A Parting Gift: 9 Things To Tell Your Personal Representative or Executor

A Parting Gift: 9 Things To Tell Your Personal Representative or Executor

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi

June 9, 2023

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.

-Benjamin Franklin

A will and a power of attorney are the basic foundational documents of an estate plan.  For those wishing to make the end-of-life paperwork as easy as possible for loved ones left behind I encourage you to roll up your sleeves and dig a bit deeper.  Here are 9 things to write in a letter to your Personal Representative (the term we use here in my home state of Wisconsin, but known as Executor elsewhere in the United States):

1. Personal data, including: date of birth, dates of marriage(s) and divorce(s); Social Security Number; educational achievements along with the institution and date awarded;
2. People's contact information -- the phone number, email, mailing address of those named in your documents, relatives, close family friends, support network (childcare, pet sitter, etc.);
3. Pet care information, including: food and medication directions, Veterinarian's office, and a list of temporary or permanent caretakers for the animal(s);
4. Professional duties you hold, including: contact information for your employer or clients if self-employed, list of your professional organizations and memberships;
5. Comprehensive list of all assets, from bank accounts to insurance policies to collectibles to real estate holdings and investment accounts;
6. Details on liabilities - who do you owe money to from a mortgage to car payments to student loans;
7. Record of active Social Media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, etc;
8. Monthly or annual subscriptions such as Netflix, Sirius XM, online newspapers, gym memberships and more; and
9. Your Professional Support Network, which includes: attorney(s), accountants, financial planner, lawn maintenance company, insurance company, etc.  

Image by M. Gustafson Gervas, 2023

For ages, back to the founding of our country, the act of organization has been recognized as a tool to increase efficiency and ease.  Remember that a blog is meant to spark thought and reflection; it is not a substitute for an attorney.  I encourage you to seek legal advice from an attorney licensed in your home state.  Thank you for reading.  Please share on social media with those who might benefit from these suggestions.  Be well!