The worst part of any trip is leaving. We spend weeks preparing at home, at work, and packing our bags, but we may be leaving out some of the most important preparation: our estate planning documents.
Be sure your documents are up to date. Before leaving on your trip be sure that your estate planning documents are up to date. You do not want to embark on a trip with an out-of-date will. Read our blog post about when you may need to update your will.
Make sure someone knows where your important documents are and how to access them. If a crisis occurs, someone at home needs to know where your important documents, such as will, trust, and financial records, are kept and how to access them.
Take a picture of your stove. Do you ever have a nagging feeling you left the stove on? The curling iron plugged in? The A/C too low? Take pictures of important appliances before leaving. Not only will they give you peace of mind, they will also alert you in case you do forget to turn something off.
Keep digital or physical copies of important documents with you. Make copies of important documents, such as your passport, insurance cards, powers of attorney, etc. and keep them with you on your trip.
Consider a traveler’s burial policy. What would happen to your body if you passed away on your trip? It can be difficult and expensive to have a body returned home, especially from a foreign country. Talk with your pre-need funeral advisor about a policy that would cover that cost if such an event occurred.
Have fun! Enjoy your vacation and have peace of mind that your business is in order!