Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Your Asset Information Recording -- YAIR

Your Asset Information Recording -- YAIR

 

A casual discussion with a financial advisor made us realize how much we ignore on our own asset details. If it is not documented and given to the right person, it is as good as lost, when we are not around.

 

“Jeevan ke saath bhi; jeevan ke baad bhi (While you live and after you live)” – well said. It is a Life Insurance Corporation’s slogan. But makes us think. It is a good idea to list out all the information on the asset and leave a copy with trustworthy persons. We are not talking about the will/estate planning. That is different. Don’t tell me, my wife/husband knows everything. We travel together most of the time. If both of us are not there, no one will know what we havehave and where.

 

With the information compiled and kept in the hands of others, in case of any unexpected event we will at least know, oops! they will at least know where and what is available. We need not have the value of the asset in the document. But at least keep the necessary information that would help them accessing it. With this action you take today, our dependents (mostly our children) will not suffer.

 

Encourage your parents to do the same. It is the hard earned money.

 

For example, we can mention the following:

 

  1. Name of account holders: Mr. Raja & Mrs. Rani 
    1. Account Bank: 
    2. Account Number: 
    3. Branch/Address of bank:
  2. Life Insurance: 
    1. Name: 
    2. Policy No: 
    3. Start date and maturity date: 
    4. Beneficiary: 
    5. Procedure to claim – claim form attached 
  1. Property: 
    1. Address 
    2. Land details 
    3. Owners: 
    4. Location:
    5. Document copy attached 
    6. Important note: It was purchased with power of attorney 
  1. Stock holding information
    1. Name and account number
  1. Details of credit card 
    1. Most of the credit cards provide life insurance. Get the details on them and document. Attach the claim form and procedure. Why not?

Prepare the list with all the details. It should contain copies of all the supporting documents and a summary at the top.

 

You have to do the following right away:

 

  1. If your bank account is not a joint account, make them a joint account immediately. Without that we have to go through the procedure before getting access to that. 
  2. Provide beneficiary/nominee to all the accounts. If minor is the beneficiary there should be a way out for mentioning guardian 
  3. Compile assets information (AI) and make at least 3 copies and keep one for your reference and give to two people who will know about you all the time 
  4. Any change on the info on assets, update the info on assets info record (AIR) 

5 comments:

Vishvesh said...

Giri,

My wife has wanted to do this for quite some time. I am passing it on to her. Of course, we don't have assets that one would envy us for possessing :) but I think it is better to keep whatever we think as assets, organized. Thank you for giving it a start :) When I glanced at your blog earlier, I thought it was something technical and so postponed reading it in detail and in leisure, but I find that it is something that relates to us in our everyday life, and which we ignore to do :)

Jegan said...

GB,

This is very much needed as I have seen ones' family suffering post the death of its leader, in my recent past. He was our family friend and his wife reaching people, without knowing whom to reach, to figure out where he had shelved his liquid cash.

.. and we can also include all de-materialized possessions' details along with essential login credentials though n/a for all).

Gri Vidi said...

Yes, it is good to include "de-materialized possessions" and I was also told to include jewelry (that are at home and locker) and antiques.

Thanks!

Tamil Nenjan said...

Hai Giri...

It was 1986. When We saw a accident in Tidal wave. We could not trace out the body. In the same manner his bank a/c etc.

We then collected details of 12 person & faramed a booklet & distributed in different place.

Now..you are planning a electronic way..Good

SudarsanV said...

Hi Gri,
Happened read this article through your FaceBook update. Really a nice one. It is a must for everyone.
Thanks.
-Sudarsan