AfterSteps – Get Your Affairs in Order

AfterSteps is a tool that people can use to help get their estates in order before they pass away. The online planning service guides its users through the steps that are necessary to create comprehensive estate plans, financial plans, funeral plans, and legacy plans. By locking these plans into place, people who use AfterSteps can achieve peace of mind and relieve stress on grieving family members after their eventual deaths.

In an effort to simplify and streamline the process of creating a comprehensive end-of-life plan, AfterSteps has put together a series of interactive checklists and informative articles that you can read once you’ve signed up for an account. Using AfterSteps’ checklists, you can start gathering copies of your wills, insurance policies, and healthcare proxies. When you get to a checklist item that you haven’t already completed, such as putting together an advanced directive, for example, AfterSteps will match you up with a vendor who can help you complete that task. The documentation you’ve scanned and stored online will remain safe and secure until after you pass away. At that point, AfterSteps will automatically transfer your plan to the beneficiaries you have designated.

Some of the unique features that AfterSteps offers are its personalized reminders and alerts. Using these, the web-app will automatically notify users when changes in local regulations require that they make updates to their estate plans and wills. The service will also help users make decisions on what should happen to their online social networking and email accounts when they die. For people who want peace of mind knowing that their loved ones will be secure after their deaths, AfterSteps is a great solution.

Practical Uses:

• Find out what you’ll need to do to create an end-of-life plan
• Get help creating a will or living trust
• Make sure your relatives have access to important records after you pass away
• Store important documents and financial records securely online

Insider Tips:

• Beneficiaries will receive login information after an AfterSteps user passes away
• Tracking feature shows people how far they still have to go in the planning process
• Insurance and financial documents should be uploaded to the AfterSteps site
• Users are notified when changes have been made to estate laws in their areas

What we liked:

• People can create comprehensive plans without visiting multiple attorneys and accountants
• Selected beneficiaries are sent login information after a person passes away
• AfterSteps lays out all the steps a person need to take to create an end-of-life plan
• People get alerts when parts of their estate plans need to be updated

What we didn’t like:

• People who use AfterSteps will still need to visit an attorney for expert guidance when creating a will or living trust

Alternatives:

• ItsMyLife – http://www.itsmylife.com
• LegacyLocker – http://legacylocker.com
• LegacyWriter – http://www.legacywriter.com

Company Info:

• Launched: July 2011
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
• Founded by: Jess Bloomgarden
• Web site: http://www.aftersteps.com

Costs:

• $4/month