October 17 - 23 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week

Organization is a critical part of estate planning

By Executor's Resource, Inc.

In September 2008, Congress enacted HR 1499 which set aside the third full week in October each year as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. This year it is observed from October 17 – 23.

Whether you have a proper estate plan or not, inventorying your important information -- legal, financial, digital and personal -- is a critical part of estate planning. All too often, families struggle after a loved one passes to simply locate the details and papers needed to settle the estate and honor their loved one's wishes. Don't let this happen to your family.

Here are 5 easy, inexpensive things that you can do to have a better organized estate and legacy.

1) Use our estate organization checklist to identify what you have, where it's located, and who to contact.

2) Review the beneficiary designations on your major insurance policies and financial accounts. Is the person currently named in line with your wishes? If yes, great. If no, you have some updates to do.

3) Gather a listing of your computer and online accounts -- emails, blogs, paypal, etc. Inventory login credentials so your loved ones will be able to have future access.

4) Check the paperwork for your safe deposit box. Is your future executor/personal representative formally named as someone who can have access? If not, they may run into issues. At a bare minimum, make sure this person knows where the key is.

5) Have "the talk" with your future executor or personal representative. Your wishes are best made known by having a frank conversation with those you love.

Our EstateLogic subscribers love that they can do all of this and more online in their own private, secure vault. We encourage you to check it out - we bet that you'll feel the same.