Write a Will If you don't have a will, get one now. Right now. The document will clearly spell out your wishes and detail exactly who gets what so that there will hopefully be no fighting about it. I recommend using a lawyer, but there are also cheap software packages, like Quicken or LegalZoom, that can help you. Put Valuables in a Safe Place I have heard countless stories of people who stashed cash, gold or other valuables in random places, like behind the walls or buried in the backyard, that no one would ever find. The problem is that the person died and no one ever found the stash. So the money they worked hard for and saved was lost forever (or went to a lucky contractor who found it years later). If you're one of those people, take the money out from behind the walls and buy a safe for your house that's bolted to the floor or a safe deposit box at a bank. Make sure your partner knows how to retrieve the combination for the home safe and is listed on the safe deposit box. If your spouse is not listed as an owner of the safe deposit box with a signature on file and you pass away, the safe deposit box is sealed until probate is over, which can take months or even years. If they are on file as a joint owner, they will be able to remove the contents of the safe deposit box after your death. User IDs and Passwords If you're the one who handles all of the finances, you presumably do a lot of it online. Your partner and/or family should know how to log in to your accounts, including those for financial institutions, insurance, utilities, rent/mortgage, rewards, etc. I wouldn't keep a list of user IDs and passwords in the same document. Rather, I'd split them up by allocating one document to user IDs and another document to passwords. Don't name the documents "User IDs" and "Passwords." Make it something mundane that a hacker wouldn't be interested in opening, like "Shopping List" and "Packing List." My young adult kids understandably hate when we mention this stuff to them. But they also know where to find the information they'll need, and, importantly, who to call for financial help. You've provided for your family for decades. The ultimate act of love is to continue to do so in their time of grief. And if you're the sole caretaker of your family's finances and you go to your partner and say, "Honey, I've taken these three steps to ensure you're taken care of if something happens to me," I guarantee it will work better than wine, chocolate, flowers and oysters. 😉 Good investing, Marc | 
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