An inventory of essential documents is valuable to you and will be helpful to your family, your power of attorney, your executor and your lawyer. Should you be incapacitated or should your estate need to be settled, a personal record can ease any confusion and lessen expense. Share this information and review it regularly.

Keep documents in a safe place

Important documents should be kept in a safe place, in case of fire or theft. Please also ensure that a copy of your important documents, including a record of your important data and itemized information, are readily available to your lawyer and to your executor.

Make sure your spouse or another family member knows the location of:

• Power of attorney (Personal care & Property)
• Will
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Adoption papers – if applicable
• Citizenship papers – if applicable
• Prenuptial agreement – if applicable
• Social Insurance Number and card
• Government health card number and card
• Bank accounts
• Safety deposit box & key
• Credit cards & numbers
• Investments information /certificates
• Pension information
• Health insurance information
• Home ownership(s)
• Vehicle ownership(s)
• Jewelry, valuables, heirlooms
• Pre-arranged funeral agreement
• Ownership of cemetery plot
• Memorial receipt & description
• Organ donation information

Make sure your spouse or another family member has the contact information for:

• Lawyer(s)
• Executor(s)

Glossary of terms

Power of attorney for personal care: a legal document in which you name a person to make decisions about your medical and other care when you become unable to make those decisions yourself while alive but incapable.

Power of attorney for property: a legal document in which you name a person to make decisions about your money and other assets on your behalf while you are alive but incapable.

Executor: the person named in your will to handle the closing of your estate after your death.

Wills and powers of attorney ensure that your wishes are carried out as you direct, otherwise court-appointed administrators will perform these functions – and not necessarily according to your wishes nor for the most economical solution.

You may wish to consult a lawyer before finalizing your powers of attorney as they grant a great deal of power to another person if you are incapable. Individuals acting on your behalf will need complete documentation as to your incapacity before they can perform some stipulated functions.

Create your personal inventory

We’ve created the following list to help you make your personal inventory of important documents. You can download this template as a fillable PDF to save and update as needed, or use the information below to create your own document.

Personal record of important data and documents

Personal data of:

Date of last update:

Personal information

Name:

(full, as on birth certificate, include also names under which you may have been known)

Social Insurance Number (SIN):

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Current Address:

Telephone:

Email:

Employment Record:

Spouse’s/Partner’s information

Name:

(include maiden name if applicable)

Social Insurance Number (SIN):

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Current Address:

Telephone:

Email:

Children

List full name, date of birth, address and phone number for all children.

Location of personal documents

Birth certificate:

Social Insurance Number (SIN):

Marriage/Divorce certificates:

Passport:

Driver’s licence:

Credit/Bank cards:

Cheque book/Bank accounts:

Safety deposit box:

Key is located:

Computer login/usernames and passwords (hard drive, website, online banking, government, social media such as Facebook or Twitter):

Important contacts
Lawyer/Notary
Name:
Address/Telephone:

Executor
Name:
Address/Telephone:
Copy of will is located:

Power of attorney for personal care
Name:
Address/Telephone:
Copy of document is located:

Power of attorney for property
Name:
Address/Telephone:
Copy of document is located:

Physician – General practitioner/family doctor
Name:
Address/Telephone:

Physician – Specialist
Name:
Address/Telephone:
Hospital of record:
Patient Registration #:

Accountant
Name:
Address/Telephone:

Financial advisor
Name:
Address/Telephone:
Insurance agent(s)

Life insurance
Name:
Contact:

Property insurance
Name:
Contact:

Other
Name:
Contact:

Religious affiliations/Institution
Clergy Name:
Address/Telephone:

Clergy Name:
Address/Telephone:

Funeral arrangements

List preferences, and any details of pre-arranged funeral.

Pensions

Pension plan beneficiary:

Plan reference #:

Your last pension payment is at the end of the month of your death. Prompt notification ensures proper administration without overpayment claims on your estate.

Employer:

Plan reference #:

RRSP/RRIF/Life Annuity located at:

Medical records/information

Current prescribed medication(s):

Name of pharmacy issuing medication(s):

List potential medical issues:

Other potential issues:

RTOERO Health plan #:

Other health plan #:

Life insurance contract certificate #:

Life insurance contact:

Real estate

Residence located at:

Residence is owned: Yes / No

Residence is rented from:

Mortgage on property is held by:

Property insurance is held by:

Other property – List details:

Location of real estate documents

Property deed:

Mortgage:

Clubs, societies, alumnae and professional associations

List organizations which should be notified. (Some may carry insurance on members.)

Resources – Contact information

RTOERO Office

416-962-9463             1-800-361-9888

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

416-226-2700             1-800-668-0105

OMERS

416-369-2400             1-800-387-0813

Johnson Inc.

416-920-7248             1-877-406-9007

Creating a personal inventory of important documents is one of the things you may want to do as you prepare for retirement, or as a task shortly after retiring. Take a look at our list of what you need to think about to prepare for retirement in Canada for more tips.