Protect my family.A checklist you can start tonight.

You don’t need to do everything on this page this week. Work through it one section at a time. Check things off. Come back to it. The point is progress, not perfection.

The five core documents

These are the foundation. An estate planning attorney can prepare them, and many offer a flat fee for a basic package. Some employers offer free legal plans, and legal aid organizations may help if cost is a barrier.

• A will. Says who inherits what, names your executor, and, if you have minor children, names their guardian.
• A durable financial power of attorney. Lets someone you trust manage your money if you can't.
• A health care directive. Names who makes medical decisions for you if you can't, and records your wishes. Depending on your state, it may be called a health care proxy, medical power of attorney, or living will.
• A HIPAA authorization. Lets doctors share information with the people you choose.
• A trust, if it fits. Not everyone needs one. It can help if you have minor children, property in more than one state, a family member who needs long-term support, or a strong wish for privacy.

The beneficiary check

The names on these forms usually override your will. Check every one.

• 401(k), 403(b), and other workplace retirement plans, including old ones from past jobs
• IRAs and Roth IRAs
• Life insurance, including group coverage through work
• Bank and credit union accounts (ask about payable-on-death designations)
• Brokerage accounts (ask about transfer-on-death designations)
• Annuities and pensions

For each one, name a primary and a backup (contingent) beneficiary. Avoid naming a minor child directly; talk to an attorney about a trust or a custodial arrangement instead.

The people

• Guardian for your children, plus a backup. Ask them first.
• Executor (sometimes called personal representative), plus a backup.
• Financial agent for your power of attorney.
• Health care agent for your health care directive.
• One person who knows where everything is. This may be the most important role of all.

The money

• Life insurance sized to your household's real needs, not only what your job provides.
• An emergency fund, even a small one, in an account someone else can reach if needed.
• An account list: every bank, credit union, retirement plan, insurer, and investment firm you use. Names and account types only. No passwords.
• A debt list: mortgage, car loans, cards, student loans, and which ones anyone co-signed.

The house and land

• Confirm whose name is on the deed.
• Decide how you want it to pass: through your will, a trust, joint ownership, or a transfer-on-death deed where your state allows it.
• Find out whether there is family land elsewhere, and whether the taxes are current.
• Keep homeowners insurance and property tax payments current.

Your digital life

• Set up a legacy or inactive-account contact with your phone and email providers, where available.
• Use a password manager with an emergency access feature, or leave secure instructions with someone you trust.
• Decide what should happen to social media accounts and family photos.
• Never put passwords in your will. Wills can become public records.

The “where it is” page

Make one page that answers these questions, and tell someone where it is:

• Where are the will and other legal documents?
• Who is our attorney, accountant, financial advisor, and insurance agent?
• Where are original birth certificates, marriage license, military discharge papers, deeds, and car titles?
• Which bills are on autopay, and from which account?
• Is there a safe deposit box, and who can get into it?
• What are my wishes for my funeral or homegoing?

Start this week

If this list feels like a lot, do just these three things:

1. Check one beneficiary designation.
2. Write the “where it is” page.
3. Tell one person where it is.

That’s real protection, and you can do it before Sunday.

Keep it current

Review your plan once a year, and any time your life changes: a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move to a new state, new job, new home, or new business. Put a date on the calendar.