In all this talk of COVID, and the fact that any one of us can be incapacitated/dead two weeks from now if we get it, I decided it’s past time to get serious about estate planning. One thing I learned in my last move is that I have waaaaaay too much crap, so I’ve been selling stuff that’s bulky and low value to clear out my (new-ish) house. I’ve realized, however, that I also need to make an effort to streamline my financial life for when I eventually snuff it.
As a benefit through work I have inexpensive legal services starting July 1. In the meantime I’ve begun a draft of my will as well as what the financial services industry calls ‘a love letter to my family’. While that name entirely sucks, it’s a very useful idea to have in place – particularly if your financial life is as complicated as mine. After all, when I die I won’t be there to introduce my heirs to the tenants at 4 rental properties, or tell them how to best dispose of my RPG and comic collectibles.
The problem with these love letters is they’re generally a PDF or a word document, which is a horrific waste of time (at least since the late 70s) and can’t be easily updated. So I went through one and came up with (what else) a spreadsheet that will capture this information and that I can update more easily. Here’s a copy for review.
Please take a look. Feel free to download a copy and edit as you see fit. I would appreciate comments of anything I might be missing – I’m happy to update this as needed.
