📒 CareTabs Blog

How to Build an “If I Die” Binder: The Complete Checklist

Seven tabs that hold everything your family would need: legal, financial, medical, digital, property, final wishes and key contacts.

By Dennis Miguel, CareTabs Marketing Manager 🕐 8 min read 📅 Updated September 2026

If you were gone tomorrow, would anyone know where your life insurance policy is? Which bank holds the mortgage? Whether you wanted to be buried or cremated?

An If I Die binder answers those questions before anyone has to ask. It is one place, organized into tabs, that tells your family where everything is and what you wanted.

If you are building one with a parent, our guide on how to talk to your parents about end-of-life planning helps start the conversation.

📥 Get the free printable binder checklist

A fillable PDF you can tick on screen or print, with a log page for the details you will reach for again.

⚖️ Tab 1: Personal and Legal Documents

Identity papers and the legal documents that speak for you.

Full legal name and date of birth.Plus where the Social Security card is kept

Birth certificate copy.Copy only

Marriage certificate or divorce decree.If applicable

Last will and testament.A copy plus location of the original

Power of attorney.Both financial and healthcare

Advance directive or living will.Your medical wishes in writing

Passport and driver’s license copies.Plus DD-214 if applicable

🔐 Keep secrets out of the binder. Do not write the Social Security number, passwords, PINs or seed phrases in it. Record where they are kept and how to get access instead.

🏦 Tab 2: Financial Accounts and Insurance

Every account and policy, so nothing is missed or left unclaimed.

Bank accounts.Institution and account type. Note where logins are kept

Investment and retirement accounts.401(k), IRA, brokerage

Life insurance.Company, policy number, agent, beneficiaries

Other insurance.Health, auto, home, umbrella, long-term care

Credit cards.Issuer, last 4 digits, autopay details

Loans and debts.Mortgage, car, student, and personal loans

Safe deposit box.Location, key location, who is authorized

Recurring bills and subscriptions.Utilities, streaming, gym, and similar

🩺 Tab 3: Medical Information

What a doctor or a family member would need in an emergency.

Primary care physician.Name and contact

Specialists.Name and contact for each

Current medications.Name, dosage, prescriber, pharmacy

Allergies and conditions.List them clearly

Health insurance card copy.Plus policy details

Healthcare proxy.Name and contact info

DNR or POLST form.If applicable

💻 Tab 4: Your Digital Life

Email, cloud storage and social media all have their own rules after a death. See what happens to your digital accounts when you die.

Email accounts.Provider and recovery info

Password manager.Which one, and its emergency access method

Social media accounts.Include legacy contact settings

Cloud storage and photo libraries.Where important files and photos live

Crypto or digital assets.Which wallets and exchanges exist

Wishes for each account.Delete, memorialize, or transfer

🏠 Tab 5: Property and Assets

What you own, where it is, and how to get to it.

Home deed and mortgage info.Keep together

Vehicle titles and registration.For every vehicle

Storage unit.Location and where the key is

Valuables.Jewelry, collectibles, art, firearms: location, instructions

Home safe.Who can open it and how

🕊️ Tab 6: Final Wishes

The decisions your family should not have to guess at. Our funeral planning checklist lists every choice.

Burial or cremation preference.State it plainly

Funeral preferences.Service type, songs, readings

Obituary.Key details or a draft

Who to notify.Friends, colleagues, extended family, with contacts

Pet care instructions.Caregiver, vet info, feeding schedule

Special bequests.Specific items for specific people

Letters to loved ones.Optional

📇 Tab 7: Key Contacts and Keeping It Current

A binder is only useful if it is up to date and someone knows it exists.

Legal and financial contacts.Attorney, CPA, advisor, insurance agent, employer HR

Medical and personal contacts.Doctors, pharmacy, clergy, closest friends

Store the binder in a fireproof safe.At home

Tell at least two trusted people.Where it is and how to access it

Update it every year.New Year’s Day or your birthday works

🔐 Keep It All Where Your Family Can Find It

Paper checklists work for a weekend of sorting. They do not work for the sibling in another state, or for the records you will need again in five years.

CareTabs keeps each person’s documents in one encrypted place, organized into tabs, and shared only with the family members you choose.

📥 Print the checklist for the family

One copy on the table means nobody has to remember what was already done.

For a lighter starting point, try the free When I’m Gone Planner, and see where to safely store family documents for where the originals should live.

Keep Every Family Document in One Secure Place

🗂️ Start Free

Free with 1 GB of storage. No card needed. Share each person’s records with the family members who need them.