After accomplishing the necessary planning for your future financial needs during retirement, it is helpful to organize your key documents, so that they are easily accessible. Here is a list of the most important documents that should be readily available and safely stored throughout your retirement years.
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Your Social Security Information-
o Earnings Record
o Birth Cerificate
o Copies of Last Year's W-2 Forms
Your Retirement Plan Documents-
o Summary Plan Description
o Individual Benefit Statement
o Beneficiary Information
Your Investment-Related Information-
o Account Statements
o Required Minimum Distributions
Your Tax Information-
o Past Tax Returns
o Quarterly Estimated Tax Records
Your Home(s) Information-
o Property Title
o Homeowner's/Auto/Boat Insurance Policy
o Home Personal Property Inventory
Your Account Login Information-
o User Names and Passwords
o Any "Cloud"-based Password Storage Program or Site
Your Estate Planning Documents-
o Wills and Trusts
o Powers of Attorney and Medical Directives
o Cemetery Plot Titles
o Burial and Funeral Instructions
Your Family Life Insurance Information-
o Life Insurance Policies
o Beneficiary Designations
Your Health Insurance Information-
o List of Providers
o Benefit Summaries
o Contact Information
o Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurance Information
o Long-term Care Policies
Documents Needed in Case of Incapacitation-
o Durable Powers of Attorney
o Health Care Powers of Attorney
o Advanced Medical Directives
o Long-term Care Policies
o Contact Information for Advisors, Lawyers, Bankers, Caregivers, and other responsible parties.
To make is easier for you to store and access this information, a secure online digital archive can make it both simple and affordable to keep a copy of your important documents and information in one place. This will ensure that your critical information, that you or your family may need, will be available whenever and wherever you need them, even after your gone.
If you can scan your important documents, it is easy to upload them to your own personal encrypted and protected “storage locker”. To accomplish this, we recommend using a secure service like the one that is available at www.fidsafe.com. Their service is free and is sponsored and provided by XTRAC LLC, a Fidelity Investments Company.
An more extensive list of information that can be saved is covered in our previous article titled "Essential Information that You Want to Have On Hand".
Greg Tinaglia
(Updated 07.03.2018)