What’s a Legacy Notebook, Anyway?

Let me guess.

You know you should have some things in place “in case something happens to you.”

It’s the responsible thing to do, but is also scary and overwhelming and not at all fun to think about.

So you ignore that voice in your head and put it off until later.

I get it.

The idea behind this series is to break this project down into smallish pieces that can be tackled without spending a huge amount of time. Even if you don’t get it all done, the tasks you check off the list are progress.

Done is better than perfect.

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.

The information your loved ones need isn’t just 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!).

Still feeling overwhelmed at the thought of tackling this project?
We’re going to take this slow and focus on one step at a time. Sometimes taking the first step is the hardest part. Some of the steps will be super quick. Think 10 minutes quick. Others may take you a bit longer, but all of it is self-paced and totally up to you. If one of the steps seems daunting, skip it for now and circle back to it later.

Hate, hate, hate thinking about this even for a moment?
I get it. It isn’t a fun topic. Think of this as a gift to your people, your VIPs, the people you care about most.  Grief is a crazy ride full of ups and downs – and that’s before you add in the stress of trying to guess the wishes of the person who is no longer around.

Join me for this project. It is worth it and you might even have some fun along the way. Okay, maybe not fun, but enjoy a sense of accomplishment for working your way through the project. Reward yourself along the way as you check off each item. Bribery is legit. It works for me, at least.

My motivation for this series is in part due to the need to update our own legacy notebook and create a way to more easily keep it current. The approach we used the first time around was largely outdated in just a few months. Outdated info is better than no info, but we want our legacy notebook to make things easier for those we leave behind (and most of all don’t want to add stress during an already stressful time).

My husband and I have joint accounts and manage our finances together, but I handle the majority of the day-to-day financial stuff for our family. Having our legacy notebook in place gives my husband assurance that he has the necessary info at hand should I be hit by the proverbial bus.

Cheery thought, I know, but you want your VIPs to be able to pay your light bill, erase your Google browsing history (a sign of true love and solidarity), find your will and get your treasures to the right people when the time comes.

Tomorrow we’ll talk through the sections of your legacy notebook and the topics we’ll cover in each section.

thanks for reading,
Lesley

Go here to see all the posts for this series in one place.

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 [strongerwallet at gmail.com].