One of the least enjoyable, but most necessary, things that those left behind need to do is collect all required financial documents. Financial documents are essential for the distribution of the estate, including the home.
Without all the necessary documents things become much more complicated.
You may have to search for a while to find everything you need. Often all documents won’t be in the same place. Sometimes people will stash them in hidden places. It is worth the time to search everywhere, including crawl spaces, the attic, the garage, go through all the boxes and files, and even look under the mattress and drawers.
The documents you will want to gather may include:
1. Will – If there is a will, it will significantly simplify the distribution of the estate.
2.Receipts from bills – You will need to freeze your relative’s credit and contact all creditors, including the three major credit reporting agencies.
3. Investment documents – Your relative may have had stocks and/or bonds.
4. Insurance documents – There may be a policy from an employer, or one purchased privately.
5. Homeowner’s policy – Keep homeowner’s insurance up to date and increase coverage if necessary.
6. Bank account documentation – You want accurate information on all of your relative’s bank accounts.
7. Personal documents – If your relative had any personal documents, like journals, poetry, etc., you might like to have it at a later date for sentimental reasons.