End of Life Planning Checklist

An end of life planning checklist covers five core areas: legal documents (will, trust, powers of attorney, healthcare directives), financial organization (accounts, insurance, debts, property), digital assets (passwords, accounts, social media), funeral and memorial preferences, and family communication about all of the above. Having these in order does not just protect your wishes — it prevents your family from spending months guessing, searching, and struggling during the hardest time of their lives.

We work with families every day who are navigating the aftermath of a death. The single biggest factor in whether that process is manageable or overwhelming is not the size of the estate, the complexity of the family, or the amount of money involved. It is whether the person who died had their affairs organized.

When someone has prepared — when the will is signed, the accounts are documented, the passwords are accessible, the preferences are known — their family grieves without the added burden of confusion and guesswork. When someone has not prepared, their family spends months (sometimes years) untangling a mess during the most emotionally difficult period of their lives.

This checklist is not about dying. It is about taking care of the people you love. Let's go through everything, section by section.

These are the foundational documents that protect your wishes and give your family the legal authority to act on your behalf. If you do nothing else on this checklist, do this section.

Last Will and Testament

• Names who inherits your assets (beneficiaries)
• Names the executor — the person who will carry out your wishes and manage the estate
• Names a guardian for minor children (if applicable)
• Must be signed and witnessed according to your state's requirements. Most states require two witnesses who are not beneficiaries.
• Store the original in a safe, accessible place (not a safe deposit box, which can be hard to access after death). Tell your executor where it is.

Revocable Living Trust (optional but valuable)

• Allows assets titled in the trust's name to bypass probate entirely
• Provides for management of your assets if you become incapacitated
• More private than a will (wills become public record during probate; trusts do not)
• Must be funded — meaning you need to retitle assets into the trust's name for it to work. An unfunded trust is essentially useless.

Durable Power of Attorney (financial)

• Designates someone to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so
• Must be "durable" — meaning it remains in effect if you become incapacitated. A standard power of attorney expires when you are incapacitated, which is exactly when you need it most.
• Takes effect either immediately or upon incapacity (called a "springing" power of attorney), depending on how you draft it

Healthcare Power of Attorney / Healthcare Proxy

• Designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you cannot make them yourself
• Different from a living will — this names a person, while a living will states your preferences
• Choose someone who will honor your wishes even if they personally disagree

Living Will / Advance Healthcare Directive

• States your wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious
• Covers decisions about ventilators, feeding tubes, resuscitation, dialysis, and similar interventions
• Helps your healthcare proxy make decisions that reflect what you actually want

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order (if desired)

• A medical order signed by your physician directing emergency medical personnel not to perform CPR
• Different from a living will — a DNR is a specific medical order, not a general statement of wishes
• Must be readily available (posted on the refrigerator, in your wallet, or as a medical bracelet) to be effective in an emergency

Action step: If you do not have these documents, a basic will and power of attorney can be drafted by an estate attorney for $500 to $1,500. Online services like Trust & Will or Nolo offer simpler options for $100 to $300. For complex situations (blended families, business ownership, significant assets), invest in an attorney.

The goal here is to create a complete picture of your financial life so that your executor, spouse, or family does not have to spend weeks hunting for accounts and documents. Create a master list (paper copy in a secure location, plus a digital backup) that includes:

Bank and Investment Accounts

• Every checking, savings, and money market account
• Every brokerage and investment account
• Every retirement account (401(k), 403(b), IRA, Roth IRA, pension)
• For each: institution name, account number, approximate balance, named beneficiaries, and whether it has a payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) designation

Insurance Policies

• Life insurance — policy numbers, companies, death benefit amounts, named beneficiaries
• Health insurance — carrier, policy number, who is covered
• Homeowner's / renter's insurance
• Auto insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Umbrella / liability insurance

Real Property

• Every property you own — address, how title is held (sole, joint tenancy, community property, trust), mortgage lender and account number
• Location of deeds and title documents

Vehicles

• Every vehicle you own — make, model, year, VIN, loan information
• Location of titles

Debts and Obligations

• Mortgages, car loans, student loans, personal loans
• Credit cards (issuer, account number, approximate balance)
• Any money you owe to individuals
• Recurring bills and subscriptions (utilities, phone, streaming services, gym memberships)

Income Sources

• Employer and salary information
• Social Security benefits
• Pension or annuity payments
• Rental income
• Any other regular income

Tax Information

• Location of the last 3 years of tax returns
• Name and contact information for your accountant or tax preparer
• Any estimated tax payments you make

Action step: Schedule 2 hours this weekend to create your master financial list. Even a rough draft is infinitely better than nothing.

This is the area that most end-of-life planning checklists skip, and it is increasingly one of the most important. Your digital life may contain financial accounts, irreplaceable photos, important communications, and assets with real monetary value.

Password Management

• Use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, Dashlane) and share your master password or emergency access with your executor or a trusted family member
• If you do not use a password manager, create a written list of your most important account passwords and store it in a secure location (fireproof safe, sealed envelope with your attorney, etc.)
• Include the password or PIN for your phone and computer — these are often the gateway to everything else

Email Accounts

• Your primary email is often the key to accessing everything else (password resets, two-factor authentication, account verification)
• Make sure someone you trust can access it
• Google has an Inactive Account Manager that lets you designate someone to receive your data after a period of inactivity. Apple has a Legacy Contact feature. Set these up.

Financial Accounts Online

• Online banking and investment platforms
• Payment services (Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Cash App) — these may hold balances
• Cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges — this is critical because crypto cannot be recovered without the private keys or account access

Social Media and Online Presence

• Facebook has a Legacy Contact feature and memorialization options
• Instagram can memorialize accounts upon request from family
• Document your preferences: should accounts be memorialized, deleted, or managed by someone?

Subscriptions and Services

• Streaming services, software subscriptions, cloud storage, domain names, web hosting
• Any subscription that auto-renews on a credit card

Photos and Files

• Where are your irreplaceable photos stored? (iCloud, Google Photos, external hard drive)
• Important documents in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive)

Action step: Set up a password manager if you do not have one. Add your most important accounts. Designate emergency access. This one step solves 80% of the digital asset problem.

Talking about funeral preferences feels uncomfortable, but your family will be making these decisions within hours of your death, often while in shock. Having your preferences documented removes the burden of guessing and the guilt of "did we do what they would have wanted?"

Document your preferences for:

• Burial vs. cremation — and if cremation, what you would like done with the ashes (scattered, kept, interred, etc.)
• Funeral service vs. memorial service vs. celebration of life — or no service at all
• Religious or secular ceremony — any specific religious traditions, readings, or rituals
• Location — a specific church, funeral home, outdoor setting, or family home
• Music — specific songs or types of music you would like
• Readings or poems
• Who you would like to speak (or who you would prefer not to)
• Dress code or tone — formal, casual, celebratory, etc.
• Donations in lieu of flowers — if so, to which organizations
• Viewing preferences — open casket, closed casket, no viewing
• Obituary preferences — what to include, what to leave out, where to publish

Pre-planning and pre-paying: You can pre-arrange and even pre-pay for funeral services. This locks in current prices and removes the financial burden from your family. If you do pre-pay, make sure your family knows about the arrangement and which funeral home holds the contract. Store the documentation with your other important papers.

Body and organ donation: If you wish to donate your body to science or donate organs, register with your state's donor registry and document your wishes in your advance directive. Tell your family — organ donation decisions must be made quickly, and hospitals need to know your wishes.

Action step: Write a simple letter to your family stating your funeral preferences. It does not need to be formal or detailed — even a few sentences is enormously helpful. Store it with your other important documents.

You can have every document perfectly prepared and every account meticulously organized, and it will all be useless if your family does not know these things exist or where to find them.

The hardest part of end-of-life planning is not the paperwork. It is the conversation. But here is the truth: every family who has had this conversation says the same thing afterward — "That was not as bad as I thought it would be, and I am so glad we did it."

What to communicate:

• Where your important documents are stored — the physical location of your will, trust, powers of attorney, insurance policies, financial records, and master account list
• Who your professionals are — attorney, financial advisor, accountant, insurance agent. Names, firms, and phone numbers.
• Who your executor is — and make sure they know it and are willing to serve. Being named as executor without warning is stressful.
• Who your healthcare proxy is — and make sure they understand your treatment preferences
• Your funeral preferences
• Any specific wishes or messages — personal letters to family members, ethical wills (documents that pass on values and life lessons rather than property), or specific bequests that have sentimental context

How to have the conversation:

• Choose a calm, low-pressure setting — not during a holiday gathering or a medical crisis
• Frame it positively: "I want to make sure you never have to guess about any of this"
• Focus on the practical: "Here is where everything is and who to call"
• You do not need to share specific dollar amounts or asset details if you are not comfortable doing so — just make sure people know the documents exist and where to find them
• If a face-to-face conversation feels too difficult, write a letter and share it

Action step: Schedule a time in the next 30 days to have this conversation with your executor and/or closest family member. Even a 15-minute overview makes an enormous difference.

Here is everything in one consolidated checklist. You do not need to complete it all at once — even tackling one section per month will have everything in order within six months.

Legal Documents

• ☐ Last will and testament — drafted, signed, and witnessed
• ☐ Revocable living trust (if appropriate for your situation)
• ☐ Durable financial power of attorney
• ☐ Healthcare power of attorney / healthcare proxy
• ☐ Living will / advance healthcare directive
• ☐ DNR order (if desired) — signed by your physician
• ☐ Beneficiary designations reviewed and current on all accounts

Financial Organization

• ☐ Master list of all bank and investment accounts
• ☐ Master list of all insurance policies
• ☐ Master list of all debts and obligations
• ☐ Property deeds and vehicle titles located and organized
• ☐ Last 3 years of tax returns accessible
• ☐ Contact information for attorney, financial advisor, accountant

Digital Assets

• ☐ Password manager set up with emergency access designated
• ☐ Phone and computer passwords documented
• ☐ Email account access arranged (Google Inactive Account Manager, Apple Legacy Contact, etc.)
• ☐ Cryptocurrency access documented (wallets, keys, PINs)
• ☐ Social media legacy settings configured
• ☐ Subscription list created for cancellation

Funeral and Memorial

• ☐ Burial vs. cremation preference documented
• ☐ Service preferences written down
• ☐ Organ/body donation wishes registered
• ☐ Pre-arrangements made (if desired)

Communication

• ☐ Executor knows they are named and is willing to serve
• ☐ Healthcare proxy knows your treatment preferences
• ☐ Family knows where documents are stored
• ☐ Family knows who your key professionals are

HelloAfterLight builds a personalized action plan based on your exact situation — your state, your relationship, what has already been handled. Get your free expert briefing →