Main Area and Open Discussion > General Software Discussion
Family/Household Personal Information Organizer/Manager
johnfdeluca:
Posting the link to the website where the form is wouldn't violate copyright rules, no?
lesterst:
Quicken supports most of this, including home inventory.
laughinglizard:
Posting the link to the website where the form is wouldn't violate copyright rules, no?
-johnfdeluca (August 30, 2007, 07:10 PM)
--- End quote ---
Not as far as I understand internet copyright (which is precious little, but I do belong to a group of artists, and the topic is raised repeatedly.)
Here's the link to the site, the file is available for download as a .pdf or a Word document and can be filled in using either format.
http://militaryfinance.umuc.edu/estate/estateplan_checklist.html
Thorough and impressive checklist
The ones I've come up with (e.g. they popped into my head) are:
• PIN Number(s) for debit/credit cards so loved ones have access to your funds
• Voice mail – how to use and security code
• Any online Bill Paying information or automatic withdrawals
• Color copies of Social Security card and Driver’s License in addition to the numbers
• Color copies of any insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or other important cards
• If living out of state, the number of a friend or neighbor who can handle things or care for pets until you can get there.
Computers:
Internet service providers or web hosting services
email accounts
online services
software applications (all the ones that need keycodes I have in a file that contains the .exe's and the keycodes together. I replace the .exe's as they are updated)
cell phones
Online accounts like amazon.com - I've printed out all my accounts and password using Roboform. This includes any on line bill paying, online banking, online credit card activity is all in there.
I've printed out a list of people to notified if anything happens to me so no one has to try to find them on my computer. May be obvious but I included any memberships or organizations I have.
One thing to think about is if you want your computer accessible at all if something happens - there are some articles and places online outlining how you can set up a "self-destruct" system.
Any bank accounts and property I own I've put a "POD" (Pay On Death) option on. Here at least, some Pay On Death assets don't go through probate and are transferred to the person named on the POD.
Advanced Directive and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
Available as a free download from Suze Orman’s web site:
http://www.suzeorman.com/igsbase/igstemplate.cfm?SRC=SP&SRCN=pahc_form1&GnavID=31
An advanced directive is designed to tell your doctor or medical-care provider your wishes with respect to end-of-life decisions, such as whether or not to keep you on a life-support machine. A durable power of attorney for health care designates an agent to make health-care decisions for you as if they were you.
If you recall the Terry Schiavo case in Florida, that is what motivated me into making one of these.
Its easy, print it out, have it notarized and signed by two witnesses.
In the USA, at some point you will have to deal with the Social Security Administration.
I've gotten the two areas you'll need right off their web site (they encourage you to take all the information you want)
and put them in one place.
One is reporting a death and the other is applying for a lump sum benefit.
Contact information is included.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/
Dealing with Social Security:
Report a Death
Please accept our condolences for your loss of a family member.
You can report the death to a service representative by calling our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM on business days. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 AM and 7 PM on business days. Whenever you call, have the deceased person's Social Security number handy.
If you are getting benefits on your spouse's record when he or she dies, we will change your payments to survivors benefits.
If you are getting benefits on your own record, you can apply for survivors benefits. Call or visit us to find out whether you can get more money as a widow or widower.
Current benefits for children will automatically change to survivors benefits after the death is reported to us.
Applying for the Lump-Sum Death Benefit
Information you’ll Need When You Apply for the Lump-Sum Death Benefit
Introduction
Whether it’s by phone or in person, we want your visit to go as smoothly as possible. You can help by being ready to answer the following questions and having as many of the needed documents as possible.
We may also ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible:
* Birth certificate or other proof of birth;
* Naturalization papers;
* U.S. military discharge paper(s);
* W-2 forms(s) and/or self-employment tax returns for last year.
We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate. (We will return them to you.)
Don’t delay filing your claim just because you don’t have all the documents. We’ll help you get them.
When you apply for the death benefit, we will ask you:
* Your name and social security number;
* The deceased worker's name, gender, date of birth and social security number;
* The deceased worker's date and place of death;
* Whether the deceased worker ever filed for Social Security benefits, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income (if so, we will also ask for information on whose Social Security record he or she applied);
* Whether the deceased worker was unable to work because of illnesses, injuries or conditions at any time during the 14 months before his or her death (if "Yes," we will also ask when he or she became unable to work)
* Whether the deceased worker was ever in the active military service (if "Yes," we will also ask for the dates of his or her service)
* Whether the deceased worker worked for the railroad industry for 7 years or more;
* Whether the deceased worker earned social security credits under another country's social security system;
* The names, dates of birth (or age) and social security numbers (if known) of any of the deceased worker's former spouses and the dates of the marriages and how and when they ended;
* The names of any of the deceased worker's unmarried children under 18, 18-19 and in secondary school or disabled prior to age 22;
* The amount of the deceased worker's earnings in the year of death and the preceding year;
* Whether the deceased worker had a parent who was dependent on the worker for 1/2 of his or her support at the time of the worker's death; and
* Whether the deceased worker and surviving spouse were living together at the time of death.
If you are the surviving spouse, we will also ask:
* Whether you have been unable to work because of illnesses, injuries or conditions at any time within the past 14 months (if "Yes," we will also ask when you became unable to work);
* Whether you or anyone else ever filed for Social Security benefits, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income on your behalf (if so, we will also ask for information on whose Social Security record you applied); and
* The names, dates of birth (or age) and social security numbers (if known) of any of your former spouses and the dates of the marriages and how and when they ended.
If you are not the surviving spouse, we will also ask for the surviving spouse's name and address.
You also should bring along your checkbook or other papers that show your account number at a bank, credit union or other financial institution so you can sign up for Direct Deposit, and avoid worries about lost or stolen checks and mail delays.
Contacting Social Security:
Social Security has a toll-free number that operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday: 1-800-772-1213. If you have a touch-tone phone, recorded information and services are available 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Please have your Social Security number handy when you call us.
That's most of what I have. The rest adds an item or two here or there that's probably covered somewhere.
One more thing, when filling out the records, I put a big N/A next to anything that didn't apply to me.
That makes it easy to see at a glance what isn't there so no searches for non-existent documents etc. would ensue.
Two good resources online for more information are:
NOLO:
http://www.nolo.com/resource.cfm/catID/FD1795A9-8049-422C-9087838F86A2BC2B/309/
and the American Bar Association:
http://www.abanet.org/rppt/public/home.html
Sorry so much of this information is US-centric, since this is where I live, this is what I've needed to know.
mouser, if there's a better way or place to put this information, I'll be happy to do it.
johnfdeluca:
Not as far as I understand internet copyright (which is precious little, but I do belong to a group of artists, and the topic is raised repeatedly.)
--- End quote ---
Wow, so just posting a link or URL to a website which contains copywrited material is a voilation of the copyright? I would think Google among others is in major trouble as well. It would violate copyright if you attached a copy or content from the copyrighted material without permission. I would argue it does not violate copyright to point to the location where the author stores the material for public availability.
Jimdoria:
I think for something you are going to expect other people to access, possibly at some distant point in the future, putting the info into a proprietary, application-based format is probably not a good idea. You'd be better off with something that will be accessible from any machine, using standards-based technology.
I was going to suggest Tiddlywiki from the little bit that was posted on the front page. I've had to give up OneNote at work, and I just finished moving all my data into Tiddlywiki. I find it to be slick and very capable, if not quite as easy to use as OneNote. But because it's standards based, I think Tiddlywiki is actually better for a project like this.
Pros: No special software needed; works in any web browser - Single file for easy backup/distribution (as long as no pictures are used) - Accessible on local hard drive and also over a network.
Cons: Requires familiarity with wiki formatting to create formatted content.
After reading this, I still think it's a good idea, but maybe instead of just starting with the default Tiddlywiki, we could put together a customized version based on the info provided here? That would reduce the reliance on having to format your own content, it could be a lot more "fill in the blanks".
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