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Estate Planning Organizer Checklist

When someone dies, their executor often spends weeks hunting for documents, account numbers and passwords. This checklist lists what to gather now so the people you leave behind don't have to search.

Work through it at your own pace. Record the details in the free Estate Organizer and Estate Instructions forms, then print them or save them to a USB drive and keep them with your will. Nothing you type in those forms is sent over the internet.

Open Estate Organizer Open Estate Instructions Print this checklist

1. Identity documents

Record in: Estate Organizer, Personal Information

  • Full legal name, and any former names
  • Social Insurance Number (or Social Security Number)
  • Birth certificate
  • Passport, with expiry date
  • Driver's licence or provincial/state ID
  • Provincial health card
  • Marriage certificate, and any divorce or separation papers
  • Citizenship, immigration or military documents

2. Professional contacts

Record in: Estate Organizer, Professionals Contact Information

  • Lawyer who prepared your will and powers of attorney
  • Accountant or tax preparer
  • Financial advisor
  • Home and auto insurance agent
  • Life insurance agent or company

3. Health information

Record in: Estate Organizer, Health Care Provider, Medication and Allergies

  • Family doctor and any specialists
  • Current prescriptions, with dosage and frequency
  • Supplements you take regularly
  • Allergies and the alternatives that are safe for you

4. Banking and investments

Record in: Estate Organizer, Banking & Financial Information

  • Every bank, with chequing and savings account numbers and a branch contact
  • Investment accounts (non-registered)
  • RRSP, TFSA and RRIF accounts, including any through an employer
  • Workplace pensions, plus CPP and OAS if you receive them
  • Credit cards, so they can be paid off and cancelled
  • Cryptocurrency wallets and where the recovery phrase is kept
  • Loans, mortgages and lines of credit

5. Access and passwords

Record in: Estate Instructions, Credentials to manage the estate

  • Cell phone PIN
  • Computer or laptop password
  • Password manager master password
  • Safe or lockbox combination
  • Where the spare keys are, and what each one opens

6. Where things are kept

Record in: Estate Instructions, Critical Locations

  • Original will and powers of attorney
  • Property deeds, vehicle ownership and title documents
  • Recent tax returns and notices of assessment
  • Insurance policies
  • Jewellery and other valuables
  • Cash, gold, silver or hardware wallets
  • Safety deposit box: which bank, and where the key is

7. Keep with your will

These aren't part of the forms, but your executor will look for them too.

  • A will that is current. Review it every 3–5 years and after marriage, divorce or a birth
  • Powers of attorney for both property (finances) and personal care (health)
  • Life insurance and registered-account beneficiaries that match your wishes
  • Funeral, burial or cremation wishes, and any prepaid arrangements
  • Who will care for pets

8. Last step: tell someone

  • Print the completed forms, or save them to a USB drive (not your computer)
  • Seal them with your will
  • Tell your executor and heirs where to find them
  • Set a reminder to review everything once a year

Ready to fill it in? Both forms are free, and nothing you enter leaves your computer.

Open Estate Organizer Open Estate Instructions

This checklist is general information, not legal or financial advice. Speak to a lawyer or financial planner about your situation.

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