My Final Wishes: Quick Planner

Twenty minutes with a pen answers the questions your family will be asked in the first two days, so nobody has to guess.

Trusted Agent Editorial TeamPublished September 3, 2026Reviewed by Stephen Rosario

My Final Wishes: Quick Planner

Nobody sets out to leave their family guessing. It happens because the answers were never written down anywhere.

In the days right after a death, the people closest to you get asked a surprising number of questions. Burial or cremation. Was there a service you wanted. Who needs to be called. Where is the paperwork. They are asked all of it at the worst possible moment, by people who need an answer that afternoon, and most of the time they are guessing.

This planner exists so they do not have to guess. It takes about twenty minutes. It is free, it is yours to keep, and nothing here asks you to buy anything.

Before you start

Print this page and fill it in with a pen. Then put it somewhere your family can actually get to. A copy sealed in a box nobody can open is the same as no copy at all.

Three things make it work:

  1. Write down what you actually want, not what you think you are supposed to want.
  2. Tell at least one person that it exists and where it is kept.
  3. Read it again when something big changes: a marriage, a divorce, a death, a move, a new grandchild.

One rule for the whole page. Write down where things are kept. Never write down the secret itself. No passwords, no PINs, no account numbers, no Social Security numbers. This page is meant to be found, and anything you would not want a stranger reading does not belong on it.

Part 1: Who gets called first

The first hours are phone calls. List the people your family should reach and the order you would want them reached in. Include anyone who would be hurt to hear it secondhand.

  1. Name: ________________________ How they know me: ________________ Phone: ______________

  2. Name: ________________________ How they know me: ________________ Phone: ______________

  3. Name: ________________________ How they know me: ________________ Phone: ______________

  4. Name: ________________________ How they know me: ________________ Phone: ______________

Anyone who should be told privately, not on a group call or online:

Part 2: Burial or cremation

This is the first decision your family will be asked to make, often within a day, and it is the one people most often have no idea how to answer.

If you have already made arrangements somewhere, write down where. Prepaid or preplanned arrangements are easy to lose track of.

Funeral home or cemetery, if arrangements already exist: ______________________________

Plot, niche, or property already owned: __________________________________________

If cremation, what you would want done with the ashes:

Part 3: The service

There is no wrong answer here, including no service at all.

Religious or faith tradition to follow, if any: ______________________________________

Place of worship, clergy, or celebrant to contact: ___________________________________

People I would want to speak: _______________________________________________________

Music, readings, or anything specific I would want included:

Anything I would specifically not want:

Part 4: What I would want said

Most families are handed a blank page and asked to write an obituary in an afternoon. A few lines from you saves them hours and gets it right.

The things I would want mentioned (work, service, faith, hobbies, the people I was proudest of):

If people want to do something, I would rather they:

Part 5: Where things are kept

Locations only. Not the contents, and not any number that would let someone get in.

WhatWhere it is kept
Will, trust, or estate documents
Life insurance policy documents
Deed, title, or lease
Vehicle titles
Military discharge papers (DD-214)
Birth certificate, marriage certificate
Safe deposit box, and who is on it
Home safe, and who knows how to open it
Tax returns

Attorney, accountant, or financial professional to contact:

Name: ______________________________ Phone: ______________________________

Insurance agent or agency to contact:

Name: ______________________________ Phone: ______________________________

If you own life insurance, the single most useful thing you can do is make sure the person you named knows it exists. That is a short exercise on its own, and it is the one families most often miss. For guidance on how to track down a policy, see How to Find a Lost Life Insurance Policy.

Part 6: The practical things people forget

These are small, and they are what actually falls apart in the first week.

Part 7: Who has a copy

A planner nobody can find is not a plan.

What this is and what it is not

This is a planning worksheet. It is not a will, not a trust, and not a legally binding funeral directive. It does not name an executor, it does not transfer anything to anyone, and it does not override a legal document that says something different.

Wills, trusts, and funeral directives are legal documents, and the rules for them vary by state. If you want your wishes to be legally binding, talk to an attorney licensed where you live. Nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice, and nothing here is an offer of insurance.

What this page does is answer the questions your family will actually be asked, in your own words, at a moment when they will be very glad to have them.

Frequently asked

Is this a will?
No. This is a planning worksheet, not a will, a trust, or a legally binding funeral directive. It does not name an executor and it does not transfer anything to anyone. If you want your wishes to be legally binding, talk to an attorney licensed in your state.
Does it need to be witnessed or notarized?
Not for this to be useful. It has no legal effect either way. What gives it its value is that your family can find it and read it, which is why telling somebody where it is kept matters more than how it is signed.
Where should I keep it?
Somewhere your family can actually get to without a key, a code, or a court order. A copy sealed in a safe deposit box that nobody else is named on is the same as no copy at all. Tell at least two people it exists.
Should I write down my passwords and account numbers?
No. Write down where things are kept, never the secret itself. No passwords, PINs, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. A page like this is meant to be found, and anything you would not want a stranger reading does not belong on it.

This content is for general educational purposes and is not individualized insurance, tax, legal, or investment advice. Rules for wills, beneficiary designations, policy replacement, and the tax treatment of a surrender vary by state, by carrier, and by contract. Trusted Agent does not sell, quote, price, issue, service, or pay claims on any policy, and cannot tell you whether a claim will be approved. A licensed insurance professional, a tax professional, or an attorney in your state can advise on your own situation.

Give a free copy to someone you love

Who came to mind while you were reading this? Send them their own copy. They do not have to talk to anyone, and there is nothing for them to buy.

Already have coverage?

Ask for a plain-English review of what you already own before you change anything. There is no cost, and if the policy you have is the better one, you will be told that.