[SFW] Do you have someone designated to clean up what's left when you go?

We’re doing most of that right now, while we’re still here to make decisions. As much as possible, we’re giving stuff to our kids now.

Everyone should keep his/her papers organized and current. I had to clean-out an overwhelming mess in my mother’s house; every drawer, shelf, cupboard, and closet was full. Because I live far away and needed to tackle this job during brief, sporadic visits, it took about 1 – ½ years. Ditto @ETpro‘s suggestion to designate a trusted person, but please plan ahead and make things as easy as possible for that individual.

- After a term insurance policy expires (renter’s, homeowner’s, automobile), the coverage no longer exists and the old documents are worthless. When you renew, you’re buying new coverage for a different term, and you’ll receive updated declaration info. You don’t need to save every term policy for 60 years, as my mother had done.

- When you discard an appliance or electronic, get rid of the owner’s manual and warranty information. If you sell or donate the item, tape the owner’s manual to it. Don’t make someone sort through all those papers to determine what you still own and what you tossed ages ago.

- Archive each year’s files and save them for a maximum of 7 years. Mark the archives “First current year, “Second current year,” etc., and rotate the papers annually. After 7 years, shred and discard.

- Keep important family documents (birth and death certificates, passports, property deeds and titles, wills) in a separate, permanent file.

- Also do a perm file for life insurance, IRA, and retirement plan information (not the monthly and quarterly statements, but the basic information about where the assets are held).

- Also keep a perm file of each year’s tax return, and mark the file “Confidential.”

- If you have any indiscreet letters or naughty photos, put them in a box marked “Personal and private.” If you have kids, buy a box with a lock. When I was working on Mom’s papers, I found too many things that I never should have seen or read.

My 26 year old daughter and only child will be the lucky person who gets to handle my closing affairs. They are much simplified these days compared to a few years ago when I actually had assets. lol At this point, if I dropped dead today she would only need to take my 2 cats, close out my bank accts. take whatever cash remains, alert my bills that I am now deceased and pay for a cheap cremation.

My sister in law is the executor of our estate if Hubby and I both pass at the same time, otherwise, he iwll take care of it all.

Like Coloma, I have one adult child on whom the legal responsibility would fall. When I get married, my fiancé would have that responsibility. If I die before then, I’m confident he’d help my son, since most of our things are joint anyway.

@snowberry Great answer. Bless you, my child. :-)

@SadieMartinPaul How well I know. My mom, having grown up in the depression, kept EVERYTHING. In her basement, there were huge balls of rubber bands, now melted together. She had saved the plastic and aluminum-foil cooking packages that frozen, prepared foods come in. There were large stacks sorted by size and brand. It took ages and filled many dumpsters. That’s part of what led me to ask.

@Coloma Finally, we’ve found a silver lining to that dark could that’s been over your life. :-)

@YARNLADY You’re fortunate to have two trusted people close enough to you to take on the task.

@hearkat Have you guys set a date?

The sharks, human or otherwise, will take care of it. Hopefully otherwise.

@ETpro – No. Our decision to make our commitment legally binding is based on practical and financial issues relating to my son. In a few more years it will make more sense for us to do so.

@hearkat An answer from modern times. Kudos for being so logical.

@ETpro – When you’re in your 40s and have been around the block a time or two without always using reason as a guide, you learn to weigh the pros and cons and not feel pressured to do things that might not be best for you because it’s what’s expected.

@hearkat Amen to that!