Family Resource Guide
What is a Family Resource Guide?
While many believe their spouse, partner, or children may “know where everything is”, or conversely, “can just figure it out”, having a Family Resource Guide can prove invaluable in daily activities, as well as during an illness, or upon your passing.
The process of completing a Family Resource Guide can help ensure important documents and your affairs are in good order. Our method is comprehensive in scope, provides documentation of financial and personal information, and goes well beyond simple paper-gathering. Your guide is a thorough document that is compiled through a series of in-depth interviews, and could be compared to an owner’s manual for your automobile, or set of directions that accompany a television or kitchen appliance.
What can a Family Resource Guide Look Like?
For one Family Resource Guide we prepared, our client provided a list of nicknames for his pets, detailed information as to how their food was prepared; then as part of our concierge services, we introduced him to an attorney that created a pet trust for his animals should he become incapacitated, and an insurance professional to provide a funding mechanism for the trust.
Another client detailed what kind of funeral she wanted and whom was to be invited, and in concert with her son, authored her obituary, detailing where it should be published, and explained where her cremains were to be scattered.
What Does a Family Resource Guide Include?
Examples of topics covered in the Family Resource Guide may include but are not limited to:
- Bank and Investment Relationships
- Biographical Information
- Insurance Policy Coverages
- Debts and Service Providers
- End of Life Wishes
- Lists and appraisals for collectibles, art and jewelry
- Real estate and Vehicles
- Secured Places, Digital Property, and Online Accounts
As a Family Resource Guide client, you’ll receive a binder as well as a digital version on a secure flash drive. Further, your Family Resource Guide will be stored and secured online, whereby you and those you authorize will have access anytime. We also suggest and offer an annual review, as we have found updating can prove invaluable for any number of reasons, such as a marriage, birth, change of residence, disposition of certain personal effects, or changes to documents that may have been included within your original Family Resource Guide.
We invite you to contact us to start the process of creating your customized Family Resource Guide.