Recently, I shared in a webinar an exercise I’ve developed over the years called the Green Box. It’s a simple idea, but one I believe can make an enormous difference to the people we leave behind.
After working alongside many families through bereavement, I’ve seen just how overwhelming the practical side of losing someone can be. Alongside their grief, executors are often left trying to locate documents, track down account details, contact financial institutions and piece together information that may be scattered across filing cabinets, inboxes and computer folders.
It’s a difficult job at the best of times, and one that’s made much harder when important information isn’t easy to find.
That’s why I encourage clients to create what I call a Green Box.
Despite the name, it doesn’t have to be an actual green box. It’s simply one secure place that brings together all the information your executor or family would need if you were no longer here. That might include your estate planning documents, financial information, insurance details, key contacts, account information and even a personal letter explaining your wishes.
The aim isn’t to complete it all in one sitting. Instead, it’s something you build gradually and revisit over time as your circumstances change.
No amount of organisation can take away the sadness of losing someone. But it can remove a great deal of unnecessary stress at a time when your family has more than enough to deal with already.
If you’re ready to get started yourself, you can download my free Green Box Exercise, which walks you through exactly what to include and how to organise it.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can leave our loved ones isn’t financial at all. It’s making one of the hardest times in their lives just a little bit easier.
P.S. Death is one of the only certainties in life, yet in many cultures we avoid talking about it entirely. Read my piece Why Don’t We Talk about Death? to discover more about why it makes us feel so uncomfortable – and the knock-on effect for our finances.
