Design your “Death Dossier” soon or you could be setting up your heirs for frustration and financial pain:

25 Important Documents You’ll Need Before You Die

The Essentials
• Will
• Letter of instruction
• Trust documents
Proof of Ownership
• Housing, land and cemetery deeds
• Escrow mortgage accounts
• Proof of loans made and debts owed
• Vehicle titles
• Stock certificates, savings bonds and brokerage accounts
• Partnership and corporate operating agreements
• Tax returns
Bank Accounts
• List of bank accounts
• List of all user names and passwords
• List of safe-deposit boxes
Health-Care Confidential
• Personal and family medical history
• Durable health-care power of attorney
• Authorization to release health-care information
• Living will
• Do-not-resuscitate order
Life Insurance and Retirement
• Life-insurance policies
• Individual retirement accounts
• 401(k) accounts
• Pension documents
• Annuity contracts
Marriage and Divorce
• Marriage license
• Divorce papers


Learn more in this article:

Documents You Need Before Death
Documents You Need Before Deathhttp://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/113073/documents-need-before-death-estate-plan-wsjIt isn’t enough simply to sign a bunch of papers establishing an estate plan and other end-of-life instructions. You also have to make your heirs aware of them and leave the documents where they can find them.