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Imagine…
“My just mother passed away. She left me a life insurance policy, but I can’t find it. She has $5,000 in her checking account, but I don’t know which bank. I should report her passing to the Social Security Administration, but I don’t have her number. Her utilities are cut off because I can’t find her billing information. The deed to our family home is missing. I have no idea who to invite to her funeral.”
Imagine experiencing this nightmare. Your partner. Your loved ones. All while attempting to grieve.
This can all be avoided with a free Legacy Binder.
Frequently Asked Questions • Advice for Owners • Advice for Readers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Legacy Binder?
A Legacy Binder (aka Emergency Binder) acts as a road map to your life so that loved ones can care for you and your family in case of an emergency. It contains crucial information such as insurance policies, contact information, and medical histories.
Why do I need a Legacy Binder?
When an emergency strikes, your loved ones are thrust into a scavenger hunt in an attempt to manage your affairs. My Legacy Binder lessens this anxiety and allows loved ones to grieve and heal while still caring for you and your family.
Who needs a Legacy Binder?
Short answer: Everyone. My Legacy Binder provides tremendous relief to those you leave behind. Not only do you need a Legacy Binder to know your loved ones are taken care of, but they need a Legacy Binder to balance helping you while healing their own wounds.
How do I create my own Legacy Binder?
Creating your Legacy Binder is simple with – simply download this document and edit it to your heart’s delight. If you can backspace and type, you can create your own Legacy Binder. We even provide the framework in the binder itself to get you started.
When should I create my Legacy Binder?
No one knows when an emergency could strike or when our time on this planet will end. Please ensure your loved ones are cared for when those times occur by beginning this process immediately and taking baby steps toward completing your Legacy Binder.
What should I include in my Legacy Binder?
You should include simply what you are comfortable providing to your loved ones. This Legacy Binder is only a template and set of suggestions. You should fully customize your Legacy Binder to suit your needs.
This Legacy Binder looks huge. Will I ever finish?
Yes, this Legacy Binder is over 100 pages upon download, but take this process one baby step at a time over the course of a month or more. Remember that each and every detail you enter is one fewer step your loved ones will need to struggle with on their own.
Where should I store my Legacy Binder?
Some people choose to store their Legacy Binder in a drawer, home safe, safety deposit box, USB drive, in a family member’s home, with their attorney, in the cloud…the possibilities are endless. Where do you feel is both secure and accessible to the right people at the right time?
There is also no limit to the number of binders you may create. You could store one at home, another in a safety deposit box, and a third with a trusted friend. It all comes back to comfort and accessibility.
Who should I share my Legacy Binder with?
Identify someone you trust (whether it’s your financial planner, best friend, or sister) and either give them a copy of your Legacy Binder or share with them instructions on how to access your binder at the appropriate time.
Does my Legacy Binder replace my will?
Everyone should secure a last will and testament that meets the needs pertaining to their state and local laws, but a will may only not be read until weeks after your passing or rarely during an emergency. Your Legacy Binder could be made available at a moment’s notice to protect your loved ones and fulfill your wishes.
How Can I Learn More About Legacy Binders?
Please email me with any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions • Advice for Owners • Advice for Readers
Advice for Owners
Don’t worry about knowing all the information asked for in this document. Keep a pen and paper nearby to take notes about finding information, locating documents, buying insurance, etc. Or use a free software such as Todoist to track next steps.hhjhj
Some items will not apply to you. Specify when you do not have certain documents to protect loved ones from pursuing a fruitless search. For example:
“I have no homeowners insurance, nor have I had homeowners insurance in the past.”
– Or –
“I have no life insurance, nor have I had life insurance since 2016.”
You can also add additional sections. Your life is unique and so is your information.
This guide often refers to specifying locations of important documents. This is because you may choose not to store your Legacy Binder and other important documents in the same place. Specify in your binder where your loved ones can find these documents.
Make this document yours. You can change anything and everything because this is your message to your loved ones.
Technical Tips for Owners
To change a header or footer, double click over them, highlight the section, and click delete. (Though be careful if you want to keep the automatic page numbers.) + Special Note: The first page has its own header and footer, so you will want to do this twice.
This binder has a customized and automatically updating Table of Contents. To update the Table of Contents in Google Docs, scroll to the top of the section, hover over the section, and click the swirling arrow that appears. To update the Table of Contents in Microsoft Word, scroll to the top of the section, click inside the section, click the Update Table button that appears, choose ‘Update entire table”, and click OK.
Note about the title and section headers: There are actual settings controlling the fonts, sizes, and colors of these. While it’s not critical that your binder look uniform or even pretty, the Table of Contents works because of these. Consider continuing them through your personalization process to make it even easier for loved ones to navigate.
Visit Saunter.net to contact me with any questions or to find an updated copy of My Free Legacy Binder.
Frequently Asked Questions • Advice for Owners • Advice for Readers
Advice for Readers
This document was created so you would not have to turn over every stone on a wild goose chase for your loved one’s worldly footprint.
Start by reading through the Table of Contents and skimming the document just to get a lay of the land. Then come back through and note anything you see that’s important today.
Hold on to everything as long as necessary. You never know when a document, contact number, or family recipe will come in handy.
Keep this binder secure. The information in this binder is very important to your loved one. Keep it somewhere it won’t be easily found or accessed. Password-protect it or lock it away for safekeeping. Consider how you would want your information protected and treat this information the same way.
Visit Saunter.net to contact me with any questions or to find an updated copy of My Free Legacy Binder.
Frequently Asked Questions • Advice for Owners • Advice for Readers
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