Keeping financial stuff together...

I recently posted this over at http://www.womens-finance.com in the message boards, but I thought I'd drop it in here, too, because I like the idea....



About a year or so ago, I saw an infomercial for Suze Orman, and she had some type of set up that had all info in one spot - a nifty little notebook type thing with all cc's, all insurance policies, etc. And I started to think - my God, if something happened to me, dh would have no clue where to start, because I handle all the money stuff. On top of that, he has no interest in learning where we have all our money and who we owe!

But...I wasn't willing to spend the $50 or whatever that she was charging for it.

So - I bought a bright red plastic multi-pocket expanding folder. I told him that if anything ever happened to me, to go in the safe (just a little Brinks fire-proof safe) and get the red folder - that it all was in there. (It just occurred to me that I haven't updated it in awhile...I don't think the Best Buy card or the "new" cc are in there...)

I made a bunch of different titles for each pocket. In one is a cc statement, but also just a written sheet with the cc number, the phone number, and the general amount we owed them at the time (with the date on it, so he'd know when that was). I also put the web page address and our login/password.

Then, one pocket for mortgage info. One for the insurance company (car & home). One for life insurance (three policies, who to contact, etc). One with birth certificates. One with his old divorce decrees. One with important Army papers. One has the car titles. Basically, anything that he would need if I wasn't there and he had to do it all alone.

Once that was done, I felt such peace of mind. I worry so much about what would happen to him if something ever happened to me - but this was just such a weight off my shoulders, because it was all in one place, easy to find, not hidden away but still safe. Once we get a will and power of attorney + medical directive, a copy of that will go in there, too.

I'm sure I put more in there, but I can't think of it right now. Oh - bank accounts, where and what the account numbers are. Retirement accounts. Who to contact about my teaching pension. Any investments. Stuff like that.