The Prepared YouThe Prepared You
End of Life
Planning toolkit

End-of-Life Activities

A practical guide to wills, powers of attorney, estate planning, and funeral preferences—plus printable, fillable PDFs to help you complete and share your plan.

Open Printables (fillable PDFs)
Wills
Decide who handles your estate and how assets are distributed.
  • Choose an executor and at least one successor.
  • List beneficiaries, guardians for minors (if applicable), and any specific bequests.
  • Follow state signing rules (witnesses/notary).
Will Checklist (fillable)
Powers of Attorney
Authorize trusted people to act for you when needed.
  • Financial POA: define scope and when it becomes effective.
  • Healthcare POA + HIPAA release: name an agent and backup.
  • Advance directives: living will, DNR/POLST as appropriate.
POA & Healthcare Checklist (fillable)
Estate Planning
Coordinate titling, beneficiaries, and (optionally) trusts.
  • Align account titles and beneficiary designations with your will/trust.
  • Consider trusts for minors, special needs, or probate/estate tax goals.
  • Keep an updated inventory of assets, debts, and key contacts.
Life Insurance CalculatorInformation Organizer
Funeral Insurance & Planning
Capture preferences and plan how costs will be covered.
  • Burial vs. cremation; service details (music, readings, officiant).
  • Choose funeral homes and note any religious/cultural requirements.
  • Use final-expense policy or savings; record policy numbers and contacts.
Funeral Preferences (fillable)
Storage, Access, and Review
Make sure loved ones can find what they need—fast.
  • Store originals in a safe, accessible place (fireproof safe, attorney vault, safe deposit box).
  • Share locations with your executor and primary contact; avoid putting sensitive codes on a wallet card.
  • Review annually and after major life changes (marriage, birth, divorce, relocation).
Create Fillable PDFs & Document Location CardDownload the Life Planner & OrganizerAll Downloads

Quick Start (7 steps)

  1. Generate the Will and POA checklists (fillable) and save them.
  2. Fill in names, guardians, and agent selections; book witnessing/notary if needed.
  3. Record funeral preferences and coverage plan.
  4. Update beneficiaries and account titles to match your plan.
  5. Print the wallet Document Location Card and give copies to your executor and primary contact.
  6. Store originals safely; ensure trusted people know how to access them.
  7. Revisit annually; reprint cards after changes.

Ready to print now?

Open Printables

The Printables page includes fillable PDFs for all checklists and a wallet-sized Document Location Card.