1Estate & Legal
Findable, Not Just Filed
The Map to Everything
Brooks Stahlnecker
"Every firehouse has a pre-plan for the big buildings in town — a map showing where the hydrants are, where the gas shutoff is, where the stairwells run. When seconds count, you don't want to be discovering the layout. You want the map already in your hand."
"Your documents need a map too. I've watched families tear a house apart after a death, looking for a will they were sure existed, calling every drawer and safe deposit box in the county. The document was real — they just had no map to it. A locator turns a frantic search into a five-minute task."
This module builds your document locator — a single map showing where each essential document is kept. You don't move anything; you just record the location, so the right paper can be found the moment it's needed.
A document nobody can find may as well not exist.
The Categories
Four Stacks of Essential Paper
Tap each card to see what to locate.
Your will, any trusts, durable power of attorney, and healthcare directive / living will. These are the documents that speak for you when you can't. They do nothing if they can't be found — locating them is non-negotiable.
Deeds to your home and any other real estate, vehicle titles, and documentation for valuable property. Proof of what you own — and what passes on — lives in these papers.
Recent tax returns, statements for accounts, loan documents, and your master account list (from later modules). The paper trail that explains your financial life to anyone who has to step in.
A note of caution: a bank safe deposit box can be sealed at death, sometimes locking out the very documents needed to settle the estate. A fireproof home safe (with a trusted person knowing the combination) or an attorney's office is often better for originals. Know not just where, but whether anyone can actually access it.
Your Workbook
Your Document Locator Map
For each document, note where it's kept (and who can access it). Saves automatically and privately on this device.
2Property & Ownership
3Financial & Tax
4Access
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Think Fast
The Drill
One storage call.
What Would You Do?
You want to keep your original will somewhere very secure, so you put it in your bank safe deposit box that only you can access. Is that the best choice?
Hands-On Drill
Locator Checklist
Check off each document once its location is recorded and accessible. Open boxes are your to-find list.
- Will locatedOriginal and any copies, with access sorted
- Power of attorney & healthcare directiveFindable when needed
- Trust documentsIf you have them
- Property deeds & vehicle titlesLocated and noted
- Recent tax returnsAt least the last couple of years
- A trusted person can access themNot sealed away from the people who'll need them
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Brooks Stahlnecker
"If your documents are more than a few years old, this is also a good moment to ask: are they still current? A will naming a guardian for kids who are now grown, or an executor who's since passed, needs updating. Locating the document is step one; making sure it still says what you mean is step two."
Knowledge Check
Run the Locator Drill
1. The main point of a document locator is to:
It's a map. You note locations (and access) so the right document is found in minutes, not after a frantic search.
2. A potential problem with storing your original will in a solo bank safe deposit box is:
A box only you can access may be sealed at death. Choose storage a trusted person can actually reach — secure and accessible.
3. Beyond locating a document, you should also confirm:
An outdated will or directive can cause as much trouble as a missing one. Locate it, then check it's still accurate.
4. Which group of documents is most essential to locate first?
These speak for you when you can't. If they can't be found, your wishes can't be carried out.
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✍️ Your Drill Notes
Which essential document is currently hardest to put your hands on — and does anything need to move to a more accessible, secure spot?
You've Drawn the Map
Every essential document now has a known, accessible location. Next, we take a full inventory of your life insurance.
Have the map in hand before you need it. — Let's Start the Conversation.