Survivor Notebook
This very helpful Outline was prepared by KW4SPN and is being posted for your use. Feel free to print it out, use it, and share with others.
*Can include a generic calendar showing due dates, etc.
I. Personal information
a. Name – full
b. Date of birth
c. Place of birth
d. Social Security number
e. ?
II. List of Immediate Contacts – name, phone number, email
a. Spouse (or Significant Other)
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
b. Children
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
c. Parents
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
d. Close friends/neighbors
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
e. Employer – supervisor or HR
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
f. Pet and/or House sitter
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
III. Burial
a. Obituary – if you don’t write it, list the following for someone else to prepare
i. Date of birth
ii. Place of birth
iii. Parents’ names
iv. Surviving family member names (that you want listed)
v. Education
vi. Employment
vii. Interesting note about self, or something you want folks to remember you for/by
b. Funeral Home Information
c. Pallbearers
d. Minister/Priest
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
e. Music to be played
f. Service Readings (religious or otherwise)
IV. Professionals – name, address, and phone numbers for each applicable
a. Doctor – Primary physician
i. Name
ii. Practice name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
b. Lawyer
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
c. Insurance agents
i. Life
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
ii. Home
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
iii. Automobile
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
iv. Other
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
d. Accountant
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
e. Banker
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
f. Financial Advisor(s) / Securities Broker(s)
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
g. Dentist
i. Name
ii. Practice name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
V. Assets
a. Directions – include the following information for each, as applicable, plus any other data that will help
i. Account type – ex: Savings, Checking
ii. Bank, brokerage firm, credit card provider name
iii. Account holder name – if joint with spouse or child/parent, state who
iv. Account ownership type – single, joint, joint with survivor, etc
v. Account number
vi. Corporate Address
vii. Corporate Phone number
viii. Personal representative full contact information
ix. Online account URL and login (user name, password, security question answers)
b. Personal
i. Life and burial insurance – (include credit life for home and credit cards?)
ii. Checking accounts
iii. Savings accounts
iv. Brokerage accounts
v. Stocks and bonds (not in brokerage account)
vi. Mutual funds and money market accounts
vii. Certificates of deposit
viii. Retirement Accounts
1. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
2. ROTH account
3. Employer 401-k account
4. Pension or employer profit-sharing plan
5. Retirement Plans – not already considered, ex: Annuities
ix. Safe deposit box
1. Bank name
2. Box number
3. Key location
x. Household safe or lock box
1. Location
2. Contents list
3. Combination or location of key
xi. Jewelry – include descriptions, receipts, photographs, history
xii. Vehicles – automobiles, campers/RVs, snowmobiles, boats
1. Listing of make/model
2. Location of titles
3. Automobile insurance company and representative
xiii. Real Estate – by location
1. Location
2. Ownership information – who else is on title/loan
3. Bills
a. Regularly occurring – TV, internet, water/sewage, electric
i. Type
ii. Company
1. Name
2. Mailing address
3. Phone number
iii. Account number
iv. Due date
v. Amount
b. Periodic or special – heating oil, insurance, snow plow, etc
i. Type
ii. Company
1. Name
2. Mailing address
3. Phone number
iii. Account number
iv. Due date
v. Amount
xiv. Household Inventory
1. Standard items – suggest basic itemized list by Room
2. Special Item (repeat for each specialty item as needed – ex: “Great-gramma’s sideboard”, family silver, etc)
a. Description
b. Location
c. Disposition – special wishes not included in Will
d. History/provenance
e. Estimated/insured value
xv. Valuable collections (artwork, stamps, coins, etc)
xvi. Other assets not covered –
1. Promissory notes owed to you,
2. Joint ownership in items (real estate, vehicles, etc) other than with your spouse, etc
VI. Liabilities
a. Mortgage information
i. Mortgage holder
ii. Home Owner’s Insurance
iii. Taxes
1. Type – school, property, automobile
2. Due dates
3. Mailing address and phone number
4. Amounts
b. Credit cards
i. Card/bank/store name
ii. Card number
iii. Number of cards on account – and in whose name(s)
iv. Billing
1. Mailing address
2. Phone number
3. Due date (if balance)
c. Outstanding payable by you
i. Estimated Federal and/or State Income taxes
1. Amount
2. Due date
3. Mailing address
ii. Home equity loan
1. Amount
2. Due date
3. Mailing address
iii. Loan against retirement account
VII. Documents – include a copy and/or location where each can be located
a. Will
b. Trust
c. Advance Directives: (http://www.medicinenet.com/advance_medical_directives/article.htm)
i. Living Will
ii. Health Proxy – including DNR if desired
iii. Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA)
1. Medical DPOW
2. Legal DPOA
d. Tax returns for the last 3 years
VIII. Other
a. Pets
i. Veterinarian –
1. Name
2. Address
3. Phone number
ii. Daily feeding/care instructions
iii. Pet future caregivers/guardians –
1. Name
2. Address
3. Phone number
4. Email
iv. Funds set aside for pet care
b. ??
IX. Business
a. Sole owner
i. Directions for immediate and short term continuation of business
ii. Disposition of business and/or business assets
iii. Checking accounts
iv. Savings accounts
v. Life insurance for business
1. Company – name, address, phone number
2. Policy number and value
3. Insurance agent – name, address, phone number
vi. Assets
vii. Liabilities
b. Joint ownership or partnership
i. Business Buy-Sell agreements
ii. Partnership certificates
iii. Checking accounts
iv. Savings accounts
v. Life insurance for business
1. Company – name, address, phone number
2. Policy number and value
3. Insurance agent – name, address, phone number
vi. Assets
vii. Liabilities
*Can include a generic calendar showing due dates, etc.
X. Personal information
a. Name – full
b. Date of birth
c. Place of birth
d. Social Security number
e. ?
XI. List of Immediate Contacts – name, phone number, email
a. Spouse (or Significant Other)
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
b. Children
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
c. Parents
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
d. Close friends/neighbors
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
e. Employer – supervisor or HR
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
f. Pet and/or House sitter
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
XII. Burial
a. Obituary – if you don’t write it, list the following for someone else to prepare
i. Date of birth
ii. Place of birth
iii. Parents’ names
iv. Surviving family member names (that you want listed)
v. Education
vi. Employment
vii. Interesting note about self, or something you want folks to remember you for/by
b. Funeral Home Information
c. Pallbearers
d. Minister/Priest
i. Name
ii. Phone number(s) – work, cellular
iii. Email
e. Music to be played
f. Service Readings (religious or otherwise)
XIII. Professionals – name, address, and phone numbers for each applicable
a. Doctor – Primary physician
i. Name
ii. Practice name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
b. Lawyer
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
c. Insurance agents
i. Life
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
ii. Home
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
iii. Automobile
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
iv. Other?
1. Name
2. Firm name
3. Address
4. Phone number
5. Email address
d. Accountant
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
e. Banker
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
f. Financial Advisor(s) / Securities Broker(s)
i. Name
ii. Firm name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
v. Email address
g. Dentist
i. Name
ii. Practice name
iii. Address
iv. Phone number
XIV. Assets
a. Directions – include the following information for each, as applicable, plus any other data that will help
i. Account type – ex: Savings, Checking
ii. Bank, brokerage firm, credit card provider name
iii. Account holder name – if joint with spouse or child/parent, state
iv. Account ownership type – single, joint, joint with survivor, etc
v. Account number
vi. Corporate Address
vii. Corporate Phone number
viii. Personal representative full contact information
ix. Online account URL and login (user name, password, security question answers)
b. Personal
i. Life and burial insurance – (include credit life for home and credit cards?)
ii. Checking accounts
iii. Savings accounts
iv. Brokerage accounts
v. Stocks and bonds (not in brokerage account)
vi. Mutual funds and money market accounts
vii. Certificates of deposit
viii. Retirement Accounts
1. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
2. ROTH account
3. Employer 401-k account
4. Pension or employer profit-sharing plan
5. Retirement Plans – not already considered, ex: Annuities
ix. Safe deposit box
1. Bank name
2. Box number
3. Key location
x. Household safe or lock box
1. Location
2. Contents list
3. Combination or location of key
xi. Jewelry – include descriptions, receipts, photographs, history
xii. Vehicles – automobiles, campers/RVs, snowmobiles, boats
1. Listing of make/model
2. Location of titles
3. Automobile insurance company and representative
xiii. Real Estate – by location
1. Location
2. Ownership information – who else is on title/loan
3. Bills
a. Regularly occurring – TV, internet, water/sewage, electric
i. Type
ii. Company
1. Name
2. Mailing address
3. Phone number
iii. Account number
iv. Due date
v. Amount
b. Periodic or special – heating oil, insurance, snow plow, etc
i. Type
ii. Company
1. Name
2. Mailing address
3. Phone number
iii. Account number
iv. Due date
v. Amount
xiv. Household Inventory
1. Standard items – suggest basic itemized list by Room
2. Special Item (repeat for each specialty item as needed – ex: “Great-gramma’s sideboard”, family silver, etc)
a. Description
b. Location
c. Disposition – special wishes not included in Will
d. History/provenance
e. Estimated/insured value
xv. Valuable collections (artwork, stamps, coins, etc)
xvi. Other assets not covered –
1. Promissory notes owed to you,
2. Joint ownership in items (real estate, vehicles, etc) other than with your spouse, etc
XV. Liabilities
a. Mortgage information
i. Mortgage holder
ii. Home Owner’s Insurance
iii. Taxes
1. Type – school, property, automobile
2. Due dates
3. Mailing address and phone number
4. Amounts
b. Credit cards
i. Card/bank/store name
ii. Card number
iii. Number of cards on account – and in whose name(s)
iv. Billing
1. Mailing address
2. Phone number
3. Due date (if balance)
c. Outstanding payable by you
i. Estimated Federal and/or State Income taxes
1. Amount
2. Due date
3. Mailing address
ii. Home equity loan
1. Amount
2. Due date
3. Mailing address
iii. Loan against retirement account
XVI. Documents – include a copy and/or location where each can be located
a. Will
b. Trust
c. Advance Directives: (http://www.medicinenet.com/advance_medical_directives/article.htm)
i. Living Will
ii. Health Proxy – including DNR if desired
iii. Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA)
1. Medical DPOW
2. Legal DPOA
d. Tax returns for the last 3 years
XVII. Other
a. Pets
i. Veterinarian –
1. Name
2. Address
3. Phone number
ii. Daily feeding/care instructions
iii. Pet future caregivers/guardians –
1. Name
2. Address
3. Phone number
4. Email
iv. Funds set aside for pet care
b. ??
XVIII. Business
a. Sole owner
i. Directions for immediate and short term continuation of business
ii. Disposition of business and/or business assets
iii. Checking accounts
iv. Savings accounts
v. Life insurance for business
1. Company – name, address, phone number
2. Policy number and value
3. Insurance agent – name, address, phone number
vi. Assets
vii. Liabilities
b. Joint ownership or partnership
i. Business Buy-Sell agreements
ii. Partnership certificates
iii. Checking accounts
iv. Savings accounts
v. Life insurance for business
1. Company – name, address, phone number
2. Policy number and value
3. Insurance agent – name, address, phone number
vi. Assets
vii. Liabilities