Just a 3 minutes read.. Please read fully and understand.. Very Very Important
I Got this mail from some Friends post on Facebook but
very true, please read once…
Letter written by a wife after her husband's death in an accident
Worth noting. Life is so unpredictable!
"Few things I learn after my husband's death:-
We always believe we will live forever. Bad things always happen to others. Only
when things hit us bang on your head you realize... Life is so unpredictable....
My husband was an IT guy, all techie. And I am a chartered accountant. Awesome
combination you may think.
Techie guy so everything is on his laptop. His to do list. his e-bill and his
bank statements in his email. . He even maintained a folder which said IMPWDS.
wherein he stored all login id and passwords for all his online accounts. And
even his laptop had a password. Techie guy so all the passwords were
alpha-numeric with a special character not an easy one to crack. Office policy
said passwords needed to be changed every 30 days. So every time I accessed his
laptop I would realize it's a new password again. I would simply opt for asking
him 'What's the latest password' instead of taking the strain to memories it.
You may think me being a Chartered Accountant would means everything is
documented and filed properly. Alas many of my chartered accountant friends
would agree that the precision we follow with our office documents and papers do
not flow in to day to day home life. At office you have be epitome of
Reliability/ Competent/ Diligent etc but. At home front there is always a
tomorrow.
One fine morning my hubby expired in a bike accident on his way home from
office.. He was just 33.His laptop with all his data crashed. every thing on his
hard disk wiped off. No folder of IMPWDS to refer back to. His mobile with all
the numbers on it was smashed. But that was just the beginning. I realized I had
lot to learn.
9 years married to one of the best human beings. with no kids. just the two of
us to fall back on.. but now I stood all alone and lost.
Being chartered accountant helped in more ways than one but it was not enough. I
needed help. His saving bank accounts, his salary bank accounts had no nominee.
On his insurance his mom was the nominee and it was almost2 years back she had
expired. but this was just a start.. I didn't know the password to his email
account where all his e-bill came. I didn't know which expenses he paid by
standing instructions.
His office front too was not easy. His department had changed recently. I didn't
know his reporting boss name to start with. when had he last claimed his shift
allowance. his mobile reimbursement.
The house we bought with all the excitement. on a loan. thought with our joint
salary we could afford the EMI. when the home loans guys suggested insurance on
the loan. we decided the instead of paying the premium the difference in the EMI
on account of the insurance could be used pay towards prepayment of the loan and
get the tenure down. We never thought what we would do if we have to live on a
single salary. So now there was huge EMI to look into .
I realized I was in for a long haul.
Road accident case. so everywhere I needed a Death certificate, FIR report, Post
Mortem report. For everything there were forms running into pages, indemnity
bonds, notary, surety to stand up for you. No objections certificates from your
co-heirs..
I learnt other than your house, your land . your car, your bike are also your
property... So what if you are the joint owner of the flat. you don't become the
owner just because your hubby is no more. So what if your hubby expired in the
bike accident. and you are the nominee but if the bike is in a repairable
condition .you have to get the bike transferred in your name to claim the
insurance. And that was again not easy. the bike or car cannot be transferred in
your name without going through a set of legal documents. Getting a Succession
Certificate is another battle all together.
Then came the time you realize now you have to start changing all the bills,
assets in your name. Your gas connection, electricity meter, your own house,
your car, your investments and all sundries. And then change all the nominations
where your own investments are concerned. And again a start of a new set of
paperwork.
To say I was shaken. my whole life had just turned upside down was an
understatement. You realize you don't have time to mourn and grieve for the
person with whom you spend the best years of your life. Because you are busy
sorting all the paper work
I realized then how much I took life for granted. I thought being a chartered
accountant I am undergoing so many difficulties. what would have happened to
someone who was house maker who wouldn't understand this legal hotchpotch.
A sweet friend then told me dear this was not an end. you have no kids. your
assets will be for all who stand to claim. after my hubby's sudden death. I
realized it was time I took life more seriously. I now needed to make a Will. I
would have laughed if a few months back if he had askedme to make one. But now
life had taken a twist.
Lessons learnt this hard way were meant to be shared. After all why should the
people whom we love the most suffer after we are no more. Sorting some paperwork
before we go will at least ease some of their grief.
1. Check all your nominations...
It's a usual practice to put a name (i.e in the first place if you have
mentioned it) and royally forget about it. Most of us have named our parent as a
nominee for investments, bank accounts opened before marriage. We have not
changed the same even years after they are no longer there with us. Even your
salary account usually has no nomination.. Kindly check all your Nominations.
- Bank Accounts
- Fixed Deposits, NSC
- Bank Lockers
- Demat Accounts
- Insurance (Life, Bike or Car or Property)
- Investments
- PF & Pension Forms
2. Passwords..
We have passwords for practically everything. Email accounts, Bank accounts,
even for the laptop you use. What happens when your next in kin cannot access
any of these simply because they do not know your password... Put it down on a
paper.
3. Investments
Every year for tax purpose we do investments. Do we maintain a excel sheet about
it. If so is it on the same laptop of which the password you had not shared.
Where are those physical investments hard copy.
4. Will
Make a Will. I know you will smile even I would. had I not gone through all what
I did. It would have made my life lot easier. a lot less paper work. I wouldn't
had to provide an indemnity bond, get it notarized, ask surety to stand up, no
objections certificates from others...
5. Liabilities
When you take a loan say for your house or car. Check out on all the what ifs.
what if I am not there tomorrow. what if I lose my job. Will the EMI still be
within my range. If not get an insurance on the loan. The people left behind
will not have to worry on something as basic as their own house.
My battles have just begun...But let us at least try
and make few changes so that our loved ones would not suffer after we go. We do
not know what will happen in the future. But as the Scout motto goes: "Be
prepared"…
Please feel free to share your feedback / write to us on any clarifications or doubts to contact@onlinemutualfund.in