End of Life Planning Checklist: Everything to Sort, in Order

A good checklist turns a heavy, vague task into a series of small, doable ones. Below is the same working list our concierge team uses with families, grouped so you can knock out one section at a time. Nothing here requires you to do it all in a weekend. Print it, work down it, and cross things off.

Legal documents

• Write or update your will, and name an executor.
• Set up a durable power of attorney for finances.
• Complete a healthcare directive, or living will, and name a healthcare proxy.
• Note where the signed originals are stored, and who has copies.
• If your estate is large or blended, book time with an estate attorney.

For the plain-English reason this matters, see what happens if someone dies without a will.

Money and accounts

• List every bank, investment, and retirement account, with rough balances.
• Check and update beneficiary designations on life insurance and retirement accounts, since these override your will.
• List debts: mortgage, cards, loans, and any co-signed obligations.
• Gather insurance policies in one place, including any final expense or burial policy.
• Decide how the funeral bill gets covered, since it is due within days. Our funeral cost breakdown shows the real numbers.

Medical and care wishes

• Write down your wishes on life support, resuscitation, and comfort care.
• Tell your healthcare proxy in plain words what you would want.
• Note allergies, current medications, and your doctors.
• Keep a copy of your directive somewhere emergency responders and family can reach quickly.

Funeral and body

• State your choice: burial, cremation, green burial, or donation.
• Note any religious or cultural requirements.
• Write down service preferences: format, songs, readings, people to call.
• If you have strong preferences, pre-plan them. See how to pre-plan a funeral without the stress and the fuller funeral planning checklist.

Digital life and passwords

• List key online accounts: email, banking, social media, subscriptions.
• Store passwords in a password manager with an emergency contact, or a sealed written list.
• Say what you want done with social media profiles.
• Note any auto-payments that will need cancelling.

People to notify

• Write a short list of who should be told first, with phone numbers.
• Include your employer, attorney, financial advisor, and clergy if relevant.
• Note anyone who holds a key role, such as executor or proxy, so they know in advance.

Where to store it all

• Keep everything in one clearly labelled place, and avoid a safe deposit box that may be sealed at death.
• Tell at least two trusted people where the plan lives.
• Review the whole checklist once a year and after any big life change.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important item on the list? Naming your people and writing a will. Those two decisions prevent the most confusion and delay.

How often should I update it? Once a year, and after any marriage, divorce, birth, death, or major financial change.

Should I share the checklist with family now? Yes. A plan nobody knows about cannot help anyone. Tell your executor and proxy while you are healthy.

Do I need to pay for the funeral in advance? Not necessarily. Some families prepay, others keep a small final expense policy so cash is available quickly without locking into one provider.

Want a hand working through it?

At Titan Concierge, we sit with families and turn this checklist into a finished plan, including the funeral wishes and the way the costs get handled, calmly and without pressure. Reach out to a concierge when you are ready.