Pass Along Book

Sorry, at the risk of seeming grim, none of us are getting out of here alive.

You might live a nice, long time and exit this Earthly plane at peace, having lived a satisfying life and accomplished what you wanted.

Or your number may come up rather sooner than expected due to accident or illness.

How and when we leave behind our mortal coil is usually not up to us. But we can see to it that our affairs are sorted so our next-of-kin and other survivors have a bit less burden of it all.

Dying really puts a big inconvenience on pretty much everyone in your orbit. Aside from the sadness of loss experienced by your survivors, they'll be trying to figure out your world. And since you won't be here to explain it all, then what better way to help them from beyond the grave than by documenting everything ahead of time?

That's where the Pass Along book comes in. It's different than a will and it's more than just a list of passwords.

There are sentimental pass along books that are of kind of like a diary or journal but that are meant to be read by others. It might contain long family traditions, old stories, new stories (that in generations hence will become old), family recipes that you don't want dying with you, and anything else you can think up.

But for our purposes today, in this article, we're discussing the more technical, sober nature of the pass along book.

I want you to ponder this for a few minutes: If you croaked unexpectedly, like any moment now, could any of your next-of-kin step in and make sense of your affairs? Could they access your phone? Your email? Your usernames and passwords for all the important online accounts you may have? Such as your bank, brokerage accounts, access to life insurance, credit cards, etc.?

Probably not.

The Pass Along Book itself

The pass along book (hereinafter styled as "book") is a living document, updated as necessary. Because it's a living document, it'll be a lot easier to maintain if you create it using a word processor. Any word processor will do, even Google Docs, which is free.

Every time you update the book, you'll print it out, put it in the agreed-upon safe place, and discard the old one. Shred it if you can, or cut it up into confetti (or burn it in a bucket) if you have no shredder.

You probably won't need to update the book all that often because it will describe how to find the most recent electronic copy of the remaining information.

What to include in the printed pass along book

First of all, a few words of comfort for your next-of-kin that will be reading this. If you want your next-of-kin to proof read your book then you might omit this section from the book, saving it in another file for the time being. Once everything is proofed then you can consider adding your words of comfort.

Next, include a sufficiently detailed narrative of everything that your next-of-kin needs to know. By narrative, I mean let the muse run free, describing any possibly peculiar information about each item. The more details the better! Assume they know nothing.

You only need to include the credentials (username and passwords) and full details for the most important things in the book. If you're like most people, you probably have many dozens of online credentials. Most of them are of secondary importance and don't need to be specifically mentioned in the book. But that's only if you have a separate password book or manager. If you don't, you need to create one.

Your book might include:

Last revision date located at the top
Phone PIN
If iPhone, include AppleID and password
If Android, include Google Play ID and password
Tablet PIN, if you have one
Password (and PIN if there is one) to your computer, be it desktop, laptop, or both
Primary email address and password
Name of bank, login username, password, and any other secret words your bank might require
Name of each credit/debit card: Include all card details including bank name and customer service numbers
Name and policy number of life, auto, and home insurance, and their contact info
Location (folder and file name) of the electronic copy of your book on your computer
Name and contact info of attorney, if you have one, and where to find a copy of your will

If you use a dedicated password manager, include all the instructions necessary for your next-of-kin to gain access. Keep in mind they are probably not familiar with how it works. So be detailed.

If you simply use a password written notebook, fine, be sure to make reference to it in the book, including where its located. Similarly, make sure you password book or manager is up to date and makes sense.

If any of your online accounts, including your email and bank, has Multi-Factor Authentication setup, make sure the code can be obtained by your next-of-kin. Usually it goes to your phone as a text message. Sometimes there's a dedicated phone app like Google Authenticator. Describe all that in the book.

Who needs a pass along book?

Everybody! That's who. Shit happens. You never know when you'll go. We all hope to live a long time but that's not always the case. By having your book sorted, your next-of-kin will have an easier time dealing with the consequences of your passing.

You need a will, too. Probate without a will (intestate) can be a big PITA. Don't saddle your next-of-kin with all that.

And while you're at it, a preneed funeral plan isn't a bad idea, either. Less pain for those you leave behind and less chance of the funeral home railroading your next-of-kin into an expense funeral.