Books

Step 4

Organize: Who, What, When, Where, Why

Don’t leave family members in the lurch when it comes to paying bills or notifying your creditors. Take the detective work out of it for them by maintaining a list of all common household expenses. Best to include the following details:

• Who – name of company that gets paid
• What – dollar amount to be paid
• When – date the expense is to be paid
• Where – specify whether a check is mailed, the biller auto-deducts, or the payer manually pays online, etc.  
• Why – the service or product is being provided

For more on this chapter and other steps to take before a major life event happens, check out my book the “Before” Financial Checklist: 15 Important Actions to Complete Before the Loss of a Loved One, available on Amazon.

Step 11

The First Month: Miscellaneous “To Dos”

1. Go to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to cancel driver’s license and transfer vehicle title.
2. Notify the Registrar of Voters.
3. Cancel any medication prescriptions, print subscriptions, and memberships.
4. Delete online personal accounts: email, social media, business sites, etc., to avoid fraud or identity theft. Procedures for each will vary.
5. Send out acknowledgements for cards, donations, etc., if you’ve decided that is something you want to do. This can also be delayed until a time that you are ready and able to tackle this project.
6. Contact the Post Office with forwarding information, if necessary.
7. Cancel all services no longer needed, i.e. phone, internet, cable, etc.