacy Notebook series is intentionally general in nature and covers typical scenarios. You may have special circumstances that need to be considered. Always consult a trusted advisor before making big decisions about your financial legacy. Feel free to hit me up with questions along the way [lesley @ strongerwallet.com].
Lesley Jeffres Pearson is a CPA with a Masters in Business Administration. She is the personal finance enthusiast, podcast junkie and numbers geek behind the blog, Stronger Wallet, where she helps people get a handle on their finances and achieve their financial goals. Connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.
Get started today!
Enter your name and e-mail to get the Legacy Notebook guide delivered to your inbox. Totally free.
The guide includes everything you need to get started: a cover sheet and divider pages to set up your notebook, an overview of each topic, checklists, worksheets, and writing prompts to guide you through the process.