Estate Planning Checklist

You can't pass on what you haven't accounted for. Start with a single written list of everything of value and everything you owe.

• List real estate and vehiclesHome, rental or vacation property, land, cars, boats, RVs — with titles and deeds noted.
• List financial accountsChecking, savings, brokerage, CDs, 401(k), IRA, HSA, and pensions, with institution names.
• List insurance policiesLife, annuities, long-term care, disability — include carrier, policy number, and face amount.
• Note business interestsOwnership percentages, partnership agreements, and any buy-sell arrangements.
• Note valuable personal propertyJewelry, collections, firearms, art, heirlooms — and who you'd like each to go to.
• List debts and obligationsMortgages, loans, credit cards, and any co-signed obligations your estate would inherit.

Naming the right people early prevents the most common family conflicts later.

• Identify your beneficiariesSpouse, children, other family, friends, or charities — and the share each should receive.
• Choose an executor or personal representativeSomeone organized and trustworthy who is willing to serve. Name a backup too.
• Choose a trustee if you'll use a trustThis can be an individual or a corporate trustee for larger or long-running trusts.
• Name guardians for minor childrenWithout this, a court decides. Confirm with the person before naming them.
• Plan for petsName a caretaker and consider funding their care through your plan.

These five documents do the vast majority of the work in a complete estate plan.

• Last will and testamentDirects your property, names your executor, and nominates guardians for children.
• Revocable living trust (if appropriate)Keeps assets out of probate, adds privacy, and allows for staged distributions.
• Durable financial power of attorneyLets someone you trust manage money and property if you become incapacitated.
• Healthcare power of attorneyNames a medical decision-maker if you can't speak for yourself.
• HIPAA authorizationWithout it, providers may legally refuse to share information with your family.
• Fund the trustAn unfunded trust does nothing. Retitle deeds and accounts into the trust's name.

Beneficiary designations override your will. Outdated ones are the single most common estate planning mistake.

• Review retirement account beneficiaries401(k), 403(b), IRA, and pension forms — primary and contingent.
• Review life insurance and annuity beneficiariesConfirm names are current and spelled correctly.
• Add payable-on-death / transfer-on-death designationsA simple way to pass bank and brokerage accounts outside probate.
• Update after major life eventsMarriage, divorce, birth, adoption, or the death of a named beneficiary.

Clear instructions spare your family from making painful decisions in the dark.

• Complete a living will / advance directiveState your wishes about life support, resuscitation, and comfort care.
• Plan for long-term care costsConsider long-term care insurance, hybrid life policies, or a self-funding strategy.
• Write down funeral and burial preferencesBurial or cremation, service details, and whether arrangements are prepaid.
• Record organ donation wishesRegister your decision and tell your healthcare agent.

Much of a modern estate lives behind a password. Make it findable and legally accessible.

• Inventory digital accountsEmail, banking, social media, cloud storage, subscriptions, loyalty programs.
• Use a password manager with emergency accessGrant a trusted contact recovery rights rather than sharing passwords in a document.
• Document cryptocurrency and digital assetsWallets, exchanges, and recovery phrases stored securely and separately.
• Grant digital asset authority in your documentsGive your fiduciary explicit legal permission to access digital accounts.

A plan nobody can find is a plan that doesn't work.

• Store originals somewhere safe and accessibleA fireproof safe or your attorney's office — a safe deposit box can be hard to open after death.
• Tell your executor and agents where everything isGive them a roadmap: documents, advisors, accounts, and contacts.
• Give copies to the right peopleHealthcare directives to your doctor and medical agent; financial POA to your bank.
• Review every 3–5 years or after a major life changeMarriage, divorce, births, deaths, moves across state lines, or big changes in assets.
• Have a professional review the whole planConfirms the documents work together and comply with your state's law.