The account inventory

Every institution holding a current or savings account, whose name it is in, and whether it is joint or payable-on-death. How the account is held decides everything that happens next.^{Source 2}

Usually kept Bank apps on the phone, direct debits on other statements, and the interest entries on the last tax return.

Needed for Bank accounts

If it doesn't exist The family cannot pay the immediate bills, and a sole-name account is frozen until someone has authority. Deposit insurance also continues to treat a deceased owner's accounts as if they were living for a limited grace period, and missing that window can quietly reduce coverage.

Every IRA, 401(k), 403(b) and similar plan, with the named beneficiary for each and the plan administrator's contact details.

Usually kept Annual statements, the employer's benefits portal, and past employers nobody has thought about in years.

Needed for Retirement accounts, Beneficiary designations

If it doesn't exist An inherited account left undiscovered can breach the distribution deadline that applies to most beneficiaries, and the penalty falls on the beneficiary rather than the estate.

The firm, the account type, whose name it is in, whether it carries a transfer-on-death instruction, and the adviser if there is one.

Usually kept Consolidated statements, tax documents reporting dividends, and the adviser's own correspondence.

If it doesn't exist Securities cannot be transferred or sold, and a transfer-on-death instruction nobody knows about goes unclaimed.

Social Security, pensions, annuities, rental income, and anything paid by automatic deposit. Note whether each has a survivor benefit.

Usually kept Deposits on the bank statement, which is the most reliable inventory of income anyone has.

Needed for Social Security

If it doesn't exist Payments continue arriving after a death and have to be returned, and a survivor benefit nobody claims is simply never paid.

Mortgages, loans, credit cards, medical debt and anything with a co-signer. Note which debts are jointly held, because that is what decides who remains liable.

Usually kept Statements, a credit report, and automatic payments leaving the current account.

Needed for Debts and creditors

If it doesn't exist The family cannot tell which debts survive and which do not, which is precisely the confusion that collectors rely on.

The insurer, the policy number, the beneficiary, and whether the policy is individual or through an employer or association.^{Source 3}

Usually kept Premium payments on bank statements, the employer's benefits summary, and an annual statement from the insurer.

Needed for Finding life insurance

If it doesn't exist Unclaimed life insurance is one of the largest categories of lost money in the country. There is a national search, but it works far better with a name and an insurer than with a name alone.

Medicare enrollment and any supplement, employer or retiree coverage, dental and vision, and any long-term care policy with its benefit trigger.

Usually kept The wallet, the Medicare card, and premium deductions from Social Security or a pension.

Needed for Medicare enrollment

If it doesn't exist A long-term care policy that is never claimed costs the family everything it would have paid out, because premiums were paid for decades against exactly the event now happening.

The insurer and policy number for each property and vehicle, and any umbrella policy.

Usually kept Renewal notices, and the mortgage servicer's escrow statement.

If it doesn't exist Cover can lapse on an empty house at exactly the point it is most exposed, and insurers often need to be told the house is unoccupied.

Each property, how the title is held, the mortgage servicer, and where the deed is. How title is held matters more than the property's value.

Usually kept The county recorder's office holds the authoritative record; the deed itself is often with the mortgage papers.

If it doesn't exist Nothing can be sold or transferred, and joint ownership that would have avoided probate cannot be relied on until it is confirmed.

Each vehicle, whose name is on the title, whether there is a lienholder, and where the title certificate is.

Usually kept The title is often in a home file or a glovebox; the lienholder holds it while a loan is outstanding.

Needed for Vehicle title transfer

If it doesn't exist A vehicle cannot be sold or insured by anyone else, and it continues to accrue registration and insurance costs meanwhile.

The institution, the box number, where the keys are, and who is named on the lease. For a home safe, who knows the combination.

Usually kept An annual rental charge on a bank statement is usually the only trace.

If it doesn't exist A box nobody knows about is eventually escheated to the state, and one that is known but inaccessible can require a court order to open.

Any ownership stake, the operating or partnership agreement, the accountant, and any buy-sell arrangement or key-person insurance.

Usually kept With the business's accountant or attorney rather than at home.

If it doesn't exist A business can stall entirely for want of a signatory, and the operating agreement usually governs what happens on a death whatever the will says.

Anything with a recurring charge attached to a location nobody visits, including storage units and out-of-state property.

Usually kept A recurring charge on a card statement, and occasionally a key nobody recognizes.

If it doesn't exist Contents can be sold for arrears, and out-of-state real property may require a separate probate in that state.

The attorney, accountant, financial adviser, insurance agent and primary doctor, with a note on what each one handles.

Usually kept Email, a phone's contact list, and the letterhead on last year's tax return.

Needed for Essential documents

If it doesn't exist The family rebuilds a professional relationship from nothing at the worst possible time, and the attorney holding the original will may never be found.

How to get into the primary email account and the phone, and where the password manager's emergency access is configured. Email is the master key, because almost every reset runs through it.

Usually kept Nowhere, usually. This is the item most often missing entirely.

Needed for Digital legacy

If it doesn't exist Every other account becomes a legal process rather than a login. Losing access to the phone also breaks two-factor authentication on accounts the family can otherwise reach.

Whether the major platform tools have actually been configured — a nominated contact, and for Apple the access key, which is useless if it was never shared.^{Source 5Source 6}

Usually kept In the account settings, and typically not set at all.

Needed for Digital legacy

If it doesn't exist The family is left with a platform's default process, which is slower and reaches less than the tool the account holder could have configured in five minutes.

Anything charging monthly or annually, and which card it charges. Note anything a household depends on, such as a phone line or a monitored alarm.

Usually kept Card statements for the last twelve months, which is the only complete list that exists.

If it doesn't exist Charges continue for months after a death, and canceling a phone line that carries two-factor codes locks the family out of accounts they had reached.