What to Include in a Family Emergency Workbook

• Build the main family handoff file first
• Keep contacts, locations, and next actions in one export
• Download XLSX, encrypted backup, and printable pages

• Manual workbook entries
• Safe partial references
• Document locations and support contacts

• Emergency workbook XLSX
• Encrypted restore file
• Printable handoff pages

• No account required
• No raw password, PIN, OTP, CVV, or seed phrase fields
• Encrypted backups are generated locally with a passphrase-derived key

Should this contain passwords?

No. Use it to point to safe recovery instructions, document locations, and trusted contacts instead of storing raw secrets.

Can family update it later?

Yes. Save a local draft or encrypted backup, restore it later in the app, make changes, and export a fresh file.

A useful emergency workbook starts with the first few decisions family members may need to make. That includes whom to call, where the printed file is stored, which doctor or insurance contact matters, and which payments should not bounce. The goal is to reduce confusion when the person who normally handles family administration is unavailable.

The first page should explain when to use the file, who prepared it, who reviewed it, and where the latest copy is stored. A second page should list the first seven steps a trusted person can follow without needing hidden context.

• Emergency trigger: when the family should use the file
• Primary and backup storage locations
• Trusted reviewer or helper
• First 7 steps for immediate action
• Next review date

For bank, investment, and insurance details, write the institution name, account type, holder, partial reference, nominee or contact, and where the official document can be found. The workbook should help family locate proof and call the right person. It should not become a raw password list.

Do not write banking passwords, card details, PINs, OTPs, CVV values, seed phrases, or private keys. If password manager recovery is needed, document where safe recovery instructions are stored and who is allowed to access them.

• Use last four digits instead of full account numbers
• Record document folder, locker, or backup location
• Record support contacts and policy references
• Keep secure recovery instructions separate

A practical workbook can include emergency contacts, a money map, insurance policies, loans and liabilities, assets, important documents, monthly payments, digital recovery notes, and a personal message. The exact list depends on the household, but each section should answer who can help, where to look, and what action is needed next.

Use the Claim Readiness section to identify missing nominee notes, claim contacts, document locations, joint-holder details, and review dates before the family needs to act.

• Emergency contacts and first steps
• Money map and document locator
• Insurance, loans, assets, monthly payments, and commitments
• Digital recovery path without passwords
• Claim readiness checklist

A workbook should not be treated as finished forever. It should be reviewed after major life changes, account changes, phone-number changes, address changes, insurance purchases, loan closures, nominee updates, and new recurring commitments. Even a short review can prevent a trusted person from following outdated instructions.

The app supports both one-time exports and editable encrypted backups. A printed handoff pack can explain what to do first, while the encrypted workbook backup can preserve a fuller editable copy for future updates. The passphrase should be stored separately from the encrypted file.

• Print simple first-step pages for emergency use
• Download XLSX when a spreadsheet copy is needed
• Download encrypted backup when the file may need updates
• Store passphrases away from encrypted files
• Do a restore test before relying on the backup

A useful workbook is not the biggest workbook. It is the one a trusted person can understand quickly. Use short labels, exact document locations, current phone numbers, and clear next actions. If a row needs explanation, write what the person should do, not only what the account is called.

The safest version is usually layered: a simple printed first-step page for urgent use, a fuller encrypted workbook for review, and official records kept in their proper storage locations.

• Prefer clear instructions over long notes
• Use institution names and partial references
• Keep official records separate from the workbook
• Review with one trusted person before relying on it