The family checklist: what should be written down
If you were not around tomorrow, could your family find all of this without calling anyone? Tick what is written down and where the family can find it. Whatever stays unticked is your list for this weekend.
How to use it
- You do not need the papers in hand. For each line, write what exists and where it is kept.
- Tell one trusted person where the list is. A list nobody knows about helps nobody.
- Look at it again whenever life changes: a marriage, a birth, a new loan, a new policy.
People to call first
- Two family members to call first, with mobile numbers
- Family doctor and the hospital you prefer
- CA or tax consultant
- Lawyer, if you have one
- Insurance agent and any investment advisor
- Employer or HR contact, if working
Identity papers
- Aadhaar, PAN, passport, voter ID and driving licence: where each is kept
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Children’s and parents’ identity papers
Bank and savings
- Every bank account, including old salary accounts: bank, branch and type
- Fixed and recurring deposits, with where the receipts are
- Bank lockers: bank, branch, whose name, and where the key is
- PPF, EPF (UAN number), NPS and post office schemes
- The nominee recorded on each account
Investments
- Mutual funds: which apps or agents, and which email they use
- Demat and share trading accounts
- Gold, silver and jewellery: what, where, and any bills
- Bonds, crypto or anything held abroad
Insurance
- Life insurance: insurer, policy number, nominee, and where the policy is
- Health insurance: card, policy number, TPA helpline
- Vehicle, home and any employer-provided cover
- Insurance attached to a loan or credit card
Property and vehicles
- Sale deeds, registry papers and share certificates: where the originals are
- Property tax receipts and society details
- Land records and any co-owners
- Vehicle RC and insurance
Loans and money owed
- Home, car and personal loans: lender and EMI date
- Credit cards
- Informal loans, both money you owe and money owed to you
- Guarantees you have signed for someone else
Phone and online life
- Which mobile number receives your bank OTPs, and with which telecom company
- How your family should get into your phone in an emergency
- Main email accounts and cloud storage
- UPI, wallet and banking apps that hold money
- Paid subscriptions that would keep charging
Your wishes
- A will, if you have written one: where the signed original is
- Healthcare wishes for a serious illness
- Last rites and ceremony preferences
- Organ donation decision, and whether your family knows
- Personal letters or messages for the family
Keep the list in one private place
A notebook is a fine start. Aakhri Pal is one private place online for all of this: your people, documents, assets, debts, digital accounts and wishes, in English and nine Indian languages. ₹5,100 once, GST included, with no renewals.
See how Aakhri Pal works · Read the free guide
General guidance for organising your family’s information. It is not legal, tax or financial advice.