if you are young, single and tech-savvy, and have all your business dealings online, and you die suddenly, how can next-of-kin even know where to start ?
They won't know where your bank accounts are, where your mortgage and insurance policies are, who supplies your electricity and gas, who your phone service provider is. If you do all business on your phone or other gadget, and that goes with you ( say if you are a passenger on an aircraft which disappears into the sea somewhere) - then what ?
Will the various companies you have been dealing with just go on emptying your accounts ? Will any of them raise the alarm when account activity stops ?
Do what I have done.
There is a large envelope marked "to be opened when I die" which contains everything you have detailed in your question, including details of my secret "running away fund".
It will make life so much easier for my family
I've made sure that the executor of my Will knows where it is, and there is paper evidence of everything. I may bank on-line but we still have things written down.
Obviously a sensible, forward-loking person will take such precautions as you have suggested, but what I want to know is what will happen if you think nothing can happen to you, and it does ?
"what I want to know is what will happen if you think nothing can happen to you, and it does"
Well Atalanta, your family will go to where you live and look at your papers and find out what needs to be done in way of closing accounts etc. People die all the time and there is a lot of sorting out to be done. Next of kin have to just do their best.
yup Mrs O and I have clearly had the same near death experiences
and I too have a large envolope - my executors know where the will is and have copies themselves and have been shown around the computer
and yes otherwise the companies will very gladly continue to empty your account until it goes zilch
A few years ago there was a sale of flat in gay Paree from around 1968,
of a photographer who disappeared in Vietnam - excuse me where and when ?
and I thought just that had happened..... for thirty years
Next of kin certainly might have a lot to do to find all the information you describe - possibly call in professional help (e.g. solicitor). Gas/Electric utilities should be able to trace who is responsible using the unique meter reference although they make require a little "pushing". Water suppliers are not currently switchable so local area will apply. Telephone could be tricky although a call from the appropriate device (if available) should sort this out. Bank accounts I don't know about but I believe there is a central method of tracing them - in which case all DDs, SOs etc should be immediately cancelled and the account frozen. A person such as you designate probably not got round to making a will either so intestate rules apply which will also require sorting out with the probate registry.
My d'ter knows my email password; where my docs are listed. Passwords for various sites ie answerbank, paypal, bank, IR etc are listed, updated and sent to my email & stored under folder 'Register'.
We have a file marked 'Clog-Popping'. Everything including bank account numbers, insurances, and people to contact is in there. I would hate to cause my family problems when I die.