Our life is made up of data. We have social security numbers and pins. We have insurance policies and passwords. We may own one or more vehicles, a home or stocks. We have personal information that acts as identification, we have medical records and we have bills. All these things have corresponding numbers and information that must be accessed to be of any help. We cannot go into a bank and withdraw money from our account without some proof of who we are. We can’t go into for a regular doctor’s visit without first acknowledging we have insurance. We cannot pay bills without some account number to pay to and from. There is so much information that makes up a life! So how, how can we keep so much information together and accessible? How can we help someone else cover for us? I created the Life at Hand® system to make things easier. To help you keep yourself organized. No depending on other people and no need to share personal information with others unless you want to. The system is divided into 8 crucial building blocks that are color-coded to help you categorize your information in a way that is easy to find when you need it and easy to update (download our free Sample Forms to try them out) as you go.
Personal
The personal information section covers all the various means of identification that repesent you and your family. This includes things like a driver’s licenses number, birth certificate, information on children, military service records and retirement.
Assets
The Assets category helps you record your account numbers, bank statements, retirement plans, stock certificates and treasury notes.
Debt
Unfortunately, most every one of us has it. It can be recorded in the Debt section. You can keep track of things like college loans, credit cards, and promissory notes.
Medical
Medical information that you, or a caregiver, may need includes a Durable Power of Attorney for health, a living will, your list of prescription drugs and a summary of your medical history.
Property
The Property section allows you to record and keep track of your appraisals, rental or mortgage agreements, vehicle registration and home inventory.
Insurance
Insurance can be recorded to include polices for vehicles, health, mortgage and life. You can even record your passwords and hints that allow you to access these sites.
Estate Plan
Allows you to save the information needed to settle your estate, and can save your beneficiaries difficulty later. Record and file information like Irrevocable Living Trusts, wills and funeral arrangements.
Miscellaneous
The last building block is the catch all. The Life at Hand® system allows you to capture information on budgets, logins and passwords, pets and utilities. It also lets you save contact information for services you use such as your plumber, handyman, or if you have one, an alarm company. This is a lot of information, but having these building blocks together, in one place, can save you and your loved ones a lot of time and effort when “life happens”. From a kitchen flood to a medical emergency, if your vital information is organized and easy to access, you have just saved yourself, time, stress, and money. Be good to yourself and the ones you love. Put this information together and keep it handy. You’ll be glad you did!