Identity & personal records
- Birth, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Passports and citizenship documents
- Provincial health card numbers
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Driver's licence
Legal & estate
- Will and any codicils
- Power of attorney for property
- Personal directive or representation agreement
- Trust documents, if any
- Executor name and contact
Financial
- Bank, RRSP, TFSA, and investment accounts
- Mortgage, loans, and credit accounts
- Insurance policies (life, home, auto, health)
- CPP, OAS, and workplace pension records
- Tax returns from the last several years
Property & assets
- Deeds and title documents
- Vehicle registrations
- Safety deposit box location and key
- List of valuables and where they are kept
Digital life
- Email accounts and recovery methods
- Cloud storage and photo libraries
- Password manager access
- Social media accounts and preferences
- Subscriptions and recurring payments
A simple method
Pick one quiet afternoon. Make a single list of everything above, even if you can't find it all yet. Note where each item lives today, and who would need it. That list — kept current — is the most useful thing you can leave your family.
Keep the list itself somewhere private and secure. It is a map to your most sensitive information.