Your Seasonal Estate Planning Checkup

Time for a Checkup

Just like a car or your health, your estate plan benefits from regular checkups. Life changes constantly — new accounts, new relationships, moves, and milestones — and a plan that was perfect a year ago can quietly drift out of date. This edition is a friendly nudge to spend a little time making sure everything still reflects your life today.

The good news: a thorough checkup takes less than an hour, and it delivers real peace of mind.

Why Seasonal Reviews Matter

An outdated plan can be as problematic as no plan at all. Consider what changes in a typical year:

• You open and close accounts.
• Passwords and services change.
• Relationships evolve — new family members, or people who are no longer the right choice.
• Your priorities and wishes shift.

A periodic review catches these changes before they become problems for your loved ones.

Your Checkup Checklist

Work through these one at a time. Check off each as you go.

1. Refresh Your Account Inventory

• Add any important new accounts you've opened.
• Remove accounts you've closed.
• Note any new cryptocurrency, subscriptions, or online assets.

2. Review Your Credentials

• Confirm stored passwords are current.
• Update anything that's changed.
• Make sure sensitive documents are up to date in your vault.

3. Check Your Passphrase and Security

• Confirm your vault passphrase is still strong and known only to you.
• Enable two-factor authentication anywhere you haven't yet.
• Review recovery arrangements so you're never locked out.

4. Revisit Your Designations

• Is your executor still the right person — and still willing?
• Are your trusted contacts current?
• Does anyone need to be added or removed?

5. Update Shared and Family Items

• Review items shared through your family plan.
• Add anything the household now needs; remove what's outdated.
• Confirm shared access still goes to the right people.

6. Confirm Your Wishes

• Do your notes and instructions still reflect what you want?
• Has anything changed about how you'd like accounts closed, preserved, or transferred?

Tie It to a Season

The easiest way to keep this habit is to attach it to a recurring moment: the start of a new season, a birthday, tax time, or a holiday you'll always remember. Pick one and make it your annual "estate planning checkup" from now on.

Don't Forget the Human Side

A checkup isn't only about data. It's also a good moment to revisit the conversations behind your plan:

• Has your executor's situation changed?
• Do family members understand their roles?
• Is there anything you've been meaning to discuss but haven't?

A brief conversation can prevent a great deal of future confusion.

How Legacy Signal Makes This Easier

Because your inventory, credentials, designations, and shared items all live in one encrypted place, a checkup is straightforward — you can review everything in a single session without hunting through drawers, notes, and old files. Client-side encryption keeps it private throughout, and your safeguard settings stay firmly under your control.

A Small Habit, A Big Payoff

Fifty minutes, once a season or once a year, keeps your entire plan accurate and reliable. It's a small investment that ensures the people you love won't face confusion during a difficult time.

So grab a coffee, open your vault, and give your plan a checkup. Future you — and your family — will be grateful.

— The Legacy Signal Team