The Short List of Documents and Accounts to Locate
A blank, printable checklist of what families most often need in a crisis, and the rule that makes it safe: locating is not taking over. This is a template you fill in together; we never host private documents on this site, and neither should you.
locate, list, secure
The documents ledger
The checklist is easier when the family can see what exists, where it lives, and what to do with it. The ledger turns the search into a table.
What happened
The family does not know what exists or where it lives
Locating is not taking over. Knowing the names of institutions and where the papers are needs no passwords and no legal authority; acting on accounts is a separate, consent-based step.
Do this first
Locate, don't take over. Fill in the checklist together, one evening, no pressure: identity, legal, banking, cards and debt, investments, benefits, insurance, property, household, digital, contacts, and final arrangements.
Do not do this
Do not put passwords or account numbers on the list. The family needs the names of institutions, not credentials, and acting on accounts requires the parent's consent and usually formal legal authority.
Buy anything?
No. The checklist is free. Legal setup (powers of attorney, a will) is a professional conversation, not a purchase, and only if the family decides it is needed.
Ground rules
The parent keeps the filled list (or their lawyer does). Copies for siblings only with the parent's agreement. Update it yearly: accounts change, beneficiaries change, institutions merge.
Which state are you in?
- Nothing legal is set up yet: The checklist is the perfect opening line: let's find the documents first, then decide together what legal setup you want. The legal setup itself is a lawyer's job in the parent's state.
- Legal documents exist but no one can find them: Use the checklist to record where each document lives (lawyer's office, safe deposit box, home safe) and who has access, without copying account numbers onto the family list.
Send the part they need
Let us find the documents together, one evening, no pressure. No passwords and no account numbers, just a list of what exists and where it lives, so nothing gets lost. You keep the list, and we only share what you agree to share.
You own the digital row of the checklist: main email provider, phone carrier, and which online accounts exist (not passwords, just which ones). Add the primary care doctor, pharmacy, and any accountant or lawyer to the contacts row, and send me the finished list by next week.
Not legal or financial advice. This checklist is general and jurisdiction-agnostic. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations should be reviewed by a lawyer in the parent's state. Medicaid, taxes, and benefits have their own rules: consult the relevant professionals and official programs.
The difference between locating and taking over
Locating means the family knows what exists and where it lives: the insurance company's name, the bank's name, which drawer the will is in. It needs no passwords, no account access, and no legal authority. Taking over means acting on accounts: paying bills, moving money, making decisions. That requires the parent's ongoing consent, and usually formal legal authority (durable power of attorney, etc.), not a family agreement. Do the first now. Do the second only through the proper channels, which a lawyer in the parent's state should set up.
The printable checklist
Fill this in together, one evening, no pressure. Leave "where it is" blank if unknown: the point is to find out.
| Category | What to note (no numbers needed here) | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Birth certificate, Social Security card, passport, driver's license | |
| Legal | Will, trust, durable power of attorney, healthcare proxy/living will | |
| Banking | Banks and credit unions used (checking, savings, CDs), safe deposit box | |
| Cards & debt | Credit cards (which issuers), loans, mortgage, any monthly debt | |
| Investments | Brokerage, retirement accounts (IRA, 401k), pensions, annuities | |
| Income & benefits | Social Security, pension, VA benefits, any annuities | |
| Insurance: health | Medicare card, Medigap/Advantage plan, employer retiree coverage, private insurance | |
| Insurance: other | Home, auto, long-term care, life insurance policies | |
| Property | Deed(s), car titles, property tax records | |
| Household | Utilities and providers (power, water, internet, phone), mortgage servicer | |
| Digital | Main email provider, phone carrier, key online accounts (not passwords: just which ones exist) | |
| Contacts | Primary care doctor, pharmacy, accountant, lawyer, financial advisor (if any) | |
| Burial/final arrangements | Any written preferences, prepaid plans, cemetery/cremation contracts | |
| Safe deposit box | Bank name, branch, whose names are on the box |
Print tip: this page prints cleanly: use the print button below, or your browser's print menu.
Ground rules for filling it in
- No passwords on this list. Passwords are a separate, consent-based conversation: see Before you take over their passwords.
- No account numbers on this list. The family needs the names of institutions, not credentials. Numbers go in the parent's own records.
- The parent keeps the filled list (or their lawyer does). Copies for siblings only if the parent agrees.
- Update it yearly: accounts change, beneficiaries change, institutions merge.
What this is not
This is not an estate plan, and filling it in doesn't give anyone authority over anything. If the family hasn't discussed powers of attorney or a will, the checklist is the perfect opening line: "Let's find the documents first, then decide together what legal setup you want." The legal setup itself is a lawyer's job, and the cost is usually far less than the cost of not having it.
Related
- Passwords and accounts: the consent-based version
- Care & Safety: questions to ask before a crisis (coming)
- Siblings: who does what
Sources
- General locating-checklist practice (F1, reviewed 6-12 monthly); individual legal/financial arrangements require state-specific professional review.
Found an error? Report it.