Maybe it’s the mom in me, but I love a checklist. I’ve got one for packing my daughter’s trunk for sleep-away camp, another for packing up the family (including the dog!) for vacation, one for hosting Rosh Hashanah dinner, and a much longer one for hosting Passover.

It’s just easier with a list. What do you need to bring, and how much? Does anything have to be special ordered? Hopefully the “fun” lists (what to bring to Disney, planning a great family reunion) get pulled out more than ones for tough stuff, like preparing for surgery. But using a checklist always helps me keeps calm, stay focused, and involve my family in whatever we’re doing.

That’s why it was such a pleasure to develop the “Personal Estate Checklist and Document Locator” with my colleagues from the award-winning marketing department of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.

It was designed to make it easier for loved ones to locate not only documents and valuables, but also the many passwords (phones, computers, online shopping accounts) necessary for modern life.

Our checklist is not intended to replace your will, living will, or any professional financial planning advice. Rather, it provides a way to help you keep track of the many details of life today, and to save loved one the stress of uncertainty during a difficult time.

I’m going to use it to spark a conversation with my parents to make sure I know where their “stuff” is. It won’t change the future, but using this checklist (like all my others) could reduce conflicts and help my family make the best of any situation.

JCF will soon be mailing complimentary copies of the Personal Estate Checklist and Document Locator to members of the Ner Tamid Society, who have supported Federation for 20 years or more. If you don’t want to wait that long, please send me an email at eheltzer@jfedgmw.org or call JCF at (973) 929-3113 and ask for the Checklist.

---

Originally posted June 24, 21014