Working through a getting your affairs in order checklist is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for the people you love. It means that if something happens to you, your family will not have to dig through drawers, guess at passwords, or make painful choices without knowing what you wanted. This guide walks you through exactly what to organize — documents, accounts, legal paperwork, and final wishes — in a clear order you can follow at your own pace.
You do not need to finish it all in one sitting. Take one section at a time, keep everything in a single place your family can find, and check the box as you go. Many people use a guided workbook such as the I’m Dead, Now What? planner so the prompts are already laid out for them — but you can build your own version with a folder, a notebook, and this list.
Why getting your affairs in order matters
When someone dies or becomes seriously ill without their affairs in order, the people left behind inherit a stressful scavenger hunt at the worst possible time. They may not know which bank holds the mortgage, whether there is a life-insurance policy, who the doctor is, or what kind of service you would have wanted. Getting organized now removes that burden. It also protects you while you are alive: if you are ever hospitalized, the same information lets a trusted person step in and manage things on your behalf. The National Institute on Aging covers the medical side of this well in its guidance on advance care planning.
The affairs in order checklist
Here are the five areas to work through to get your affairs in order. Tackle them in any order, but try to complete each one fully before moving on so nothing falls through the cracks.
1. Gather your important documents
Start by collecting the paperwork that proves who you are and what you own: birth certificate, Social Security card, passport, marriage or divorce records, property deeds, vehicle titles, insurance policies, and recent tax returns. Keep the originals together in one protected place. A fireproof document bag or a lockable, fire-resistant organizer like the Icebox home file organizer keeps them safe from fire and water while staying easy to grab in an emergency, and a labeled document organizer binder makes it simple to sort everything by category. For a deeper walkthrough of sorting and storing these safely, see our guide on how to organize important documents securely.
2. Put your legal documents in place
Every adult needs a few core legal documents: a will, a durable power of attorney for finances, and an advance directive with a healthcare proxy. A will decides who receives your property; the others decide who acts for you if you cannot act for yourself. If you are unsure how a planner and a will fit together, our comparison of a planner versus a will explains where each one ends. Whatever you put in place, write down where the signed originals are kept — a will no one can find does very little good.
3. Make a master list of accounts and passwords
Your family cannot manage what they cannot see. Make one master list of bank and investment accounts, credit cards, loans, utilities, subscriptions, and the logins for your email and key online accounts. Note the account numbers and institutions, but store the actual passwords securely — a family password logbook kept in a locked drawer is a simple, offline option many families prefer. Federal consumer guidance on managing someone else’s money is a helpful companion for whoever will step in on your behalf.
4. Record your medical wishes and final arrangements
Write down your medical wishes — the treatments you would and would not want, your healthcare proxy, and any do-not-resuscitate or organ-donation decisions — and tell your family and doctor. Then note your funeral or memorial preferences: burial or cremation, any prepaid arrangements, and the tone of service you would like. These are hard things to talk about, which is exactly why writing them down is such a gift; it spares your loved ones from guessing during grief.
5. Tell someone where everything is
The final step is the one people forget: tell a trusted person where the plan lives. A perfectly organized binder helps no one if it stays a secret. Choose someone reliable, tell them where the documents are kept and how to access them, and update them when things change. Keeping the whole plan in a fireproof and waterproof home safe that a trusted person can open is a reassuring way to protect it without hiding it.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few predictable mistakes trip people up when getting their affairs in order. The first is keeping the whole plan in your head — information no one can find helps no one. The second is locking everything in a bank safe-deposit box your family cannot open quickly after a death; keep the master copy at home instead. The third is forgetting digital life entirely: email, photos, subscriptions, and online banking now matter as much as the paper file. A fourth is naming an executor or power of attorney without ever asking them — surprise is the enemy of a smooth handover. And the last is finishing a beautiful plan and never touching it again; an out-of-date plan can be worse than none, because it sends your family confidently in the wrong direction.
Tools that make getting your affairs in order easier
You can absolutely get your affairs in order with a folder and a pen. But a guided tool removes the blank-page problem. The I’m Dead, Now What? planner gives you prompted sections for every item on this checklist — documents, accounts, medical wishes, and final arrangements — so you are simply answering questions rather than trying to remember what to include. Pair it with a fireproof document bag for the originals, and your affairs will be more organized than most people ever manage.
How often should you review this checklist?
Getting your affairs in order is not a one-time task. Life keeps moving — a new account, a house move, a marriage or divorce, a new grandchild — and your plan should move with it. A good habit is to review everything once a year and again after any major life event, confirming that beneficiary designations are current, closed accounts are removed, and the person you trusted still knows where everything lives. Our guide on how often to update your planner goes into more detail on building the habit.
If you are not sure whether your affairs in order are truly complete, walk this checklist one more time with fresh eyes, or hand it to the person you trust most and ask them a simple question: “If you needed this tomorrow, could you find everything?” Their answer will tell you exactly what is left to do. When you are ready to keep going, our full end-of-life planning checklist expands every step above into a printable plan you can complete this month.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to get my affairs in order?
At a minimum: identification (birth certificate, Social Security card, passport), a will, a durable power of attorney, an advance directive, insurance policies, property and vehicle titles, and a master list of financial accounts. Keep the originals together in one protected place and tell a trusted person where they are.
How do I start if the whole thing feels overwhelming?
Start with one drawer or one folder, not the whole house. Spend twenty minutes gathering just your identification documents, then stop. Breaking the job into small, prompted steps — the way a guided planner does — turns an overwhelming project into a series of easy, ten-minute wins you can finish over a few weeks.
Where should I keep my completed checklist?
Somewhere protected but accessible — not a bank safe-deposit box your family cannot open quickly after a death. A fire-resistant, water-resistant container at home works well, and at least one trusted person should know where it is and how to open it. The goal is for your family to find everything within minutes.
Can I get my affairs in order without a lawyer?
Most of it — gathering documents, listing accounts, recording wishes, and telling someone where everything is — needs no lawyer at all. You only need professional help for the legal instruments themselves, such as a complex will or a trust. Organizing everything else first means you arrive at any attorney appointment prepared and spend less time and money there.
If you’d like a ready-made place to gather everything above, the I’m Dead, Now What? planner keeps it together in one guided book.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, tax, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and change over time; please consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.