Singletary

were his military-service records, including his discharge paperwork. Those documents helped prove he was eligible for military funeral honors when he died.

• Marriage and death certificates. In fact, I also keep copies of old obituaries and funeral programs, which contain a wealth of information that can be helpful in estate planning. These documents can include maiden names and other family history you might need to hunt down important papers.

• Pension records. Be sure to keep the records from previous jobs.

• Net-worth statement. This document is the master list of everything you own — bank accounts, home and vehicle titles and information regarding investment and retirement plans.

• A list of outstanding debts. If there is money in the estate, creditors have to be paid as much as possible. Leave a paper trail so whomever is handling your estate can verify what you owed.

• A list of professionals you’ve hired. Your financial adviser, accountant or insurance agent knows a lot about your business. These people will be tremendously helpful in assisting your personal representative or trustee.

And speaking of documents, I received this question during a recent online chat:

“My siblings and I are in the process of shredding or tossing a mammoth pile of old bank statements, income-tax records, and so forth, making sure that anything with a Social Security number is shredded, not just tossed in recycling. Since our mother has been deceased for several years, is it still necessary to shred her Social Security card?”

If it were me, I would maintain in a safe the decedent’s death certificate, any military records and definitely the Social Security card. You never know when you might need the information in the future. An old insurance policy or unclaimed account might be located, and you may need to prove your mother’s identity and your right to collect for her estate.

I’ve been writing about the need for people to get a will for years, and pulling together your important documents is the first step. Trust me, your family will be grateful that you made sure they can locate all that they need to handle your affairs. Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1301 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is michelle.singletary@ washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter (@ SingletaryM) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/ MichelleSingletary). Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer’s name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.