Where to Find Things When I'm Gone

By J Walter Hodgson

A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM

Every hour of every day, there are people around the world who struggle to find things.

This all comes into sharp focus when somebody dies.

When that happens, it’s often down to a family member or close friend to try to sort out the deceased person’s affairs.  The person involved in the search may need to find a birth certificate, marriage certificate, insurance policies, house deeds and so on.  The first hurdle to overcome is usually passwords. 

Sometimes they’ll look for papers that have been lost or mislaid.  Sometimes they’ll search for hours or days looking for something that doesn’t actually exist.

They’ll search for answers to questions such as:

Where did the deceased person store personal papers?

Did he/she have a Will?

Did they have life insurance?  (25% never get paid out because the policy  can’t be found!)

Did they have savings or investments?

Where might they have kept a record of passwords?

Where would they have kept bank account details?

How many pensions do they have?

What were their previous addresses?

Where are the house deeds?

Did they leave any final wishes, cherished possessions or funeral arrangements?

Not keeping accurate records is one of the main reasons why there’s a need for the Unclaimed Asset Register where there are billions of dollars, just waiting to be claimed.

CAN THE PROBLEM BE AVOIDED?

The answer is YES.  The solution is a simple one.  It’s a book with the self-explanatory title:

WHERE TO FIND THINGS WHEN I’M GONE. 

When completed by the owner, the book explains EXACTLY where to find things whenever they’re required.  Problems associated with lost papers need never occur again.

John Hodgson produced the book after a chance remark by his wife: “If anything were to happen to you I wouldn’t know where to begin.”  That problem has been resolved.

What began as a checklist for a partner, soon became a book, written by somebody who knows exactly what it’s like to lose a close family member and be faced with having to sort things out with precious little to go on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J Walter Hodgson
• Release date: May 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516375080

J Walter Hodgson

After a successful business career as CEO of organisations in manufacturing, retailing and management consultancy, John joined the IoD (Institute of Directors) as a business consultant. He went on to become a senior lecturer on finance for non-financial directors, business strategy and negotiation skills.  He describes his time there as one of the most memorable and fulfilling chapters in his life.   After retiring, he turned his hand to writing, beginning with a series of self-help books that drew on personal experience. Titles include:  Top Tips: Interviewing, Top Tips: Writing a CV/Resume, The Interview Bible, Test Your Financial Awareness and Where to Find Things When I'm Gone. His venture into writing short stories began in 2016 with the publication of his first Novella:  GUILTY UNTIL PROVED INNOCENT which was quickly followed in 2017 with the sequel: THE BRAINTEASER. John lives with his wife Anyta in Cambridge, England. They have three children and eight grandchildren. Hobbies include travelling, eating out, playing golf and fly-fishing.  He is a passionate supporter and fund-raiser for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Book preview

Where to find things

when I’m gone ™

This book is the property of:  ..................................................................................................................................

First edition V5 – February 2015

Published by Hodgson Consulting - Ref: 050215

© Copyright Hodgson Consulting 2014

The right of John Hodgson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or copyright holder at:

8 Farm Rise, Whittlesford, Cambridge, CB22 4LZ, United Kingdom

FOREWORD

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Most of us are reluctant to consider our mortality in any detail.  But, as John Hodgson points out in this eminently useful book, we owe it to those who survive us to protect them from the confusions and personal and financial difficulties that would be caused by their knowing little of our affairs and commitments.

So this book, with its detailed guide to the sort of information that we really should provide, will serve a very important purpose.  Indeed, it is so important that it is surprising that something like it has not been available before - just as it is characteristic of John’s thoughtfulness and enterprise to have filled a vital need by compiling such a logical and supremely important aide to a sensible provision for the inevitable.  

He is to be congratulated.  And, equally important, he here provides a model