Heaven Forbid, but Someday Someone May Need Access to Your Personal Records

If something happens to you (LET'S HOPE NOT) your loved ones will need an easy way to find key information about you and your personal records.

If you love them, then you'll make their life a lot easier (and they will think and speak better of you) if you make a list giving them some important data.

Here's what to include (seriously, now):

• Names of banks where you have accounts - and the account numbers.
• Name of the bank where you have your safe deposit box - plus the box number and location of the key.
• Numbers of all insurance policies - including health, life, auto, home and burial - and names and address of all insurance agents.
• Itemization of investments - including stocks, bonds and mutual funds, with account numbers and names and addresses of brokers.
• Location of your cemetery plot or mausoleum (or a favorite personal location where your ashes could be scattered should you have one picked out).
• Location of your will - and the name and address of your attorney.
• List of all credit cards - including account numbers.
• Social Security number and Medicare card.
• Name and address of mortgage holder - including account number and amount of debt.
• Name and address of accountant - and location of past tax returns.
• Funeral or memorial service information - explaining what you want. (You might consider writing your own eulogy to make certain they "get it right.")
• Brand of beer you want served at your wake. (Our addition...Guess we couldn't stay totally serious regardless of the importance of the topic.)

"How much" of this information you provide to "who in your family you trust" and "when" and "where" is up to you. We're just passing along a bit of "food for thought" on "what" you might consider including.

PS: You might consider having one of those beers in the fridge now, not that it would make the topic any easier to deal with, but why leave it all for someone else to enjoy. This last item, of course, should not be construed as professional advice, considered by anyone under the legal age of 21, or mixed with any other form of medication of any sort.