In Case of Emergency

Last week http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/ had a series on preparing for life's emergencies: Having an emergency fund, what legal papers to keep where, insurance, etc. He's not the only one I've noticed doing this lately. I've known for a while that I really need to have something accessible should something happen to me, and as a single parent, there is no one right now in my life who would be able to get their hands on my insurance policies, will, lock box information, etc., should I be incapacitated or worse. It would not be fair to my children or to the person trying to take care of them if I left things like that, so I've decided it's time to do a few things.

First, I need to gather some information. I have a plastic folder, one of those with pockets and prongs. I am going to type out things like where my bank accounts are, contact information for family, friends and my employer, passwords for online banking, my attorney contact information, etc. They will be kept in a section on financial matters. This will also list any outstanding debts that I may have, and information on my health insurance and retirement accounts will be kept here.

Second, I am going to add a health information section. As I think about it, if something were to happen to me, I'm not sure there is anyone who even knows who my primary care physician is, much less any diagnoses I may have. This section will include my medical history, medications, allergies and family history.

Third, I am going to add a section for my children's medical history. If something were to happen to me, the person taking my children would need to know their history, their medications and allergies and the physicians they routinely see. I am also going to add their family medical history because again, if I am not here, the family medical history from my side of the family would be lost to them.

Fourth, there will be a small section outlining my wishes for the children. In my will, I have named someone other than their father as their guardian, for reasons that don't need to be explained here. My attorney has promised to fight for this as he knows the situation, but I want my position explained in writing should it be needed. Due to the fact that I will be keeping all this information in a place accessible to the kids, I am debating about whether or not to keep certain parts of this section on a flash drive only (which will be given as explained below). I'll have to think on that.

Finally, I am going to add a section for my final wishes. My health care directives are woefully out of date, and in case something happens before I can get those updated, at least someone will have in writing what I want. This will not only include health care but also funeral and burial arrangements. At some point, I would like to look into prepaid funeral arrangements, but that won't be for several years, at least. I know from experience what a relief it is not to have to worry about paying for a funeral when a loved one passes, and I feel it is the least I can do for my family. When that is taken care of, that information will be kept in this section and in the financial section.

When all this is gathered, I will put it in the front of my filing cabinet in a specially-marked folder. I will also copy all documents onto flash drives and give one to the person who has been named executor of my will and one to the person who I have named as guardian for the children. I will also tell my brothers and my children's grandfather where to locate this information should the need arise. (Grandpa would probably be the first one contacted in case of emergency as he lives the closest.) And importantly, I will keep this information up to date, reviewing it quarterly. After all, if I change banks or am diagnosed with a major illness, that information would need to be current.

It won't be pleasant, but it will give me some peace of mind to have this all in one place. Hopefully it will be a long time before anyone needs to use it!