My LAST WILL AND FINAL ARRANGEMENTS

Transcription

1 My LAST WILL AND FINAL ARRANGEMENTS Includes: Personal Record Guide Things to Consider Family s Checklist Final Arrangements Online Information

2 Don t leave your final wishes to chance my Last Will and Final Arrangements If you die without a will, you are said to have died intestate. Simply stated, intestacy means you have given away your rights of property transfer at death to the state. Since you gave away your rights to the state to dispose of your property, your spouse would not necessarily receive the majority of your property. In fact, in many states only one-third of the estate is given to the spouse. Where does the rest go? The remaining two-thirds go to the children; and if there aren t children, then sisters, brothers, and parents of the deceased would be entitled to a percentage of the property. The state would also have the authority to select a guardian it deems suitable for your children, since you elected not to name a guardian. Also, if you have a favorite charity that you would like to leave some money to, it wouldn t happen since your request wasn t written down. In other words, if it s not in writing, it s not going to happen! Start planning and don t postpone writing your will Funeral arrangements should not be made in a will. By the time the will is located, it may be too late to make the arrangements you desired. Make certain that your loved ones are aware of your preferences by other means, such as a Letter of Instruction. A Letter of Instruction is a document given to an executor or attorney that includes some or all of the following information that can be found on the following pages. We recommend that you take a sheet of paper, or better yet, a notebook so that all pages are bound together, and begin to develop a list for each of the following items to consider for a will.

3 TO MY FAMILY The information contained in this booklet is for your peace of mind and my own. For yours, because I sincerely believe that this will spare everyone unnecessary expense, grief, and distress at the time of my death. My own, because it means a great deal to me to know that I have taken steps to eliminate as much of the burden of decision making from you, as possible. I have completed this information with much love and thought, feeling that it would cause greater distress if these decisions were left for you to make with no indication of my wishes. I sincerely hope you will find these arrangements in accordance with your own wishes, and that they will ease the burden as much as possible. After all, that is my sincerest intention. Signature Date This booklet should be kept in a place where it will be immediately available at the time of our death. DO NOT KEEP THIS RECORD IN A SAFE DEPOSIT BOX.

4 personal record guide Full Name Address City County State Date of Birth Place of Birth (City) County State Social Security Number Education/Degrees Occupation (Or retired from) Employer Marital Status o Never married o Married o Widowed o Divorced Spouse of Maiden Name Name of Father Name of Mother (Maiden) Physician(s) and Phone Number(s) Are you a Veteran? Yes o No o Serial Number Enlistment Date Discharge Date For help or advice in settling my affairs, please consult: Name/ Phone

5 things to consider for a will Who will be appointed as executor of your estate? o Husband/Wife o Son/Daughter o Relative o Attorney o None o Name Who gets Real Estate and/or Buildings? o Name What Personal Effects do you wish to give and to whom? Item Item Item Item To Whom: To Whom: To Whom: To Whom: Where do you keep the following financial and personal records? o My Will, Living Will, Power of Attorney, Letter of Instructions? o Insurance Policies o Pension, Annuity, 401K o Bank and Credit Card Information o Tax Records o Mortgage Information o Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Judgement, etc. o Titles of auto o Where are valuables kept (include keys and/or combinations)? o Additional Information

6 family s Checklist Before the Funeral... Notify: Attorney Business Associates Cemetery Florist Fraternal Organizations Friends Funeral Director Minister/Church Newspapers Organist/ Soloist Relatives After the Funeral... Notify: Accountant Bank, credit Union, or Savings & Loan County Recorder Credit Cards Department of Motor Vehicles Insurance Agents & Companies Medicare Military Pension Newspaper/Magazine Subscriptions Post Office Social Security Union Utility Companies Veteran s Organization

7 final arrangements Following are my final wishes. Please see to it that they are carried out as outlined below. Name of Funeral Home Name of Church Name of Cemetery Burial or Cremation Casket or Urn preference Burial Clothing Jewelry Return to Reserved Facilities, Plots, or Pre need Contract? If yes: Special Readings, Music, Songs Special Ceremonies (military, fraternal order, etc.) Pallbearers: Inscription Send donations to Special instructions

8 Online Information Department of Veterans Affairs Social Security Administration Cremation Association of North America (CANA) International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association The National Funeral Directors Association Medicare U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Transamerica Life Insurance Company, Monumental Life Insurance Company, or Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company and their agents do not give tax or legal advice. The material in this booklet is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Clients and other interested parties must consult with and rely solely upon their own independent agents regarding their particular situation and the concepts presented here. Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company is authorized to conduct business in New York. Transamerica Life Insurance Company and Monumental Life Insurance Company is authorized to conduct business in all other states. Life insurance policies issued by Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company, Harrison, NY in New York and by Transamerica Life Insurance Company, or Monumental Life Insurance Company, Cedar Rapids, IA in all other jurisdictions