A death binder is literally a folder that holds every important piece of information about your life, from your birth certificate to your will and everything in between. It should include financial accounts, creditors, deeds, titles, life insurance, social media profiles, etc., and all their passwords. It can also include pre-planned funeral or memorial service arrangements, which are additional ways to help set your family up for a less stressful time in the event of your passing.
If you prefer not to have a paper version and choose to go digital, you can instead create an in-case-of-death folder and save it to a thumb drive or on a computer that a loved one could easily access. If you have already established an estate executor or have a lawyer, you can share it with them, too.
A death binder doesn't have to be a plain three-ring binder filled with documents and lacking personality. If you're the creative type, make it a reflection of you! Whether you decorate it with calligraphy, stickers, or drawings, or you simply use your favorite-colored paper for printing, it's okay to jazz it up. Your creativity now could help your loved ones smile later.
Keep in mind that a death folder is not a one-and-done item. If any of your important information changes – for example, if you update your will – you will need to update the folder to reflect that. It's a good idea to revisit it annually to make sure all your information is still up to date.
