Do you ever think about death and your personal paperwork?

I’ve got to tell you, I have thought about it, A LOT. Over 10,000 hours for sure, in a span of 35 years but, my thoughts aren’t for morbid reasons.

I spend time thinking about how many people have an insurance policy that their loved one’s don’t know about? Or if their partners can recall the details of an insurance policy, they took out 10-15 years ago that was never discussed again and is filed 'somewhere'? Or if they have a death benefit that is listed in their employment contract that their partner knows nothing about; as it’s stored on their work computer or tucked in the drawer of their work desk. Or how many people have made an investment online after a friend or advisor suggested it and have yet to tell their partner where the details can be found? Or the people who own a valuable that their family are clueless about its true worth?

When I see articles about how many people still have no legal Will in place, my heart lurches, it feels squeezed thinking about the thousands and thousands of dollars, euros, pounds etc that are possibly lost to families because they simply don’t know about the assets (small or large) or have no clue where to look for them.

Then within my hours of thinking, I swing to “Why?”

Why do people avoid organizing this?

Is it because the subject of death makes them uncomfortable? Is being reminded of the fact that we are going to die something that is really too hard to face? Covid-19 gave us all some serious dark moments, no?

Or perhaps, do people just get too busy to slow down and do this? It’s on the list but way, way, WAY, down at the bottom. Or is it that people just don’t know where to start or how to go about it?

But why are we working so hard, all these hours & hours? Why are we taking out insurance policies, making investments and purchasing assets of value, putting in all that effort and then risk not passing it all onto our loved ones if something happens to us?

Because here’s the truth, death & paperwork is important. It matters.

When someone dies, the people left behind can hardly think through the pain of it. I know, I’ve been there, it’s emotionally devastating. Make it easier on your family, the people you love and care for by not leaving a financial mess or worse, a financial disaster.

You can’t know or control when something happens, but you can control how organized you are.

So my thinking ends here - with an out loud nudge. Find a way, your own way, anyway you like! to get your information organized. Help your family find all the information, easily, when they need it in their moment of darkness. But please do it. Your loved one’s will thank you for it.