09/14/2026
What would your family actually have access to if something happened to you?
Most of us know the “responsible adult” things we're supposed to have in place.
➡️ A will.
➡️ Life insurance.
➡️ Beneficiaries named on our accounts.
➡️ Maybe a Power of Attorney.
But there’s another side of estate planning that doesn't get talked about nearly enough — and it's something we see pop up every now and again when we're working with families after someone has passed away.
If something happened to you tomorrow, could your family actually access your life?
Think about how much of your life now lives behind a password.
Your phone. Your email. Online banking. Investment accounts. Insurance information. Utility accounts. Subscriptions. Cloud storage. Photos. Automatic payments. Even the authentication app that provides the code needed to log into another account.
And here's something many people don't realize: a Power of Attorney generally ends when you die. So the person who may have been helping manage your affairs while you were alive doesn't simply continue with that same authority afterward.
Having a will is incredibly important — but a will doesn't contain the passcode to your phone. It doesn't tell your spouse which email address receives your verification codes. It doesn't tell your executor where every account is held, which bills quietly come off a credit card every month, or who they should call about your insurance and investments.
A will helps deal with what you own. But your family may also need a roadmap to everything you manage.
Because financial planning isn't only about accumulating money or making sure there's enough insurance.
It's also about making an incredibly difficult time a little less difficult for the people you leave behind.
Part of getting your affairs in order could include creating a secure record of things like:
▪️Important accounts and where they're held
▪️Key contacts — financial advisor, lawyer, accountant and insurance advisor
▪️Where your will and insurance documents are kept
▪️Recurring household bills and subscriptions
▪️Important email addresses and digital accounts
▪️Instructions for accessing your phone and other devices
▪️Where passwords or recovery information can safely be found
That doesn't mean writing every password on a piece of paper and sticking it to the fridge😅. It means having a secure system — and making sure someone you trust knows it exists and knows where to find it.
We often think estate planning is about leaving people money.
Sometimes it's also about leaving them instructions.
And if reading this has made you realize that you probably don't have everything as organized as you'd like, you're definitely not alone.
We have a really helpful Personal Information Guide that we provide to our clients at no cost, and I'm always happy to share one.
If you'd like a copy, just send me a message and I'll gladly get one to you.
☎️ (306) 955-7526 📱 (306) 260-7580
📧 [email protected]
