What Documents Will My Kids Need When I’m Gone?
By Cody Allen, CRSP
President
For over a decade, I’ve hosted an educational program that we affectionately refer to as “What Documents Will the Kids Need When I’m Gone?”. The premise of the program is to encourage attendees to take a proactive approach to not only completing their estate planning documents, but to ensure they have effectively communicated their financial picture to those individuals left behind and tasked with the oversight of their final wishes.
My message during this program is simple. Complete (the necessary documents), then organize, then communicate.
The fact of the matter is that many households don’t make it past the first step which is completing the necessary estate planning documents. According to a 2025 survey, only 24% of adults reported having a Will. Additionally, 42% of Americans say they would not know what to do if a family member died.
If we assume you have proven to wiser than the average bear and have completed some form of estate planning documentation. The next step we discuss, in the presentation, is to organize and communicate with the individual (or trust company) that has been tasked to settle your final wishes. You can start by asking yourself a few simple questions. “Have I informed my Executor/Trustee/Power Attorney of the role they have been assigned to play in my estate planning documents?”
Again, if you have defied the statical averages and you have had that conversation with your representative, the next question typically is more difficult which is “Have I taken the necessary steps to ensure my representative understands how to locate and identify all of my financial assets?”
If you feel you could do better at one, or both, of these questions you aren’t alone. According to a 2026 survey by Trust & Will:
• 31% had discussed their estate or end-of-life wishes with loved ones in the past year.
• Another 20% had done so more than a year ago.
• 27% said they had never had the conversation and did not plan to.
Unfortunately, those lackluster statistics are supported by facts that hit closer to home. The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt (which holds unclaimed property for Iowa residents) is safeguarding nearly $500 million in unclaimed property. Moreover, approximately one in ten Iowans has money or property waiting to be claimed.
Keep in mind, it is never too late (or too early) to follow my motto of “Complete, Organize and Communicate”. If you feel you need a little guidance, please contact us. Whether we have the honor of serving as your Executor or you simply have a specific question you need us to address to ensure the next generation is fully prepared, we are happy to assist. We have served as Executors and Trustees since 1969, and we have useful tools to make the planning process user-friendly.