Have you ever stopped to wonder, “What is going to happen to all my ‘stuff’ one day when I’m gone?” We’re going to hedge our bets and say probably not. Given that only 32% of us even have a will or estate plan, the finer details of all that ‘stuff’—cherished mementos, valuable collections, travel keepsakes, old photos and more—are often overlooked. But that’s the crux of the problem. Our ‘stuff’ becomes the proverbial elephant in the room, and someone, somewhere is going to have to deal with it one day.
Our co-founder Heather discovered this the hard way when her mother passed away unexpectedly seven years ago. Heather had all her ‘stuff,’ but what she didn’t have, or even know, was what on Earth would her mother have wanted to happen with all that ‘stuff.’ Donate? Sell? Keep in the family? Bequeath? Her mother was the only one with the answers, and sadly, her mother was no longer there.
For those of you who are new to Artifcts, and may not know our founding story, this is what led Heather to partner with Ellen to create the platform that you see today.
We all have stories, we all have ‘stuff,’ and chances are our ‘stuff’ is going to outlive us one day. We should learn from the best of the best - museums! Just look at your favorite museum—it likely has more ‘stuff’ than you can imagine, safely enclosed in glass display cases, with descriptions, dates, and the like to help tell the story and give it context.
Today’s ARTIcles story though is not about death, dying, or even museums. No, it’s about our ‘stuff,’ the items we love—the things that make us smile, the mementos we keep reminding ourselves of good times—and how to use Artifcts in your estate planning to ensure that all our ‘stuff’ doesn’t end up in an unwanted pile somewhere, or worse yet, in a landfill. Bad for our legacies, and bad for the environment.
Estate Planning of Things
Years back we published an ARTIcles story titled, The Estate Planning of Things. The premise was simple—use Artifcts to populate your tangible assets memorandum (that’s a fancy way of saying a list-of-stuff-who-gets-it-next-and-why).
Over the years we’ve gotten questions from estate planners, executors, and families on how to do just that. We get it! Estate planning and thinking about our own mortality is a stressful, no-fun way to spend a weekend. But avoiding a protracted probate process and lessening the grief and cost to your loved ones may be just the motivation you need.
Let’s dive into the nitty gritty details of how to use Artifcts to ensure you and your family, friends, or executor have a roadmap of what happens next to all your ‘stuff.’ Why you may ask? Because we’ve yet to meet an Artifcts member who has said, “It’s okay, all of my ‘stuff’ can go to a landfill when I’m gone.” Our ‘stuff’ and stories matter.
...we’ve yet to meet an Artifcts member who has said, “It’s okay, all of my ‘stuff’ can go to a landfill when I’m gone.”
Five Easy Steps to Estate Planning with Artifcts
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- Pick an item you want to Artifct. It sounds obvious, but sometimes that is the hardest part. You may choose something financially valuable or something that has a lot of “heat value.” There is no wrong way to start.
- Add a short or long story or description, and any important details you want to include with the Artifct. If you get stuck, click the lightbulb icon in the Artifct form for ideas. And try to alsways include why this items is important or valuable to you?
- Attach documentation. This is especially important for financially valuable items. If you’re working with an attorney or an estate planner, they may specifically ask you to attach receipts, valuations, appraisal reports, and the like to document the provenance and current market value for gifting and tax purposes.
- Fill out the “In the Future” field. This step is critical as it creates the roadmap for your family of what happens next for each item you Artifct.
- Click save! Congratulations, you can now privately share your Artifct with your attorney or export it to your estate planner. You can easily export your entire Artifct collection, a single Artifct, or any combination of Artifcts. Some members even opt to send their estate planners their Artifct QR code to incorporate into their tangible asset memorandum. You can get your Artifcts collection QR code by visiting your "My Artifcts" page. It's available at top right, just below your personal banner.
Details to Consider When You Artifct for Estate Planning
As the title of this ARTIcles story suggests, Artifcting is an art. And we’ve learned a lot about the ins and outs when it comes to Artifcts to support your future plans. Here are our top tips:
Want to avoid conflict among your heirs? If you suspect sentimental or valuable items you own will become a source of conflict, provide your reasoning for why a certain item will go to one person and not the other down the road. Doing so may help assuage the concerns and sadness of those left behind.
Do not send your loved ones on a scavenger hunt looking for items you no longer own. That means using that "location" field in your Artifct if you do still own it and indicating "Too late, enjoy the memory" in the 'In the Future' field if you have parted with it already. And if you have parted with it, be sure to update your tangible assets memorandum, too!
While you're at it, fill out your Legacy Contacts for your Artifcts account, because we think your Artifcts are valuable and in estate planning, you need to also account for your digital assets. At Artifcts, you can choose primary and secondary Legacy Contacts, ensuring the time and effort you put into creating your Artifcts are never for naught. Your Legacy Contact(s) will be able to access your Artifcts after you are gone (although they won’t be able to edit the details; your Artifcts, your voice!)
Simply go to Account Settings: General >> Manage My Profile >> Security and Longevity and click “Preserve My Artifcts.” Your future heirs will thank you.
Have additional tips when it comes to Artifcts and estate planning? We’d love to hear from you! You can reach us at editor@artifcts.com.
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Estate planning on your mind? You might also be interested in these ARTIcles:
Gift Your Loved Ones a Why
Your Future Family Heirlooms
Insurance & The Art of Artifcts
A Family History in Five Artifcts
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The first four days of our 12 Days of Artifcts challenge. Objects with stories, your stories!
