This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Preparing for the Worst: Wills, Trusts, Estates and More

KSTP-TV recently ran a two-part series called “Preparing for the Worst.”  The segments, featuring KSTP reporter Brad Sattin, delved into the always difficult issues of dealing with the affairs of a lost loved one, be it a spouse or parent.  You can access the video links to the reports on the KSTP-TV website.

The first segment focused on an issue of increasing importance in this digital age; namely, access to credit card and banking information, including any online passwords.  As noted in the story, it can take weeks or months for death certificates or court appointments of executors to be finalized; in order to have immediate access to these accounts, it is imperative that these passwords be written down and stored in a secure location.

The second segment featured Mr. Sattin traveling back to his parents’ home on the east coast and sitting down with them to discuss the status of their affairs, including these ten key questions to ask your aging parents:

Find out what's happening in St. Michaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

1. Do you have health care directives?
2. Do you have powers of attorney?
3. Do you have wills?
4. Do you have trusts? Are they funded?
5. When was the last time you reviewed the documents listed above?
6. Where are the documents listed above located? Does someone other than you know their location?
7. Do you have life insurance, annuities, 401(K)s, 403(B)s and IRA's? Do you have long-term care insurance?
8. Do you have pensions? Are they "joint-and-survivor" or "single life"?
9. Who are the primary and contingent beneficiaries of your investments?
10. Do you have on-line accounts? Does someone other than you know the user names and passwords?


Having worked with many clients over the years as to their estate planning matters, I can attest to the fact that folks are reluctant to think about these matters, and who can blame them?  It’s a very sobering process to think of your own death.  However, it is an important process that every person must go through in order to properly plan their affairs and to leave an orderly process for their surviving loved ones.

Find out what's happening in St. Michaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


NOTE:  the information contained herein is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. Contacting the proprietor of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.  The above information was excerpted from www.kstp.com.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from St. Michael