Our step-by-step checklist makes creating a comprehensive A Final Message plan simple and with very little time.
A Final Message guides you to the people who matter most, those you may want to leave a final, personal note. We suggest types of people (partner, children, parents, friends, mentors, and more), thoughtful prompts and templates tailored to each relationship. Writing becomes simple, sincere, and doable. Click here to explore ideas of all the people you may want a personal message sent to after you are gone.
Once your Inner Circle is set, we help you organize the rest of your world. You'll get a clear, plain-English catalog of people, organizations, digital profiles, accounts, and assets—with short definitions for each—so you can build a custom checklist of what's relevant to your life. Click here to see the most comprehensive list of important contacts that may be relevant to your life and to convey to your Inner Circle.
A guided path from "I don't know where to start" to a complete, share-ready plan (personal letters plus a practical index of your affairs), fully automated for delivery by A Final Message for peace of mind to you and your loved ones.
This is your expert-vetted library for end-of-life planning. It gathers national and local resources in plain English and keeps them current, so families can act fast without hunting across the web.
Start with your Inner Circle, list your Important Contacts, then build a simple plan that pairs personal letters with a practical index of accounts and documents. When you're ready, A Final Message turns that plan into secure, automated delivery so the right people get the right information at the right time.
Inner Circle → Important Contacts → Share-ready plan
Advocacy groups, palliative care, and legal basics
Simple intros for each resource and why it helps
No dead links or surprise paywalls
Trusted research-based guides for estate planning and end-of-life preparation
Explore a living library of the best guides, checklists, and programs, from national advocacy organizations to caregiver toolkits and financial help. Whether you’re newly married, welcoming a first child, a veteran navigating benefits, or easing into empty-nest life, we hand-pick reputable, up-to-date resources to meet you where you are.
Our curation stands out because it’s expert-vetted, written in plain English, and grounded in first-hand relationships. We prioritize materials created or reviewed by clinicians, attorneys, and leading nonprofits, and we add a quick “what it is and why it helps” to every link so you can act fast. Many listings come from partners we’ve spoken with directly, alongside articles we co-author with subject-matter experts. The page is reviewed regularly to keep it current—no dead links and no surprise paywalls.
You’ll find practical help across every stage: advance-care planning with starter kits, conversation guides, and state forms; caregiving and palliative-care tools with family checklists, support hotlines, and local directories; veterans’ benefits and survivor support; legal and financial basics such as wills, powers of attorney, insurance, and assistance programs; digital-legacy planning to prepare accounts, memorialization, and security; and grief and family support, including bereavement groups, counseling, and community programs.
Start with the section that fits your life today, save your favorites, and share them with your Inner Circle. When you’re ready, A Final Message turns these resources into a personalized plan, letters for loved ones paired with a clear, organized index of your affairs. If you know a resource we should add or an expert who wants to collaborate, tell us. We’re always expanding this library to make planning easier for families.
Legacy communication planning isn't about age; it's about love and responsibility. Whether you're newly married, raising kids, running a business or enjoying retirement, if you have people who depend on you and information only you possess, early communication planning combined with regular updates ensure full peace of mind.
A dead man's switch is a safety mechanism that triggers when you can't respond, evolving from 1878 railroad brakes to modern digital legacy planning tools that protect $70 billion in unclaimed assets through automated end-of-life information transfer via regular check-ins and final message delivery to loved ones.
Learn why bringing in professional help and using digital tools can transform the overwhelming task of getting organized into a finished plan that protects your family.
Comprehensive guide with letter to my spouse when I'm gone ideas, who to notify if I die checklist, and emergency binder templates. Write meaningful legacy letters today.
Free ethical will template with real examples, step-by-step writing guide, and fillable outline. Pass down your values, stories, and wisdom to loved ones in under an hour.
Complete 90-minute guide to securing your digital legacy. Includes checklist for passwords, social media, crypto, photos, and 100+ digital assets with free templates.
Estate planning is the process of preparing for the transfer of your assets and personal affairs after death. It involves creating legal documents that ensure your wishes are followed, your loved ones are protected, and potential conflicts are minimized. Proper estate planning can save your family time, money, and emotional stress during an already difficult period.
Read MoreAn Advanced Health Care Directive is a legal document that details your medical treatment preferences when you cannot make healthcare decisions yourself. This directive ensures you retain autonomy and control over medical care, helps physicians provide appropriate treatment, and relieves family members from making difficult decisions during stressful times.
Read MoreUnderstanding the differences between wills and trusts is crucial for effective estate planning. Wills specify asset distribution after death and go through probate, while trusts provide more control and flexibility, often bypassing probate entirely. Each serves different needs based on your assets, family situation, and estate planning goals.
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Below you'll find a hand-curated library of end-of-life planning tools from trusted, nationally recognized organizations as well as a curated list of locally vetted programs, providers, and support services chosen for their reputation, reliability, and real-world impact. Every resource is thoroughly researched, plainly described and kept up to date.
AARP offers practical, plain-English guides for advance care planning, caregiving, and navigating benefits, plus state-by-state resources you can act on today. It’s a trusted, regularly updated hub that helps families prepare, make decisions, and find support.
INELDA (International End-of-Life Doula Association) trains and certifies end-of-life doulas and maintains a directory to help families find supportive, nonmedical caregivers. It also offers education and resources that guide compassionate planning, vigil support, and family communication.
GetPalliativeCare.org is a patient-friendly guide from CAPC that explains palliative care, who it’s for, and how to access it. It includes a searchable nationwide directory of programs so families can find local support quickly.
Common questions about using this resource library
Follow the three part path on this page. First list your Inner Circle and draft short notes. Second capture Important Contacts across people, organizations, and accounts. Third pull it into a simple plan that A Final Message can deliver securely when needed.
Every item here is selected for clarity and usefulness, described in plain English, and kept current. The goal is speed to action, not exhaustive bookmarking.
Advocacy organizations, palliative care directories, caregiver tools, legal and financial basics like wills and powers of attorney, digital-legacy planning, and grief and survivor support. National options sit alongside locally vetted programs.
The resources help you learn and decide. Your plan turns decisions into action: short letters to loved ones plus a practical index of accounts and documents that can be delivered to your Inner Circle when you are inactive.
It is reviewed regularly to keep links live and guidance current. If you see a resource to add, send it and it will be evaluated and included if it meets the quality bar.
Write one note to a key person in your Inner Circle and list five Important Contacts. Save this page and return later to expand. Small steps compound quickly.
Quick reference guide to important end-of-life planning concepts
Short, personal notes to your Inner Circle that share context, guidance, and love. They complement legal documents and help people take the next step.
A living list of people and organizations your family will need, from advisors and insurers to key accounts and service providers.
Your online accounts, photos, files, and profiles. Planning covers access, memorialization, and clear instructions.
The practical information your executor and beneficiaries need to act quickly and accurately, written in plain English.
A Final Message can deliver selected letters and your inventory to chosen recipients after reasonable check-ins and a grace period you control.
Expert-vetted, regularly updated links to national and local programs with simple intros so you can act without research fatigue.
Specialized medical support that focuses on comfort, quality of life, and decision support at any stage of a serious illness.
A trained nonmedical guide who supports communication, planning, and vigil care for patients and families.