estate & legacy
Reader Resources
Build Your Protection & Preparation Habits
Estate planning is one of the most loving things you can do for your family. The most useful estate plan is the one that still reflects your wishes, which means revisiting your documents and details as life changes. The two resources below support that ongoing rhythm.
Estate Documents Checklist
A guided checklist of the core estate planning documents most adults need, including a will, powers of attorney for finances and healthcare, an advance directive, beneficiary designations, and trusts where appropriate. Use it to inventory what you have, identify what is missing, and confirm that what you do have is still current. Revisit it every year and after any major life change.
Letter of Instruction Template
A fill-in template for the practical companion to your legal documents. Capture where your accounts and important papers are kept, who to contact, your wishes for arrangements and memorial services, and personal messages to the people you love. Not a legal document, but often the most useful one your family will receive. Update it once a year and after any major life change.
Start With What You Have
Estate planning has a way of feeling enormous, but it doesn't have to be. Begin with the Estate Documents Checklist to see what you have and what is missing. Then use the Letter of Instruction Template to capture the practical details your loved ones will need. Revisit both once a year and after any major life change.
~Lynn
