Illness and death come to us all. Your caregivers and survivors (spouse, partner, children, executor) will need certain types of information to look after your affairs properly. You will save them much difficulty, and will avoid mistakes, if you create one or more fact sheets for them that will enable them to find the necessary documents and other information. Facing reality can bring peace of mind both to you and to those for whom you care.

Remember: What, Where, How and Who are important:

What information and documents are important in your case? (Select the items from the extensive checklist that are relevant to your situation.)

Where is the information recorded and where will you store the documents?

How should you organize your information? The following checkist is intended to act as a reminder and aid in organizing your important information. You may wish to organize it differently or divide it into different appropriate parts.

Who should receive your information, in whole or in part?

You will want to keep your fact sheets secure against identity thieves, but at the same time accessible to those who have a legitimate need of them. How best to do this depends on individual circumstances. It is worthwhile giving this some thought and discussing it with your potential caregiver(s) and survivor(s).

DISCLAIMER: this document consists of suggestions only. It does not purport to be a substitute for professional advice from lawyers, accountants, bank officials, investment advisors and the like. An excellent source of authoritative, trustworthy information provided by governments and well-known non-governmental organizations is http://www.seniors.gc.ca/home. Check it out.

Personal Identification

• Full name (and other names used, if any, e.g. nee Smith)
• University Department, position and title at retirement (with emeritus/emerita, if applicable)
• Telephone number and email address
• Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• University of Toronto employee number
• Memberships in professional and other organizations
• Driver's licence (often used as photo ID)
• Birth certificate
• Citizenship papers
• Passport
• Marriage certificate
• Birth certificates (or adoption or guardianship certificates) of children
• Divorce or separation papers and related documents

Medical

• Family physician, with contact information
• Other physicians or consultants, social workers, institutions, etc., with contact information
• Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP) Card
• Brief statement of important medical conditions, such as diseases, disorders, allergies
• List of medications being taken, including dosages and where the drugs are stored
• Supplementary health insurance coverage and similar benefit

Legal

• Will (Where are the original and copies? Is your will up to date?
• Power of Attorney for Personal Care (under Ontario's Substitute Decisions Act)
• General Power of Attorney for Property (under Ontario's Substitute Decisions Act)
• Advance directives, if any, in case of serious illness or death, including organ donation card
• Lawyer, with contact information
• "Moral will": Some people write a "moral will", in addition to a legal will, that sets out their values, desires, special information and instructions they hope their survivors will carry out.

Personal Identification

• Bank(s) with address and types of accounts. (Be careful about recording and passing on Account Numbers, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and Passwords.)
• Chequing account(s)
• Savings account(s)
• T-bill and money market accounts
• Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs)
• Other instruments such as bonds held by the bank
• Safe deposit box (where is the key?)
• Line of credit
• Investment Brokerage(s)
• Investment Advisor
• Accountant
• Other

Assets and Liabilitiesn

It is useful to draw up a statement of your net worth, that is, of all your assets minus all your liabilities, using your estimates of their current dollar value. Why, Because for instance:

• In the event of serious illness, your caregivers and persons with General Power of Attorney may well need to know what assets are available for your care.
• In the event of your death, your executor will need to know all your assets and liabilities in order to get your will probated and subsequently to carry out your wishes.

Note that in many cases, it is advisable to make certain assets, such as back accounts, Joint Accounts WROS (With Right Of Survivor) so that they can be accessed by your survivor expeditiously. It is also wise to track and record the ACB (Adjusted Cost Base) of assets (such as a cottage with its value declared by you on ``Doomsday'' in 1994) that are subject to capital gains tax. For several reasons (e.g., sometimes losses can be carried forward, and previous returns may be re-audited), it is also wise to keep copies of recent income tax returns. If in doubt, get professional advice on these matters.

Obviously, the details of your net worth will depend on your circumstances and will change from time to time, so the following categories will help you get started.

Real Property Assets

You should record the location of proofs of ownership such as deeds to real property. The dollar value of these items should be estimated conservatively.

• Principal residence, such as a house or condominium. Your market value assessment for taxation is a useful guide for a conservative estimate of its value. Note that, if you are a renter, you may be owed a security deposit at the end of your occupancy.
• Other real estate, such as a cottage or rental property or business property
• Household furnishing, art work, etc.
• Books, academic papers, office equipment, etc.
• Personal effects, jewellery, etc.
• Vehicles such as cars, boats, etc.

Financial Assets

• Cash and near cash, such as money in bank accounts, demand notes and T-bills
• Investment instruments (and their current estimated value) such as bonds, GICs (Guaranteed Investment Certificates), preferred stocks, mutual funds, income funds
• Other investment instruments, such as Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Registered Retirement Income Plan (RRIF)
• Loans owed to you
• Guaranteed residual value of annuities
• Life insurance, with both face value and cash surrender value
• Prepaid funeral and burial assets
• Business assets.

Liabilities

• Credit card debt
• Mortgage debt
• Loans owed by you
• Rent,utilities, etc. owed
• Property taxes owed
• Income tax outstanding
• Spousal or family support owed
• Other obligations

Net Worth = Total Assets - Total Liabilities

Important First Contacts

Names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses of those who should be contacted first in the event of serious illness or death, such as:

• Spouse, partner, children, close friends
• Physician
• Person with Power of Attorney for Personal Care
• Person with General Power of Attorney for Property
• Clergy
• Funeral director
• Lawyer
• Executor
• Trust company and other financial institutions
• Professional organizations

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