Start here
Five calm first steps for whoever opens the folder, and who to call.
The RetirementIQ Red Folder™
When it matters most, your family will know exactly where to look.
One folder that tells the people you love where everything is and who to call, so they can act calmly in the hardest week of their lives.
Ask your parents where theirs isWhy it matters
The call no family is ready for.
When someone becomes ill or passes away, the people left behind are suddenly asked to find a will, reach a lawyer, notify banks and pensions, pay the bills and make decisions, often without knowing what exists or where it is.
Grief makes all of it harder. The Red Folder does not remove the loss. It removes the searching.
“Do your children know where your will is, who your executor is and which accounts you have? If not, that is the folder.”
Without a Red Folder
- Searching drawers and email for a will that may not be there
- Calling banks one by one to find out which accounts exist
- Guessing who the executor is, or which lawyer drafted the documents
- Locked out of phones, email and online banking
- Bills, insurance and pension benefits missed for months
- Family members disagreeing about what you would have wanted
With a Red Folder
- The will’s exact location, and the original kept safely with your lawyer
- A one-page map of your accounts, insurance and property
- Your executor, attorneys and professionals, with phone numbers
- Where secure access instructions are kept, never the passwords themselves
- Recurring bills and benefits listed, so nothing is missed
- Your wishes, in your own words
What’s inside
Six pages. Everything your family needs to find.
A practical checklist you fill in by hand and keep with copies of your key documents. It takes an afternoon, and it may be the most thoughtful thing you ever leave behind.
People to contact
Executor, powers of attorney, lawyer, accountant, advisor, doctor and trusted family.
Legal and personal documents
Where your will, powers of attorney, agreements and ID are kept.
Financial accounts and property
A map of what you own and owe, and where each statement is.
Digital, household, health and wishes
Device access, bills, medications, care wishes and funeral preferences.
A final page, Keep It Current, lists the life events that should prompt a review.
Built with care
Four rules that keep your Red Folder safe and useful.
Copies, not originalsKeep original wills and powers of attorney where your lawyer recommends. The folder records exactly where they are.
No passwords or SINNever write passwords, PINs, full account numbers or your SIN in it. Note where secure access instructions are kept.
Safe but findableA fireproof box at home works well. Tell at least one trusted person where it is.
Review every yearAnd after any marriage, separation, birth, death, move or new account. An out-of-date folder can mislead.
How to get yours
Start today. It costs nothing.
Free for everyone
Download the checklist
We will email you the printable Red Folder checklist. Print it, fill it in and keep it with copies of your documents.
Email me the checklistRetirementIQ clients
Your leather Red Folder
Clients receive the RetirementIQ Red Folder at a review meeting, and we go through it together as part of the Family Continuity Review.
See the RiQ MethodWant help?
Walk through it with Krystian
Not sure what belongs in it, or whether your will, beneficiaries and powers of attorney line up? Book a complimentary Retirement Clarity Call.
Book a callFree download
Get the Red Folder checklist.
Enter your name and email and we will send you the six-page printable checklist from Krystian Urbanski at RetirementIQ.
- Start-here steps for whoever opens it
- Contacts, documents, accounts and wishes in one place
- Safe by design: no passwords or account numbers
Pass it on
Know someone who should have one?
Your parents, a newly widowed friend, a sibling who just became an executor. Send them the link.
Questions people ask
Red Folder questions
What is the RetirementIQ Red Folder?
A single, clearly labelled folder that tells your family where everything is and who to call if you become ill, incapacitated or pass away. It holds a checklist and copies of key information: your executor and powers of attorney, where your will is kept, a map of your accounts and insurance, digital access instructions and your personal wishes.
What documents should my executor or family be able to find?
At a minimum: your will and any codicils, powers of attorney for property and personal care, a list of bank, investment, registered and pension accounts, insurance policies, property and debt records, recent tax returns, and contact details for your lawyer, accountant and financial advisor. The Red Folder checklist walks through each one.
Should I keep my original will in the Red Folder?
Usually not. Keep originals where your lawyer or notary recommends, such as their vault or a safe at home, and use the Red Folder to record exactly where they are. The folder holds copies and directions, not the originals.
Does the Red Folder give anyone legal authority?
No. It helps your family find the right documents and people quickly. Authority to act comes from your will and powers of attorney, so the first step for anyone opening the folder is to confirm who is authorized, then get legal and tax guidance before making major decisions.
Should I write passwords or account numbers in it?
No. Never write your Social Insurance Number, full account numbers, passwords or PINs in the folder. Record where secure access instructions are kept instead, for example a password manager’s emergency-access feature.
Where should I keep it, and who should know?
Somewhere safe but findable, such as a fireproof box at home. Tell at least one trusted person where it is. A folder no one can find does not help.
How often should I update it?
Review it once a year and whenever life changes: a marriage, separation, divorce, birth or death, a move to another province, a new account or property, or a change of executor or attorney.
The Red Folder helps your family find documents and people. It is not a legal document and does not give anyone authority to act. Rules differ by province; get legal and tax advice for your situation.