fingers crossed, knock wood

I first heard about this site on NPR. This woman's husband died unexpectedly in an accident. Think about it. It could happen any time. The site Get Your Shit Together summarizes the basic things you should have in order just in case (fingers crossed, knock wood). If you've got little people you're responsible for, it's that much more important.

Think about, for example, in the unlikely event of your death:

• who will raise your children?
• will you leave enough money so that raising your children won't be a financial burden?
• when you calculate how much life insurance you need, take into consideration your social security benefit for your surviving dependents. You probably need less life insurance than you think.
• are the passwords to your many accounts someplace where whomever is dealing with your affairs will be able to find them?
• have you discussed your preferences with your family to minimize conflict as your affairs get resolved?

I'm going to write a separate post about selecting insurance carriers (life and others) and drawing up your will, trust and power of attorney. I'm a big believer in Murphy's Law: things don't happen if you are ready for them. Fingers crossed, knock wood.