Search old mail for statements

Just as checking arriving mail can shed light onto assets and debts, so can looking through old mail. As you look through the mail, you can throw away any junk mail, but you should keep any personal correspondence. You never know what a beneficiary might want. Even an old birthday card a son made for a father as a child may be something worth keeping.

As you go through old mail, don’t just leave it in a stack on the kitchen table as you found it. Instead, file away important documents like bank statements or donation receipts. By keeping these items organized, you will be able to access them easier later on. You can even create a file for any mail you want the decedents to have an opportunity to look over before throwing away.