The document discusses the importance of being organized and having all important financial, medical, and legal documents easily accessible. It provides tips on which documents should be kept, how long to keep them, and when they should be reviewed and updated. The document also introduces ICEbox, a complete organizational system containing binders, a flash drive, online vault, and estate planning documents to keep all important information in one place.

1. Craig A. Sutherland
February 28, 2014

2.  We all seem to be swimming in paperwork
Bank, investment and credit card statements
Mortgage, insurance and automobile
documents
Medical and health insurance files
Tax returns
 What to do with this mess?
 What needs to be updated and how often?
 How long to keep files?
When can files be safely destroyed and discarded?

3.  As client advocates our role is more than just financial
 Our interaction with prospects and reviews with clients often
combine financial with personal/professional dreams and goals
 What do we give our clients now
 Binder – for all client’s financials only
 What do our clients do with the binder?

4.  Do you know what medications your
spouse takes?
 Do you know who to call in an emergency?
 Can you answer key medical history
questions if your spouse can’t?
 Do you have a Medical Power of Attorney
AND a Living Will?
 Would you be able to find valuable
documents when the rest of your world is
spiraling out of control?

5.  The “Organized One”
Knows usernames and
passwords for websites that the
family uses.
 Knows the due dates for key
household bills like:
Mortgage
Car payments
Insurance
Utilities

6.  “The Tourist”
Blissfully unaware and
enjoying the scenery.
 If you’re “The Tourist”, how quickly could you
become “The Organized One”?

8.  Serious Illness or Accident
 Death
 Retirement
 Birth or Adoption
 Home Ownership
 Moving
 Home Downsizing
 Entering Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility
 Marriage or Divorce
 Empty Nest

9.  Key to a stress free life.
 How quickly can you or a loved one access
the current information?
 Have you kept your spouse or significant
other in the loop?

10.  It can be difficult to compartmentalize our lives.
 It’s much easier to get organized if it’s done in
segments.
 How often should we review and revise?
 How long are we supposed to keep all these
documents?

11.  Personal and family medical history
 Living Will
 Medical Power of Attorney
 Emergency Contact List

12.  Separate lists for each family member.
 Don’t forget the minor children!
 Be sure to include their Immunization
Records.
 List should include hospitalizations and surgeries
in the last 5 years.
 List all allergies.
 List all prescription medications currently being
taken.
 Don’t forget to include over-the-counter
drugs.
 Be sure to include dosages and frequency.
 Very important to keep this this current.

13.  These are similar documents that work in concert with each other.
 Living Will - Describes and instructs how the person wants end-
of-life health care managed. It takes effect when the patient is
terminally ill or is in a permanent vegetative state
 Medical Power of Attorney - Gives a designated person the
authority to make health care decisions on behalf of the
person. It takes effect when the patient is temporarily
unconscious.
 Each adult family member needs to have their own Living Will and
Medical Power of Attorney.
 Don’t forget HIPAA Privacy release for college-age children.

14.  Recommend that list has 3 emergency
 These contacts should live nearby, if possible.
 Separate lists for each family member.
 Don’t forget about minor children

15.  Personal and Family Medical History
 Update when needed – new medication, new surgery, new diagnosis, etc.
 Living Will and Medical Power of Attorney
 Review and update when necessary
 If you want to change agent for health care
 If you want to make any situational alterations.
 Health Insurance
 Do you have the most recent health insurance card in your wallet?
 Shred and discard the old card.
 Emergency Contact List
 Each person should have 3 emergency contacts
 Make sure phones numbers are updated
 Make individual lists for EACH member of the family

16.  Will
 Estate Plan
 Durable Power of Attorney
 Life Insurance Policies
 Additional Insurance Policies


17.  Will
 Should be reviewed with your attorney
every 3 years or when a life altering
event occurs
 Important for both spouses
 Don’t forget college-aged children
 Durable Power of Attorney
 Should be reviewed with your attorney every
3 years or when a life altering event occurs
 Important for both spouses
 Don’t forget college-aged children
 Life, P&C, Auto, LTC and other insurance policies
 Should be reviewed with your insurance agent every
3 years or when a life altering event occurs
 Important for both spouses
 Don’t forget college-aged children
 Medical bills and records
 Keep all medical bills and supporting documentation such as
checks and credit card statements until you are sure that the bill
has been acknowledged and has been paid in full by your and/or your insurance company
 If you’re deducting unreimbursed medical expenses on your tax
return, keep all supporting documentation.

18.  List of bank accounts – savings, checking,
money-market
 Individual Retirement accounts
 401(k) accounts
 Pension documents
 Annuity contracts
 Stock certificates, savings bonds and
brokerage accounts

19.  Tax Returns and supporting documents
 Anything to do with taxes should be kept at least seven years.
 Retirement Plan Statements
 Keep quarterly statements until you receive the annual summary.
 Keep annual summaries until you close the account
 IRA Contributions
 If you made an after-tax contribution to an IRA, you will need to keep your records
indefinitely to prove you already paid tax on the money when it’s time to make a
withdrawal.
 Brokerage Statements, Mutual Fund Statements
 You must keep these until you sell the securities covered by them to prove whether you
have capital gains or losses for your tax return.
 If you hold stocks or bonds for many years, you will need to keep the statements.
 Keep quarterly statements until you receive the annual summary.
 Keep annual summaries until you close the account.

20.  Checking & Savings Account Statements
 Rule of thumb is to save last 3 years in case you’re audited.
 If possible, go paperless!
 Most banks have an online statement archive feature.
 Credit Card Receipts & Statements
 Keep original receipts until your statement comes and then match them up. You
can then discard the receipts.
 Keep statements for 7 years if they document tax-related expenses.
 If not tax-related expenses, shred since most credit card companies have an
online statement archive feature.
 Paycheck Stubs
 Keep paycheck stubs until you receive your annual W-2 form from your
employer(s) and make sure the information matches.
 Most financial and tax consultants advise you retain for 7 years or longer.

21.  Housing, land and cemetery deed information
 Escrow mortgage accounts
 Vehicle titles
 Partnership and corporate operating agreements
 List of all website user names and passwords

22.  Housing, land and cemetery deed information
 Housing and land deed information
 Really crucial records are most likely filed at the County Recorder’s Office.
 Recommended that you retain your statements for up to 7 years after you sell or pay
off the mortgaged property.
 House/condo Records
 Keep all records documenting the purchase price and the cost of all improvements, as well
as records of expenses incurred in selling and buying the property for 7 years after you sell
it.
 Vehicle titles and maintenance records
 Keep in a safe place while owned.
 Partnership and corporate operating agreements
 Keep while partnership etc. is in effect.
 Once dissolved, maintain all partnership and corporate operating agreements for at least
10 years.
 List of all website user names and passwords
 Keep the list in a safe place
 Be sure to include all sites used to pay bills online; manage financial accounts, etc.
 For added security, change passwords on a 30, 60 or 90 day basis.

23.  We've developed a handy
Checklist for your use
that’s been designed to
gauge your client’s
organizational level

24.  I.C.E. means In Case of Emergency
 ICEbox™ was created to provide clarity for families in the
event of a medical emergency, death or natural disaster
 When a life altering event occurs, there’s no time to hunt
for important paperwork
 It gives users the power to inform doctors about family
members’ medications, provides important phone
numbers and contacts, and lets the user access valuable
documents when they need them
 It is a complete organizational system designed to provide
peace of mind when it’s needed the most

25.  4 Snap Secure, 3-ring plastic organizational
binders for Health, Estate & Insurance, Banking &
Investment and Other Important Documents.
 A 256MB flash drive with pre-loaded fillable PDFs
covering categories including:
Medical/Medications History, Emergency
Contacts, Important
Websites/Passwords, Credit/Debit Cards, etc.
 Secure, password protected and encrypted online
vault.
 Partnered with Net Law for the creation of Estate
Planning documents.

26. Craig A. Sutherland
Christine Honeygosky
ICEbox Solutions, LLC
20 Northwoods Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43235
614.802.0242
www.youricebox.com | info@youricebox.com