Family protection checklist

Start with who is part of the picture. You decide who belongs on this list.

• List the people your household wants to consider.

  A partner, children, a parent, or anyone else whose day-to-day depends on your household.

• Note how long each responsibility is expected to last.

  Some responsibilities have an end date. Others do not. Write what you know.

• Write down each source of income and what it currently pays for.

  Include regular income, side income, and any income you expect to change.

• Note unpaid work your household relies on.

  Caregiving, transportation, and household management have real replacement costs.

• Record your monthly housing cost.

  Rent, or mortgage payment plus taxes and insurance.

• Record the remaining balance on any mortgage.

  Your mortgage statement shows the current balance and payoff figure.

• List other debts in your household's name.

  Loans, credit cards, and any co-signed obligations.

• Note which obligations someone else would still be responsible for.

  Co-signed and jointly held obligations often work differently from individual ones.

• Record what care currently costs your household.

  Childcare, after-school care, or care for an adult family member.

• Note how care needs would change if a household member were gone.

  Record your own situation rather than a general assumption.

• Write down any education costs you intend to cover.

  Record what you plan to fund, not a national average.

• Note any education savings already set aside.

  A 529, a savings account, or another earmarked resource.

• Note any preferences your household has discussed.

  Write down what has been decided, and what has not.

• Note any resources already set aside for these costs.

  Record only what is genuinely available for this purpose.

Access, enrollment, benefit amount, beneficiary information, and plan terms are separate questions.

• Confirm whether employer-sponsored coverage is available to you.

  Availability alone does not mean you are enrolled.

• Confirm whether you are actually enrolled.

  Your benefits portal or most recent enrollment confirmation shows this.

• Record the benefit amount stated in your current plan documents.

  Write the figure exactly as your plan documents state it.

• Read the plan terms describing what happens if you leave the employer.

  Portability and conversion terms differ by plan.

• List any individually owned coverage you hold outside of work.

  Individually owned coverage is separate from employer coverage.

• Record the amount and term as stated on the policy.

  Use the policy documents rather than memory.

• Note any other resources your household chooses to count.

  You decide what belongs here. These resources are not substitutes for insurance.

• Mark every line above you could not verify as still unknown.

  An unknown stays unknown until you verify it — do not estimate it.

• Write down one question to ask about each unknown.

  A short, specific question is easier to get answered.

• Confirm each policy has a current beneficiary designation on file.

  Confirm it exists and is current. Do not record names on this sheet.

• Note any life events since the designation was last reviewed.

  Marriage, separation, birth, adoption, or a death in the family.

• Locate your current plan documents.

  Your benefits portal, your carrier, or your HR records.

• Write down how to reach your benefits administrator.

  Plan-specific answers come from your plan, not from this site.

• Verify the unknowns before drawing any conclusion.

  This checklist is a worksheet, not an assessment of your coverage.

• Run an educational estimate once your figures are verified.

  An estimate is a starting point for a conversation, not a quote.

• Pick a date to revisit this sheet.

  Household responsibilities and plan terms both change over time.