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How to Build Your Estate Planning Checklist for 2026
Last Updated: November 12, 2026
Quick Summary
An estate planning checklist is a written list of tasks that covers your core documents, beneficiary designations, asset inventory, digital access and fiduciary choices. Working from a list helps you finish the plan rather than putting it off. Review it at least once a year and after major life events.
- Confirm your will, power of attorney, healthcare directive and HIPAA authorization are signed, dated and current.
- Review beneficiary designations at least once a year, since they can override your will.
- Build a written inventory of accounts, property, insurance and digital assets, and note how each passes.
- Name a backup for each executor, trustee and agent in case your first choice cannot serve.
- Revisit the plan after marriage, divorce, a new child, a move or a change in fiduciaries.
Table of Contents
- Why an Estate Planning Checklist Matters in 2026
- The Core Estate Planning Documents Checklist
- Beneficiary Designation Review: The Step Most People Skip
- Inventorying Assets, Accounts and Digital Access
- Choosing Fiduciaries and Planning for Incapacity
- Estate Planning Checklist for Parents
- Printable Estate Planning Checklist for 2026 and How to Store It
- Schedule Your Estate Plan Review with Planning Financial Futures
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why an Estate Planning Checklist Matters in 2026
Estate planning is the process of deciding who gets your assets, who makes decisions for you, and who cares for your family if you can no longer do so yourself. An estate planning checklist turns that broad goal into a set of specific, trackable tasks.
Many families carry documents that are out of date. A will drafted before a marriage, a divorce or the birth of a grandchild may no longer reflect what you want.
Use the list below as a working guide. Every item is a starting point for a conversation with a qualified professional, not a substitute for one.
The Core Estate Planning Documents Checklist
Most estate plans rely on a small group of core documents. Use this list to confirm which ones you have, when they were last reviewed, and whether they still match your current situation.
- Last will and testament: Names your executor and directs how probate assets pass to heirs.
- Revocable living trust (if used): Holds assets during your life and passes them to beneficiaries without going through probate.
- Durable power of attorney for finances: Names someone to manage your financial affairs if you cannot.
- Advance healthcare directive: States your wishes for medical treatment and names a healthcare agent.
- HIPAA authorization: Allows named people to access your medical information.
- Guardianship nominations: Names who should care for minor children, if applicable.
Confirm that each document is signed, dated and stored where your fiduciaries can find it. Our resource on planning your legacy and your family's financial future explains how these documents fit into the broader plan. A will that nobody can locate can cause as much trouble as one that was never written.
Beneficiary Designation Review: The Step Most People Skip
Beneficiary designations are the forms that name who receives an account when you die. These include retirement accounts, life insurance, annuities and bank accounts with payable-on-death instructions. These designations usually control where the money goes, regardless of what your will says.
Review your beneficiary forms at least once a year and after any major life event. Our guide to protecting assets during a life transition shows how to handle these reviews during major changes. Check these points:
- Your primary and contingent beneficiaries are still correct.
- Former spouses have been removed if you have divorced.
- Minor children are not named directly, since a guardian or trust may be needed.
- The beneficiary names match your current wishes and your will or trust.
A mismatch between a beneficiary form and your will is a common problem. Fixing it is often quick, but only if you act before a problem arises.
The table below summarises the beneficiary designation checks covered in this section, so you can review each one quickly.
| Check | Why it matters | When to act |
|---|---|---|
| Primary and contingent beneficiaries correct | Designations control where the money goes | At least once a year |
| Former spouses removed | Old designations can pass assets to an ex | After any divorce |
| Minor children not named directly | A guardian or trust may be needed | When naming beneficiaries |
| Forms match will or trust | A mismatch is a common problem | After any major life event |
Inventorying Assets, Accounts and Digital Access
Your estate plan is only as good as the information your fiduciaries can access. Build a written inventory that lists what you own, where it is held, and how someone else can reach it. Updating it at the same time you review beneficiary designations helps keep the two from drifting apart.
Start with a master list organized by category:
- Bank, brokerage and retirement accounts, with institution names, account numbers and the name on each account
- Real estate, with property addresses, deed locations and any mortgages or liens
- Life insurance policies and annuities, including policy numbers and the issuing carrier
- Business interests, with operating agreements, buy-sell agreements and the names of co-owners
- Debts, mortgages, auto loans and credit lines, with account numbers and balances
- Tangible personal property of value, such as jewelry, art, collectibles and vehicles, with appraisals if you have them
- Digital assets, covered in detail below
For each item, note whether it passes by beneficiary designation, by joint ownership, by trust or through probate. That single column tells your executor which assets need court involvement and which do not.
Digital assets and account access
Digital assets are the part of the inventory most people skip, and the part that causes the most friction after death or incapacity. They fall into three rough groups:
- Money and financial accounts: online banks, brokerage apps, payment platforms, cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges.
- Accounts with stored value or records: cloud storage, email, photo libraries, subscription services and business software.
- Accounts with personal or sentimental value: social media, messaging apps and loyalty programs.
For each, record the platform, the username, the email address tied to the account, and where the password or recovery key is stored.
Cryptocurrency deserves separate attention. If you hold assets in a self-custody wallet, the recovery phrase is the asset.
Watch out: laws governing fiduciary access to digital accounts vary by state and by platform terms of service, so confirm with a qualified professional which tools and authorizations your state recognizes before relying on them.
Store the finished inventory securely, and tell your executor and trustee where it is and how to open it.
Choosing Fiduciaries and Planning for Incapacity
A fiduciary is a person you trust to act in your best interest. The main roles are the executor (or trustee), who settles your estate, and the agent under a power of attorney, who makes financial decisions while you are alive but unable to act.
When choosing these people, consider the following:
- Whether they live nearby and can handle the work
- Their organization and comfort with financial matters
- Whether they can act calmly under pressure
- Whether you have named a backup in case your first choice cannot serve
Talk with each person before you name them. For families with stepchildren, see how trusts and beneficiary designations are structured to avoid conflict in blended-family estate planning. Our step-by-step guide to finding and working with an estate planning professional walks through choosing an attorney and preparing for consultations.
Estate Planning Checklist for Parents
Parents face a few extra decisions. Use this list to make sure your plan covers your children's needs.
- Name a guardian for any minor children, and name a backup guardian.
- Decide whether assets should go into a trust for children rather than passing to them outright.
- Set an age or milestone at which children receive their inheritance.
- Name a trustee who will manage money for minors.
- Review life insurance coverage and beneficiary designations to match your plan.
- Confirm that your guardian and trustee understand their roles.
For many parents, the most important question is who will raise the children. Discuss this openly with the people you are considering, and record your decision in your will.
Printable Estate Planning Checklist for 2026 and How to Store It
A printed checklist is only useful if it drives completion. Use the tracker below, and add a date next to each item as you finish it so you can see at a glance what is done and what is still open.
Documents
- Will reviewed, signed and dated, Date: ______
- Revocable living trust reviewed and funded (if applicable), Date: ______
- Durable power of attorney for finances current, Date: ______
- Advance healthcare directive and HIPAA authorization current, Date: ______
- Guardianship nominations confirmed (if applicable), Date: ______
Beneficiaries and titling
- Beneficiary designations confirmed on every retirement account, annuity and life insurance policy, Date: ______
- Contingent beneficiaries named on each account, Date: ______
- Account titling and transfer-on-death instructions reviewed, Date: ______
Inventory and access
- Asset and liability inventory updated, Date: ______
- Digital access information stored securely and legacy contacts set, Date: ______
- Fiduciaries told where documents and the inventory are kept, Date: ______
Review
- Annual review date scheduled, Next date: ______
- Life-event triggers noted below, Date: ______
When to revisit the plan, not just once a year
An annual reminder is a floor, not a ceiling. Put the checklist back on the table after any of these events:
- Marriage, divorce or remarriage, including a change in a former spouse's beneficiary status
- The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
- A move to another state, which can change how wills, trusts and powers of attorney are treated
- A significant change in assets, such as a business sale, inheritance or large account opening
- The death or incapacity of a named executor, trustee or agent
- A change in federal or state tax rules that affects your plan
How to store and share the finished plan
Store signed originals in a fireproof safe, a safe deposit box or with your attorney, and keep a written index that says where each original lives. Give copies, not originals, to your executor, trustee and agents, and confirm that each person knows the role they hold and how to reach the others.
Watch out: a will that cannot be located can delay probate and, in some cases, be treated as if it never existed, so tell at least one fiduciary exactly where the original is kept.
Schedule Your Estate Plan Review with Planning Financial Futures
An estate plan should be reviewed regularly, especially after marriage, divorce, a new child, a move, a large change in assets or the death of a fiduciary.
To talk through your situation, schedule a meeting with our team.
Connect with Jeffrey C. Lewis, CFP, 631-546-5403, or jlewis@planningfinancialfutures.com at 1895 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747
Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency LLC), member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do you need for estate planning?
Most people start with a will, a revocable living trust if they use one, a durable power of attorney for finances, an advance healthcare directive or healthcare proxy, and beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance. Each document should match your current assets and family situation. Review the set together so that a trust, a will and your account beneficiary forms do not contradict one another. Confirm the forms meet the requirements of the state where you live, since signing and witnessing rules vary.
How often should you review your estate plan?
Review your estate plan at least every three to five years and after any major life event. Triggers include marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, the death of a named fiduciary or beneficiary, a move to another state, a significant change in assets, or a change in tax law. A beneficiary designation review is a quick check that can be done alongside an annual financial review, and it often catches outdated forms that would override the rest of your plan.
Can I create an estate plan without an attorney?
You can prepare some basic documents without an attorney, but a mistake in a will, trust or power of attorney can be costly and hard to correct later. Complex situations, such as blended families, business interests, a special-needs beneficiary or property in more than one state, call for professional review. A financial planner can help you inventory assets and coordinate beneficiary designations, and an attorney can draft and sign the legal documents. Many people use both.
What should parents include in an estate plan?
Parents with minor children should name a guardian for the children in their will and choose a trustee to manage any money left to them. Parents should also name a financial agent and a healthcare agent, and set clear instructions for how and when children receive assets. If you have adult children, check that beneficiary designations and the trust terms reflect your current wishes. Review the plan after any change in custody, marital status or the health of a named person.
