Final Wishes Planner

Making a final wishes planner should be an essential part of your end of life planning. This article will show you why having one is so important and how you can get started on making one now.

What Is a Final Wishes Planner?

Many people shrink away from thinking about their end of life plans. It can be difficult to face the reality that we won’t live forever. We also don’t want to upset our loved ones by talking about it. It’s easier to just avoid the topic.

Unfortunately, we actually hurt our families much more by refusing to make and communicate end of life arrangements. Without clear guidelines to follow after you’re gone, your loved ones will be left scrambling to make important decisions regarding your funeral, property, and assets. This opens the door to chaos and confusion when family members can’t agree on what you would have wanted.

That’s where a final wishes planner comes in handy. Here you can list out your important end of life preferences in a way that’s straightforward for your family.

Your final wishes planner will go hand in hand with your last will and testament, which is a legal document that explains your wishes regarding your bigger financial assets and property. 2 out of every 5 Americans over the age of 45 haven’t gotten around to making their will yet. If you haven’t already created one, be sure to make it a priority as you begin working on your final wishes planner.

Your loved ones will already be grieving. You don’t want to make things any more difficult for them. Making a final wishes planner allows them to grieve in peace, free of uncertainty and stress. It’s easy to get started and save your loved ones much time, money, and hassle.

Getting Started on Your Final Wishes Planner

There’s no standard way to create a final wishes planner. You can follow a free online template or create it yourself, being sure to include all the important details your family will need. The most important thing is that you cover the critical decisions your loved ones will need to make after you’re gone.

Here’s a list of questions to consider before you sit down to make your final wishes planner:

List your preferred funeral arrangements

One of the biggest causes of stress for loved ones left behind after a death is planning a funeral. Many decisions accompany funeral planning. What kind of ceremony would you prefer: traditional or a celebration of life? Which kind of flowers would you like? What about the music? Who would you like to read the eulogy? How would you prefer your body to be treated after your death: burial, cremation, donation, green burial? If burial, where is your preferred burial place?

Some funeral homes even allow you to prepay for funeral services. This can be a huge relief for loved ones who will otherwise have to manage the cost of a funeral on their own.

Prepare an obituary draft

Writing up a draft of how you would like your obituary to read is a simple task that will make things easier for your loved ones after you’re gone. Amid the stress of winding down a loved one’s affairs, it will come as a relief that they don’t also have to write an obituary from scratch.

Decide what you want to happen to your pets

While your will should include any provisions that you have for your children, you don’t want to forget about pets. If you die while still a pet owner, it’s important that you outline who you want to care for your pets and whether you’ve set aside any funds for them. This will ensure your pets end up under the care of someone you trust.

Make arrangements for your digital assets

Considering what to do about digital assets has recently become a priority for many people when making their end of life plans. Digital assets include digital photos, videos, saved documents and files, social media accounts, online shopping accounts, personal websites or blogs, email accounts, and any electronic devices you own.

You should consider who you want to have access to your digital assets and how you want them handled. Do you want your social media accounts immediately closed? Would you like your personal photos, videos, and documents transferred somewhere so your family can enjoy them, or would you prefer to have them deleted? Would you like someone to inherit your digital devices or should they be donated?

Storing Your Finals Wishes Planner with My Family Documents

It’s important that you store your final wishes planner in a safe place. But your loved ones will need to access much more than just this document. They will need your will to comply with legal procedures following your death. Your family will also need to access insurance policies, financial statements, investment portfolios, and account log-in credentials. 

Many well-intentioned people think it’s best for them to stow away their will and other end of life documents in their house, but it can be difficult for loved ones to find them when they need them that way.

Even worse, if you store your important documents in a safe-deposit box, the bank may seal it and require a court order to open it. By the time your loved ones can get what they need, it might be too late. They will already have had to make many tough decisions.

My Family Documents can help you avoid situations like these! You want all your information to be organized and accessible to your loved ones when the time comes. My Family Documents offers a unique storage tool that allows you to securely sort and store your important personal documents.

Safety and Security of My Family Documents

With My Family Documents, you can be sure all your information is stored securely in one place. Since everything is stored on a physical USB flash drive, you choose where you store it and who has access to it. Be sure to let your loved ones know where you keep it, so they can easily find it when they need it.

The flash drive is programmed with organizational software designed to make tracking your important documents quicker and easier. With My Family Documents, your information is encrypted and stored on a physical device, meaning it’s secure and user-friendly.

If you want to make things easier for your loved ones, you should get started creating a final wishes planner now. But you shouldn’t stop there.

Your loved ones will need access to many of your critical documents to manage your affairs. My Family Documents allows you to be confident that your loved ones will be prepared when the time comes.