Financial Planner

Checklist: Estate Planning

Things to do this weekend with your money: Monday is Valentine’s Day, the perfect time to demonstrate your love for those closest to you by getting some of your affairs in order.

* Today: Who would pay your bills or make health decisions for you should you become incapacitated? Without documents known as durable powers of attorney for health and for finance, your family members may be forced to go to court to get permission to help you--a situation that can add strain and expense at an already stressful time. An attorney can draw up these documents, or you can use software such as Nolo.com’s WillMaker ($42).

* Saturday: Could your family find all the important papers they would need to handle your estate? Organizers such as the Beneficiary Book (available for $29.95 from Active Insights at https://www.active-insights.com) and Web sites such as Final Thoughts at https://www.finalthoughts.com can help you get organized.

* Sunday: Parents with young children need to draw up a will that names someone to take over as guardian in the event the parents die. Parents may also want to leave money to pay for the children’s care and education. An estate planning attorney can help make arrangements; in a pinch, software such as WillMaker can help.