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Where should I store my estate planning documents?

Store originals somewhere secure but accessible to the people who'll need them — and tell those people where to look. A fireproof home safe or a locked file cabinet works well, since a bank safe-deposit box can be hard to access right after death if it's only in your name. Give your executor, healthcare proxy, and power-of-attorney agent copies, and let them know where the originals are. Many estate attorneys also keep your signed will on file. For healthcare documents, give copies to your doctor and the proxy so they're available in an emergency. Avoid sealing everything where no one can reach it — a perfect will no one can find is useless. Keep a simple master list of account numbers, passwords, advisors, and insurance policies alongside the documents, and update it as things change. Many families create an organized "when I die" file for exactly this.

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