Survivor's Guide
The NEA Members Insurance Trust (NEA MIT) has prepared this guide to enable you to create a storehouse of specific information helpful to your survivors. The guide consists of an inventory list and a series of questions to be answered by you, the insured, to help you arrange your affairs now in order to create a centralized source of answers later for your survivors. Furnishing survivors with a detailed record of up-to-date legal, financial, and personal information in your absence will help alleviate added emotional and financial strain during what is often a painful and difficult time.
The guide is not intended to replace professional estate and legal counseling and you should feel free to customize or modify the guide to suit your family's unique circumstances. Once you complete all applicable information, we recommend you store the guide in a secure, accessible place. A safe deposit box, for instance, does not offer immediate accessibility. For extra peace of mind, tell loved ones, relatives or friends where the guide is stored. It's a good idea to continually review your financial situation and update the information you've recorded in the guide.
Note to Survivors
Ideally, you and your loved one have reviewed the contents of this guide together. But even if you haven't, you can still use it as a reference tool to help you record and gather needed information.
Inventory List
To assist your survivors in locating important papers and documents in the event of your death, we suggest you review the items listed below and record the location of only those items that apply to you. To ensure all items have been reviewed, you may want to indicate N/A for items that do not pertain to your situation.
Item
|
Location
|
|
Will or Trust
|
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Living Will
|
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Pre-Paid Funeral Plan
|
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Personal Address/Phone Book
|
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Bank Statements/Bank Books
|
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Safe Deposit Box
(key, bank location)
|
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Valuables
(jewelry, collectibles)
|
|
|
Credit Card Statements
|
|
|
Loan Documents (equity/auto/
personal/student, etc.)
|
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Stocks/Bonds
|
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Money Market/Mutual Funds
|
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Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
|
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Insurance Statements/Policies
|
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Annuity Statement/Policies
|
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Pension/401(k)/IRA Documents
|
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Birth Certificate
|
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Marriage License
|
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Military Service Records
|
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Divorce/Separation/
Annulment Papers
|
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Real Estate Deeds
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Automobile Titles
|
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Tax Returns
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Immigration/Naturalization Papers
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Passport
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Medical File
|
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Social Security Statements
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Other Important Items
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Questions
Listed below are a senes of questions-about you, about final arrangements, about your estate and about your finances. In cases where you are asked to list names, addresses and phone numbers, do so in the space provided.
About You
- What is your:
- Name:_______________________
- Date of Birth:__________________
- Social Security
#:_______________
- Do you have a will
or trust?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
- Who is the executor
and alternate executor?
List their names, addresses, and phone numbers.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
- Who is your lawyer?
List name, address and phone number.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
- Who is your accountant/tax
adviser?
List name, address and phone number.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
- Who are your banker/insurance/financial
advisers?
List names, addresses and phone numbers.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
- Who is your doctor
and dentist? List their
names, addresses and phone numbers.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
- Who is your minister
or religious adviser?
List their name, address and phone number.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________