# The "If I Die" File **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544 "2007-11-23T22:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alien\_Love\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac8455/32.png) [@Alien\_Love\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien_Love_Child)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/21 "2007-11-25T15:51:05Z")
In reality with todays technology there are plenty of files on the net that offer many essentials about anyone, all you have to do is pay the price to obtain it. Everyone has access to our past, our court appearances, arrests, even the people who live around us. Financial planning is the biggest concern, investments and funeral arrangements _if you bother with it, which I won’t, creamation and disposal is fine with me_. I have a basic answer to “If I die”, “I’ll be dead”. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/22 "2007-11-25T17:23:55Z")
Was this inspired by the recent episode of How I Met Your Mother? 🙂 If so you better include a long sappy love letter… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/23 "2007-11-25T17:33:28Z")
Apologies that you just can’t bring yourself to make while alive. Confessions to any crimes committed. Maps to the loot. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/24 "2007-11-25T17:42:26Z")
If you work alone and have any sensitive accounts or tasks, a notation of that should go in the safe: “In the file cabinet at my office (keys on my work keychain) is a current file for each account to be closed (or a list of current clients to be contacted or referred).” This is required of private practitioners in health care in some states, but seems like a good idea in general. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/25 "2007-11-25T20:54:57Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] Was this inspired by the recent episode of How I Met Your Mother? 🙂 [/QUOTE] My ignorance is showing. Is that a TV show? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/26 "2007-11-25T21:46:14Z")
[QUOTE=StuffLikeThatThere] My ignorance is showing. Is that a TV show? [/QUOTE] [Yes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_I_Met_Your_Mother) In a recent episode, newly married couple Lily and Marshall get into arguments about what should be in their “If I Die” files. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/27 "2007-11-26T02:21:55Z")
Our “disaster letters” are with our parents. It starts out with how much we love them, then moves on to the business at hand. Some of the things we included- What to expect when they read the trust (with regards to child custody, executor, distribution of assets, etc) Financial institutions and account #s (including credit cards) Location of life insurance info, wills, trusts and other legal docs All other insurance info (house, cars, health, umbrella) Mortgage info I can’t remember what else is in there. I know where my parents’ letter to my brother & I is, and we pretty much know what to expect in it, since everyone in the family had their trusts structured in basically the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/28 "2007-11-26T02:38:13Z")
[QUOTE=Septima] I meant as a safeguard aginst batshit inconsiderates showing up later with claims like “that big leatherbound Lord of the Rings that she loved? She borrowed that from me, I want it back”. [/QUOTE] Yeah. You don’t want people going all Lobelia Sackville-Baggins on your ass. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/29 "2007-11-26T22:52:04Z")
[QUOTE=Baker] How you want your funeral conducted? I have copies of that with my sister(who is my executrix) and on file at the church I attend. When I submitted it for their files the cathedral dean sighed “I wish more people would do this.” I guess it can be a trial for people when they are grieving. Also, do you have a pre-paid funeral plan? [/QUOTE] That’s a big part of my “What to Do if I Die” letter, which I update to my parents somewhat regularly. The readings, the hymns and the little surprise to pull at the end. 🙂 I don’t have a prepaid funeral plan but with the insurance from work (also listed in the letter) and savings it should be OK. The letter also includes my financial info and benefits from work so they don’t get overlooked. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544/30 "2007-11-27T03:08:59Z")
Quicken has an emergency records organizer with all sorts of topics listed - including places to document location of wills, insurance accounts, bank accounts etc. You can password-protect the file, or print it off and back it up to CD then delete it from the hard drive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-if-i-die-file/427544.md?page=1)