The death folder will contain documents that will be important in case someone in your family dies. The first document you will need for every adult in your family is their last will and testament. Make sure that you update this document at least every five years, or after a major change occurs in your life such as marriage, divorce, birth, or death. Keep a list of updated contact information for your beneficiaries, guardians, and executors of your will so that they can be contacted easily for the reading of your will.
You will also want to draft a living will, in the case that you are injured or become seriously ill. This will help to ensure that your wishes concerning your medical treatment and the prolonging of your life are carried out.
Finally keep your funeral arrangement information in this folder. This may include burial plot information, insurance programs intended to cover funeral and burial costs, and a description of what you would like done at your funeral. For example if you want to be cremated instead of buried you need to write this down, most likely in your will, to ensure that your wishes are honored. Organ donor information should also be filed in this folder. A form can be downloaded from the Internet that you can fill out and keep in this folder that will identify what organs you are willing to donate if they are still viable when you pass away.
Legal
The contents of the legal folder will vary depending on each situation. Basically you will want to file a copy of all legal proceedings, contracts, warranties, etc. that you have been involved in. For example you will want to include a copy of your marriage license, divorce decrease, appliance warranties, settlements, etc.
Banking/Financial
The final folder will contain all of your banking information including checking, savings, IRAs, 401(k), annuities, bonds, stocks, loans, etc. Keep disclosure statements, account identification information, monthly statements, and access information in this folder. Depending on how many assets you own the size of this folder may demand a larger more secure folder than other categories.