Last Updated on December 20, 2023
A preparedness plan is a critical tool every homeowner needs to protect themselves in case of an emergency. If you follow my blog, you know my mission of finding efficient and easy ways to keep my home and family organized and prepared. For example, last year we compiled a free home inventory and practiced our family fire escape plan. And recently, I completed a Family and Home Emergency Binder, and can’t believe I waited this long to do it.
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Backstory
Recently my husband and I dove into estate planning and drafted our wills. You might say, “Congratulations!” But hold your applause. It was long overdue. Honestly, I was embarrassed to walk into a lawyer’s office and admit that at 45 years of age, with 3 children and house with a mortgage, I didn’t have a will.
I thought a will would be enough to prepare for an unexpected loss. But I was very wrong.
Why A Will Isn’t Enough
Our lawyer pointed out that it would be a good idea to organize our important documents tied to our house, finances or children, to help our executors in the event of an emergency. Paperwork like birth certificates, social security cards, marriage license, and medical information.
She suggested we go home, break out a notebook, gather important legal documents, and write down all our financial and bank accounts (assets from 401Ks to debts such as mortgages).
So when we returned home from her office, my husband and I sat down to compile these important documents. In all honestly, we consider ourselves somewhat organized people so we figured it wouldn’t take too long.
Ha! BIG mistake. HUGE mistake.
We quickly realized that we were completely disorganized. While we frequently have conversations about finances, we never dig too far into the details, nor share key documents. For example, I knew he had started college saving accounts for our kids, but I had no idea which bank. If he unexpectedly passed, I would have no idea how to access those bank accounts. And while he knew that we had house and car insurance, he had no idea who our insurance agent was or how to contact her.
Even with a will, we would still leave each our spouse very vulnerable and our family in quite a mess.
Yikes!!! I need some peace of mind!
Why You Need a Family and Home Emergency Binder
A will won’t help your partner, parents, or executor fully step into your shoes and keep the house (and kids) running smoothly. It doesn’t give the guidance necessary for them to make the difficult decisions coming in the next few months.
A will won’t divulge how to pay the mortgage or home insurance, nor who the orthodontist is (and if you have a balance), nor how to get ahold of our plumber if a pipe burst. (And with my old house with its quirks, I don’t want anyone else but my guy who understands the ins and outs tinkering with that system).
And if/when the time comes to sell the house, a will also won’t recommend a trusted realtor who will guide them through the process.
But a Family and Home Emergency Binder could….
What is a Family and Home Emergency Binder?
A family and home emergency binder compiles all the important personal and financial information in one spot, readily available in the event of a death, natural disaster or other emergency situation. Its serves a variety of purposes, such as:
- Paints a full picture of how you manage your family and home;
- Peace of mind that someone is armed with the tools to step into your shoes and navigate home and family with minimal disruptions;
- Documents your wishes and intentions, reducing the chance of impulsive decisions by those left behind.
A Family and Home Emergency Binder Does MORE Than a Will
A will can only be triggered in the event of a death. But a Family and Home Emergency Binder isn’t a legal document and can be used in a myriad of emergencies.
What if my partner or I landed unexpectantly in the hospital, leaving the other to manage house, kids, work AND hospital? For example, my husband pays the utilities – some via auto-pay, some not. But which ones? I have no idea…
But a Family and Home Emergency Binder can help navigate through this situation. And I can focus where my energies are needed during that time – my family.
Family In Case of Emergency (ICE) Binder
There are several Family and Home Emergency Binder options online. Some are free, some are paid. Ultimately, I liked the looks of the Family In Case of Emergency (ICE) Binder by Smart Money Mamas. Why?
1. Research-based
The creator of Smart Money Mamas and the family emergency binder, Chelsea Brennan, spoke extensively with over 30 experts – doctors, estate attorneys, conservators, and military members – to develop the Family ICE binder.
2. Comprehensive
The Family ICE binder is 90+ pages. Wow. How can that NOT be a comprehensive document that thoroughly captures most of the details of managing a house and family?
3. Positive Reviews
The customer reviews were extremely positive, with rave reviews on how the binder was organized in a way that’s very intuitive and easy to tackle. (Plus there’s a 6-page guide that will walk you through filling out your binder). And after finishing my binder, I have to agree with the great reviews.
4. Easy-to-Use Format
The Family ICE binder is in pdf format, which gives you flexibility to keep a digital copy or print as a hard copy. I like the idea that I can have a copy on my computer, a hard copy in the file, and another hard copy with my executor. Plus pdfs are easy to update through the years – simply type in the new info or print the updated page.
I Still Procrastinated..
Even with all those pros, admittedly I still dragged my feet in buying. Why? In all honesty, I’m kind of cheap.
I thought the Family ICE binder was a bit too expensive for my taste ($39 for the digital download, $59 for the thumb drive at time of posting).
Can this binder truly be that valuable? Couldn’t I just break out some paper and create my own emergency binder for free?
Fast forward 3 weeks, and I realized I just didn’t have the time nor mental energy to do this all on my own. And for the price of Saturday night’s take-out, I could get a head start on protecting my family and home.
So I broke down and bought it.
And I haven’t regretted one bit. If I didn’t buy the Family ICE binder, I would have overlooked so many important things that I would want my husband or executor to know when stepping into my shoes.
Completely worth the price of a Saturday night take-out.
But I Didn’t Start the Family ICE Binder Immediately….
The day I bought the Family ICE Binder, I downloaded the 146 page pdf document (we used the Family with Minor Children version) and saved to my computer.
And there it sat for about 2 weeks. (If you haven’t guessed it yet, I’m a bit of a procrastinator…)
But Chelsea, the creator of Family ICE Binder, kept emailing me every few days to check in. It was like she reading my mind, telling me not to get overwhelmed, just get started.
Geez, Chelsea. Ok, ok. I’ll start my freaking binder.
How to Complete the Family and Home Emergency Binder
Building a Family and Home Binder is time-consuming. You aren’t going to complete it in one day. (Sorry….) But Rome wasn’t built in a day either, so…..
Plan to tackle your binder section by section as good-ole Chelsea recommended in her emails (which do eventually end BTW). Focus on the fact that completing this binder will make it easier on your family if you aren’t there. Think of the relief you will feel when your binder is completed.
So, how did I slog through the process and complete my binder? First, I started with an easier section – I filled out the Pet Info section for the dog. Not saying that the dog is more important than the kids and home (although sometimes she behaves a bit better than my kids….). I’m merely saying the Pet Info section was a lot faster and easier to complete. And I needed an easy win to get the ball rolling and Chelsea off my back…
And wow, what a wake-up call. There’s a lot of details in taking care of our dog! Besides my husband and I, nobody knows Dulce’s veterinarian. Nobody knows that she has Lyme Disease.
And who would take care of Dulce if we passed on? We have an idea of which family member should take Dulce if something happened to us. But we hadn’t actually told anyone. Yet we consider Dulce very much part of our family.
Yikes. So many details to consider and write down!
Even with this one section, I immediately saw the immense value in this binder and was ready to dig deeper and complete it ASAP. To keep up my momentum, I set a Google calendar reminder to work on it for 1 hour every Wednesday night until completed.
And I’m happy to report that it is completed and I have peace of mind that I’ve done all I can to help those left behind in case of an emergency!
So to Chelsea – Thank you for the nudge! Now I appreciate those somewhat annoying emails, pushing me to complete this binder – you must have known I needed it. You had a great idea putting this binder together.
Thank you for creating the Family ICE Binder and helping me put all my need-to-know information in one place to guide my loved ones.
What’s Included in the Family ICE Binder
Ok, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. The Family ICE Emergency Binder is divided into 3 main sections, with 16 subsections.
Section 1: Key Family Information
This section includes personal vital information about your family if faced a medical or other emergency situation. Subsections include (but definitely not limited to):
- Emergency Contacts – including family and friends
- Medical Information – primary and specialist doctors, dentist and orthodontist info, insurances, pharmacies, medical forms, like HIPPA Waivers and Powers of Attorney
- Childcare Info – school and extracurricular activities information
- Pet Care Info – vet info, insurance, pet sitter contact
Section 2: Financial Information
This section addresses the financial important papers of your home and family – vital information associated with insurance, tax info, investment accounts – with emergency contacts and phone numbers.
- Insurance Information – home/renter, auto insurance, umbrella, life
- Basic Financials – tax information (accountant, financial advisor contact info), cash accounts, loans, credit cards, utilities, memberships
- Investment Information – investment accounts and strategy, life insurance instructions, retirement account
- Rental Property – mortgage, taxes, utilities, insurance, tenant info
- Rewards Programs – credit cards, airlines
Section 3: Need to Know Information
This section contains the “catch-all” information about your home and family – where important documents are located and how to contact employers. In addition, it also outlines your wishes and includes any personal messages.
- Where to Find Documents and Valuables – car or boat title or lease info, safety deposit box location, valuables location
- Employer Info – boss contact information, benefits, employee portal login information
- Military Info – survivor benefits, military honors, including a list of government agencies
- Online Accounts – social media account info
- Memorial Service Preferences – your burial or cremation wishes
- Personal Notes – anything else you want to add, including letter ideas for your partner, parents or children.
Ready to Create your own Family and Home Binder?
Check out Chelsea (my new BFF) and her Family ICE Binder to guide you through creating your own Family and Home Emergency Binder.
You won’t regret it!
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