Make the One New Year’s Resolution You Can Keep...
Organize Your Important Documents Now!
— by Claudette E. Paäge, President
of Paäge et Cie, Business & Personal Management Services,
Ltd.
No one likes to think about it, but dealing with unexpected events
is simply a part of life. Have you ever noticed how some people
seem to handle life’s challenges better than others? Let me
tell you a little secret... these people know the value of organizing
their important documents before an unexpected event occurs.
This is the time of year when we make New Years resolutions.
An important and easy resolution to keep is to organize your important
documents! This resolution will give you and your loved ones security
and peace of mind. By organizing your important documents now,
you can be prepared for any event.
It is better to look ahead and prepare
than to look back and regret. Jackie Joyner Kersee
In an emergency, rather than searching your home or office for
vital information you need, you’ll have all of this information
organized in one, easy-to-find location. This way you can focus
on the event or emergency at hand. What a relief to be able to
know exactly where to find medical and insurance information,
burial papers, real estate deeds, safe deposit keys or a will!
Although it may take some time, it is not difficult to gather
and organize your important information. That’s why it’s
so important to start right now. The trick is to break down the
process into easily-managed fact-gathering sessions where your
whole family can get involved. When you get all of your important
documents and information in order, store them in a safe place.
Also, it is important to make an appointment with your financial
planner and estate attorney to help you devise an estate plan
tailored to your specific needs.
Here are a few questions for you and your family to ask
yourselves:
Home:
Do you have personal information on every
member of your family?
Have you made a complete inventory of the contents of your home
and any offsite storage facilities you rent or own?
Health:
Do you have detailed medical histories for each
member of your family?
Do you have an up-to-date, accurate list of prescriptions for
yourself and anyone else under your care?
Assets:
Do you have an up-to-date list of all of your
assets and liabilities?
Do you periodically review all of your insurance needs to make
sure they fulfill your needs?
Estate Planning:
Do you have a will? If so, is it updated to reflect life
changing events such as marriage, birth, divorce or death of a
beneficiary? Where is the original located?
Have you reviewed the beneficiary designations on all of your
insurance policies and pension plans?
Taxes:
Do you have a file that holds all of your tax-related
documents throughout the year?
Have you filed your tax returns for the past three to seven years
in a permanent location?
Travel:
Do you have your passport & important papers accessible
in case of an emergency?
Are you familiar with your insurance and credit card company coverage
regarding provisions for overseas medical emergencies and evacuations?
My booklet, No Time Like Now, A Fifteen-Minute Guide
to Organizing Your Life,
contains detailed information, tips and numerous resources to
help you with this process so when life’s next emergency
arrives at your door – you’re ready for it! Order
a copy of the booklet by clicking
here.
Claudette E. Paäge, of Paäge et Cie, Business &
Personal Management Services, Ltd., a Scarsdale, New York-based
organizational and eldercare management company, helps individuals
and businesses worldwide achieve and maintain balance in their
lives by providing hands-on organizational and management services.
A former banker, Ms. Paäge combines her extensive financial
and professional experience to turn her company’s motto,
“we organize all facets of your lives,” into reality
for her clients. Ms. Paäge has been featured in The
New York Times and The Wall Street Journal
among other nationally known publications.
For additional information, call us at (914) 725-0343
or email: info@paageetcie.com
.
