Settling an Estate Checklist: 17 Critical Steps at a Difficult Time

If the role of estate executor is in your future or you’re putting your affairs in order, then our Settling an Estate Checklist will guide you one task at a time.

Drawing upon Adviser Investments’ decades of experience, our checklist includes a glossary of key terms and identifies 17 steps for settling an estate, including:

• Pursing probate actions.
• Locating death benefit sources.
• Inventorying key assets.
• Hiring specialized professionals, (e.g., an appraiser).
• Obtaining required documents for filing survivor benefits.
• Managing an estate’s priorities (i.e., maintain insurance policies).

Our checklist won’t ease your grief; however, it’ll make a difficult time a lot easier. It also answers a key question: How do you settle an estate? The short answer is—one step at a time.