Get It Together

by CULLEN, MELANIE; Irving, Shae

• ISBN13: 9781413301052
• ISBN10: 1413301053
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-30
• Publisher: Nolo

Summary

Everyone has important paperwork - but not everyoneis prepared to find it. Whether readers need to organizerecords for themselves or their survivors, Get It Togethershows them how.Designed for ease of use by both readers and their survivors,Get It Together helps them track down:- instructions for survivors- final arrangements- estate planning documents- employment records- insurance policies- tax records- retirement accounts- government benefits- real estate records- and much moreA CD-ROM lets them fill out the workbook on their computers- so they can simply print their work and put itin a binder.

Table of Contents

About This Book
Do You Need This Book?	ii
How This Book Works	iii
Icons Used in This Book	iv
Completing Your Planner
What the Planner Contains	vi
Five Steps to Preparing Your Planner	vii
More Tips for Completing Your Planner	x
After You Finish Your Planner	xi
Letter to Loved Ones
Tips for Writing Your Letter	2	(3)
Where to Get Help	5	(1)
In Your Planner	5	(1)
Keeping Your Letter Up to Date	6
Instructions
In Your Planner	3	(2)
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date	5
Biographical Information
Where to Get Help	2	(4)
In Your Planner	6	(2)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	8
Children
Arranging Care for Children	2	(2)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	4	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	5
Others Who Depend on Me
In Your Planner	2	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	3
Pets and Livestock
Arranging Care for Pets	2	(2)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	4	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	5
Employment
In Your Planner	2	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	3	(1)
Business Interests
Estate Planning for Small Business Owners	3	(1)
Where to Get Help	3	(1)
In Your Planner	4	(4)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	8
Memberships
Types of Memberships	2	(1)
Membership Benefits for Survivors	3	(1)
Transferring Frequent Flyer Miles	4	(1)
Where to Get Help	5	(1)
In Your Planner	5	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	5
Service Providers
In Your Planner	3	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	4
Health Care Directives
Types of Health Care Directives	2	(1)
How Health Care Directives Work	3	(2)
Choosing Your Health Care Agent	5	(1)
What You Can Cover in Your Health Care Directives	6	(2)
Duty of Medical Personnel to Honor Your Health Care Directives	8	(1)
Where to Get Help	8	(1)
In Your Planner	9	(1)
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date	10
Double Power of Attorney for Finances
How Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances Work	3	(1)
Choosing Your Agent	4	(2)
Where to Get Help	6	(1)
In Your Planner	7	(1)
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date	8
Organ or Body Donation
Do You Want to Be a Donor?	2	(2)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	5	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	5
Burial or Cremation
Burial or Cremation?	3	(3)
Related Decisions	6	(2)
Where to Get Help	8	(2)
In Your Planner	10	(3)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	13
Funeral and Memorial Services
Types of Memorial Services	2	(3)
Where to Get Help	5	(1)
In Your Planner	6	(3)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	9
Obituary
What to Include in Your Obituary	2	(1)
Where to Get Help	3	(1)
In Your Planner	3	(2)
Keeping Your Obituary Up to Date	5
Will and Trust
Which Estate Planning Documents Do You Need?	3	(2)
An Overview of Wills and Trusts	5	(5)
Choosing Your Executor or Successor Trustee	10	(2)
Avoiding Probate	12	(3)
Where to Get Help	15	(2)
In Your Planner	17	(1)
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date	18
Insurance
What Kind of Insurance Do You Need?	2	(9)
Where to Get Help	11	(1)
In Your Planner	12	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	13
Bank and Brokerage Accounts
Making Your Accounts Accessible	3	(1)
Avoiding Probate	3	(1)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	4	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	5
Retirement Plans and Pensions
Planning for Your Retirement	2	(1)
What Happens to Retirement Accounts When You Die?	3	(2)
Where to Get Help	5	(1)
In Your Planner	6	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	7
Government Benefits
About Social Security	2	(2)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	5	(2)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	7
Credit Cards and Debts
Evaluating and Reducing Debt	2	(2)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	5	(2)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	7
Secured Places and Passwords
Who Has Access to Your Safe Deposit Box?	2	(2)
In Your Planner	4	(2)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	6
Taxes
Tax Basics	2	(1)
Estate and Inheritance Taxes	3	(1)
Where to Get Help	4	(1)
In Your Planner	5	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	6
Real Estate
Ways to Own Property	2	(2)
Special Rules for Married Couples	4	(2)
Where to Get Help	6	(1)
In Your Planner	7	(2)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	9
Vehicles
Leaving Your Vehicles to Others	2	(1)
Where to Get Help	3	(1)
In Your Planner	3	(1)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	4
Other Income and Personal Property
In Your Planner	3	(2)
Keeping Your Information Up to Date	5
Other Information
Appendix A: How to Use the CD-ROM
Installing the Forms CD Files Onto Your Computer	2	(1)
Using the Word Processing Files to Create Documents	3	(2)
Using the PDF Planner File	5	(1)
Files Included on the Get It Together Forms CD	6
Appendix B: Lawyers and Other Experts
What Kind of Expert Do You Need?	2	(1)
Finding an Expert	3	(1)
Working With an Expert	4	(1)
Making a Fee Agreement	4
Index