What Should I Do, Lord?

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What Should I Do, Lord?

“…And the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” Luke 7:22 Office of Individual & Family Assistance June 11, 2015

Personal Record Keeping

Need to become better organized so you can find your family’s personal and financial records when you need them? Tired of scrambling to find check stubs, birth certificates, social security cards, etc. when filling out paperwork?

Keeping all personal and financial records in one place can save much time and frustration, such as when…

1. Children need to be enrolled in school or sports activities;

2. A bill does not arrive in the mail on time (or even after a hurricane when everything is slow getting to your mailbox) and you need to pay over the phone;

3. Filing your income tax returns;

4. Applying for employment, unemployment or different government programs such as Food Stamps or Medicaid;

5. A family member passes away and surviving members of the deceased seek to transfer the estate.

Don’t know where to begin? Here is a good system to follow:

Purchase a very large 3 ring binder with clear plastic sheet protectors, a filing cabinet, or any other type of filing system that you are comfortable with. Gather all documents for each family member and place those documents into files as shown below:

* Label the first file Personal Information and place the following documents in this file:

• Baptism Certificates

• Birth Certificates

• Death Certificates

• Divorce/Child Support Papers

• Immunization Cards

• Marriage Certificates

• Passports

• Social Security Cards

• Wills/Power of Attorney Papers

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* Label the second file Education and place the following documents in it:

• Awards/certificates:

 One for each family member

• Diplomas:

• List of clubs/activities participated in:

• Scholarships/grants:

* Label the third file Employment and place the following documents in it (especially useful for resume writing and filing Social Security Disability claims):

• List of all jobs, including the start date, rate of pay, number of hours worked per week, and end date:

* Label the fourth file Financial Information. Because there are so many different types of medical information, create different files to go behind the Financial Information file:

• Income:

 Annuities

 Bank statements on all checking accounts

 Bank statements on all savings accounts

 Bond certificates

 Check stubs from employment

 Certificates of Deposit: name/phone number of bank, account number

 IRA account number, name of bank, phone number

 Records of cash made off to the side (through grass cutting, house cleaning, babysitting, etc.)

 Rental Income receipts

 Etc.

• Insurance Policies:

 Boat or other recreational craft insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance companies

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 Car insurance: policy and name/phone numbers of each company

 Fire Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

 Flood Insurance: policy and phone number of insurance company

 Homeowners or Rental Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

 Umbrella Insurance Policy: policy and name/ phone number of insurance company

• Personal Expenses:

 Cable/Satellite Television: account number, address and phone number of company

 Car notes: account numbers, address and phone numbers of company

 Child Care: name, address and phone number of day care center and amount owed per week

 Child Support: amount owed, name and address/phone number of who should receive the payment. Also include receipts of payments made.

 Credit Cards: account numbers, phone numbers and name/address of institution that administers each card

 Doctor/Hospital: account numbers, address and phone numbers of each

 Education:

 Elementary and High School Tuition: amount owed per month, name and address/phone number of school

 College: amount owed, name and address/phone number of college controller’s office

 Student Loans: account number, name and address/phone number of loan company

 Electricity: account number, address and phone number of company

 Finance Notes: account numbers, address and phone numbers of each company

 Gas: account number, address and phone number of company

 Legal Fees:

 Court Costs: amount owed, name and address/phone number of office. Also include receipts of payments made.

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 Lawyers’ Fees: amount owed, name and address/phone number of lawyer

 Mortgage: name and address of Mortgage Company, copy of paperwork signed when mortgage was obtained as well as any other paperwork that details changes to the Mortgage Company or monthly payment. Also include paperwork that shows the mortgage was paid off.

 Newspaper: account number, address and phone number of company

 Pest Control: account number, address and phone number of company

 Rent: include copy of rental agreement if you have one. If not, the name, address, phone number of landlord and the amount of rent due per month and monthly payment receipts.

 Rent to Own: account numbers, address and phone numbers of company

 Storage: account number, address and phone number of company

 Telephone (both the cell phone and landline phone): account number, address and phone number of each company

 Water: account number, address and phone number of company

 Etc. • Titles:

 Boat/other recreational craft titles

 Car titles

 Canceled License Plate receipts

 Succession Papers from previous relatives that have passed on property or other assets to you

* Label the fifth file Medical Information. Because there are so many different types of medical information, create different files to go behind the Medical Information file:

• Health Insurance Policies:

 Accident Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

 Cancer Insurance/Specified Disease Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

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 Dental Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

 Discount cards for health or prescription drugs

 Health Insurance: policy information on each (private insurance, Medicaid, and/or Medicare), name/phone number of each company

 Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

 Intensive Care Insurance: policy and name/phone number of insurance company

 Life Insurance: policy and name/phone numbers of insurance companies

 Long Term Care Insurance: policy and name/ phone numbers of insurance company

 Short/Long Term Disability Insurance: policies and name/phone numbers of insurance

companies

 Vision Insurance: policy and name/phone numbers of insurance company

• Living Wills:

• Medical Power of Attorney:

• Medical records:

 One file for each family member

• Medication list:

 Include a list for each family member stating dosage amounts, doctor that prescribed it, drug store where it was filled

• Phone List:

 Include a list for each family member of

names/phone numbers of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies used