What Should I Do, Lord?

Transcription

1 What Should I Do, Lord? And the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. Luke 7:22 Office of Individual & Family Assistance June 11, 2015 Personal Record Keeping Need to become better organized so you can find your family s personal and financial records when you need them? Tired of scrambling to find check stubs, birth certificates, social security cards, etc. when filling out paperwork? Keeping all personal and financial records in one place can save much time and frustration, such as when 1. Children need to be enrolled in school or sports activities; 2. A bill does not arrive in the mail on time (or even after a hurricane when everything is slow getting to your mailbox) and you need to pay over the phone; 3. Filing your income tax returns; 4. Applying for employment, unemployment or different government programs such as Food Stamps or Medicaid; 5. A family member passes away and surviving members of the deceased seek to transfer the estate. Don t know where to begin? Here is a good system to follow: Purchase a very large 3 ring binder with clear plastic sheet protectors, a filing cabinet, or any other type of filing system that you are comfortable with. Gather all documents for each family member and place those documents into files as shown below: * Label the first file Personal Information and place the following documents in this file: Baptism Certificates Birth Certificates Death Certificates Divorce/Child Support Papers Immunization Cards Marriage Certificates Passports Social Security Cards Wills/Power of Attorney Papers Etc.

2 * Label the second file Education and place the following documents in it: Awards/certificates: Diplomas: List of clubs/activities participated in: Scholarships/grants: * Label the third file Employment and place the following documents in it (especially useful for resume writing and filing Social Security Disability claims): List of all jobs, including the start date, rate of pay, number of hours worked per week, and end date: * Label the fourth file Financial Information. Because there are so many different types of medical information, create different files to go behind the Financial Information file: Income: Annuities Bank statements on all checking accounts Bank statements on all savings accounts Bond certificates Check stubs from employment Certificates of Deposit: name/phone number of bank, account number IRA account number, name of bank, phone number Records of cash made off to the side (through grass cutting, house cleaning, babysitting, etc.) Rental Income receipts Etc. Insurance Policies: Boat or other recreational craft insurance: companies

3 Car insurance: policy and name/phone numbers of each Fire Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance Flood Insurance: policy and phone number of insurance Homeowners or Rental Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance Umbrella Insurance Policy: policy and name/ phone number of insurance Personal Expenses: Cable/Satellite Television: account number, address and phone Car notes: account numbers, address and phone numbers of Child Care: name, address and phone number of day care center and amount owed per week Child Support: amount owed, name and address/phone number of who should receive the payment. Also include receipts of payments made. Credit Cards: account numbers, phone numbers and name/address of institution that administers each card Doctor/Hospital: account numbers, address and phone numbers of each Education: Elementary and High School Tuition: amount owed per month, name and address/phone number of school College: amount owed, name and address/phone number of college controller s office Student Loans: account number, name and address/phone number of loan Electricity: account number, address and phone Finance Notes: account numbers, address and phone numbers of each Gas: account number, address and phone Legal Fees: Court Costs: amount owed, name and address/phone number of office. Also include receipts of payments made.

4 Titles: Lawyers Fees: amount owed, name and address/phone number of lawyer Mortgage: name and address of Mortgage Company, copy of paperwork signed when mortgage was obtained as well as any other paperwork that details changes to the Mortgage Company or monthly payment. Also include paperwork that shows the mortgage was paid off. Newspaper: account number, address and phone Pest Control: account number, address and phone Rent: include copy of rental agreement if you have one. If not, the name, address, phone number of landlord and the amount of rent due per month and monthly payment receipts. Rent to Own: account numbers, address and phone numbers of Storage: account number, address and phone Telephone (both the cell phone and landline phone): account number, address and phone number of each Water: account number, address and phone Etc. Boat/other recreational craft titles Car titles Canceled License Plate receipts Succession Papers from previous relatives that have passed on property or other assets to you * Label the fifth file Medical Information. Because there are so many different types of medical information, create different files to go behind the Medical Information file: Health Insurance Policies: Accident Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance Cancer Insurance/Specified Disease Insurance:

5 Dental Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance Discount cards for health or prescription drugs Health Insurance: policy information on each (private insurance, Medicaid, and/or Medicare), name/phone number of each Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance: Intensive Care Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance Life Insurance: policy and name/phone numbers of insurance companies Long Term Care Insurance: policy and name/ phone numbers of insurance Short/Long Term Disability Insurance: policies and name/phone numbers of insurance companies Vision Insurance: policy and name/phone numbers of insurance Living Wills: Medical Power of Attorney: Medical records: One file for each family member Medication list: Include a list for each family member stating dosage amounts, doctor that prescribed it, drug store where it was filled Phone List: Include a list for each family member of names/phone numbers of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies used Etc.