The Finder's Book · Family emergency binder
A family emergency binder that gives loved ones one clear place to start.
The Finder's Book organizes who to call, what matters, and where important records live across 49 fillable and printable pages. It uses pointers instead of passwords, so your family gets a map without turning the binder into a credential vault.
Instant digital download · Fillable and print PDFs · Five implementation tools
Page 2 · Example entries
Continuity Snapshot
A first-page handoff with four answers a trusted person can act on.
No passwords. No PINs. No account numbers. Only the pointers a trusted person actually needs.
- 49 sequential pagesMatched internal page references
- Two formats includedFillable PDF plus print PDF
- Credentials stay separatePointers, never passwords or PINs
- Five practical toolsIncluded with the Ultimate edition
When something changes
The emergency is hard enough. Finding the basics should not make it harder.
A fall. A hospital call at 6 a.m. A diagnosis that changes the next year. A parent who moves and cannot remember which bank holds the mortgage.
In that hour, someone who loves you starts opening drawers. They call siblings who do not know either. They try to identify the insurer, the attorney, the neighbor with the spare key, and the person who can care for the dog.
Preparation cannot remove the hard part. It can remove avoidable searching, guessing, and delay.
Scattered folders, a mental list only one person holds, and the assumption that someone else knows.
Not a will. Not a trust. Not a power of attorney. It records where those documents live and who is named in them.
You, for your family, or you and a parent together at a kitchen table over a few short sessions.
The security question, answered first
A family map, not a password vault.
Some emergency organizers collect credentials and full account details in one place. The Finder's Book is deliberately narrower: it records who, what, and where while sensitive credentials stay in a separate secure system. That reduces exposure, but it does not eliminate risk.
What the book records
- Who to call first, and who backs them up
- Where the signed originals are physically kept
- Which institutions hold what, by name
- Last four digits, for identification only
- Who is named as executor, agent, or guardian
- Care instructions for children, dependents, and animals
- A pointer to the secure system that holds the secrets
What the book never records
- Passwords for any account
- PINs for any card or device
- Two-factor recovery codes
- Full account numbers
- Full Social Security numbers
- Combinations to safes or storage units
- Locations of cash kept in the home
Treat the completed book as private personal information. Store it according to what you choose to include, limit access to people you trust, and keep passwords, PINs, recovery codes, and complete account identifiers in a separate secure system. Bonus 2 explains how the two systems work together.
Real pages from the actual book
One organized map for the people you trust.
Forty-nine sequential pages with matched internal page references. Select any page to see it full size.
First 48 hours, critical information, trusted people and access levels
Household, contacts, legal documents, medical directives and care needs
Insurance, banking, bills, cards, retirement, investments and debts
Property, digital life, work and business, memorial wishes, annual review
A focused first pass
Start with four decisions. Return to the rest over time.
Set a 15-minute timer and complete what you can. Even a partial first pass can give a trusted person a clearer starting point. Keep adding detail after life events or during an annual review.
Complete the snapshot
Page 2. First person to call, backup, dependent and animal care, life-critical medication.
Name two trusted people
Page 11. The two names that turn a pile of paper into a working plan.
Record document locations
Page 9. Not the documents themselves, just where the signed originals are physically kept.
Point to your secure system
Page 5 plus Bonus 2. Where the secrets live, and who can reach them.
Included with the Ultimate edition
Five implementation tools that get the book started, found, and used.
A binder nobody can find is half a binder. These close the gap between filling it in and it actually working.
1 · Emergency Fridge Card
A single printable card for the first-hour essentials, designed for an agreed, easy-to-find location without account credentials.
2 · 15-Minute Secure Vault Setup
Walks you through the secure companion system the book points to, beginning with the accounts that unlock other accounts.
3 · Continuity Check-In Plan
Creates a reliable way for someone to know when to look for the book. Particularly important if you live alone.
4 · Trusted Person Handoff Scripts
Copy-ready wording for the calls nobody rehearses: arranging pet care, notifying an employer, or reaching a caretaker.
5 · Digital Legacy Link + QR Guide
Direct links and QR codes for legacy-contact and inactive-account settings, with a reminder to verify current provider instructions when you use them.
Plus · Start Here + License
A one-page orientation, plain-language printing and license terms, and checksums so you can verify every file you downloaded.
Who it is built for
Built for the person everyone calls when something changes.
Adult children & family caregivers
You may be the one phoning siblings, finding the insurer, and working out who has power of attorney. Fill this in with your parent before you need it, starting with one person to call and where the signed documents live.
Solo agers & people living alone
Independence is the point, not the problem. Choose who helps, define exactly what each person may know and when, and keep your credentials outside the book entirely. The check-in plan handles the part nobody else will notice.
Households, couples & gift-givers
When one person holds most of the household knowledge, this makes the essentials easier to share after a marriage, home purchase, birth, diagnosis, or move.
Two editions, identical content
Type it or write it. Both are included.
Fillable edition
Standard AcroForm fields. Type directly into the PDF, save, and reopen. Best on a laptop or desktop in Adobe Acrobat Reader or another AcroForm-compatible reader.
Before you start: save a working copy, type a test entry, close it, and reopen to confirm your reader preserves entries, particularly on mobile.
Print edition
The same 49 pages, laid out for handwriting. Print at home or at a copy shop, then keep the completed pages in a binder or another agreed location.
You can use both: type the account and contact pages, then handwrite the personal letters.
Created with clear boundaries
An organizer should help your family find the right next step, not pretend to replace a professional.
The Finder's Book was created by Joanne Godfrey and Michael David as a structured personal-record system. Its job is intentionally narrow: organize your directions, document locations, and trusted contacts in plain language.
Joanne Godfrey and Michael David
A personal information organizer and handoff map.
Professional advice, legal authority, or a place to store credentials.
Legal, medical, financial, and account-access decisions remain with qualified professionals and the documents or provider settings that govern them. Questions before buying? Email support.
Choose your edition
Start with the complete handoff system.
One-time purchase. Delivered as files you can save and keep. No subscription.
Essentials
$29
The core organizer, without the implementation tools.
- 49-page fillable edition
- 49-page print edition
- Start Here orientation
- Files you can save and keep
Ultimate
$49
Everything in Essentials, plus the five tools that make the book findable and usable.
- 49-page fillable + print editions
- Bonus 1: Emergency Fridge Card
- Bonus 2: 15-Minute Secure Vault Setup
- Bonus 3: Continuity Check-In Plan
- Bonus 4: Trusted Person Handoff Scripts
- Bonus 5: Digital Legacy Link + QR Guide
- License terms + file checksums
Family Bundle
$89
For coordinating more than one household, such as a parent's and your own.
- Everything in Ultimate
- Family Coordination Guide
- Licensed for multiple households
- Print copies for each household
- Ideal for adult children and siblings
Consumer license. Personal and household use, with printing for your own household. Professional, institutional, co-branded, and white-label use require a separate written license. Review the real page previews above and the digital product refund policy before purchase.
Before you buy
Know exactly what this does, and what it does not.
Is this a will, or does it replace one?
No. The Finder's Book is a personal record, not a legal instrument. It is not a will, trust, contract, power of attorney, or advance directive, and it gives nobody authority over your accounts or medical decisions. What it does is record where those signed originals are kept and who is named in them, so the documents you already have can be found and used. If a question arises about legal effect, consult an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.
Isn't putting all of this in one place dangerous?
Any completed organizer should be treated as private personal information. The Finder's Book reduces exposure by excluding passwords, PINs, recovery codes, safe combinations, and full account or Social Security numbers. It uses last four digits for identification and points to a separate secure system for credentials. Store it according to what you choose to include and limit access to people you trust.
Do I have to complete all 49 pages for it to help?
No. Begin with the Continuity Snapshot, two trusted people, your document locations, and a pointer to your secure system. Set a 15-minute timer for the first pass, then return after a marriage, birth, diagnosis, move, or change in work. The real value is having a clearer starting point, not filling every blank at once.
Will the fillable PDF work on my computer?
It uses standard AcroForm fields and works in Adobe Acrobat Reader and other AcroForm-compatible readers on Windows and macOS. Desktop or laptop is strongly recommended. Some mobile PDF apps do not preserve saved entries, so save a working copy and test one entry before filling anything in. If you would rather not use a computer at all, the print edition contains the same 49 pages.
How is this different from a free checklist or a cheap printable?
Three things. First, the security architecture uses pointers rather than credentials, with a per-person access matrix of Now, Later, and Never. Second, the first-hour guidance includes a letter written to whoever opens the book. Third, the fillable and print editions match, the sequential page references align, and the Ultimate edition includes five implementation tools. It is designed around handoff quality, not the biggest page count.
My parent does not want to talk about this. What do I do?
Start smaller than the whole conversation. Ask who they would want called first, then where the signed documents are kept. You can frame the task as reducing guesswork for the people they trust. The book opens with a practical snapshot rather than a will for exactly that reason.
Is this only an end-of-life planner?
No. It can support end-of-life organization, but it is also designed for hospitalization, incapacity, caregiving transitions, household handoffs, and living alone. It helps people find contacts and records. It does not replace the legal, medical, or financial documents that govern decisions.
What exactly do I receive, and when?
Immediately after purchase you receive a download containing the 49-page fillable PDF, the 49-page print PDF, a Start Here orientation page, plain-language license and printing terms, file checksums, and, with the Ultimate and Family editions, all five bonus PDFs. Everything is delivered as files you can save and keep. There is no app or subscription.
Can I use this with my clients?
Not under the consumer license. Attorney, advisor, coach, employer, nonprofit, institutional, commercial, co-branding, sublicensing, and white-label uses, including use as a client handout or lead magnet, require a separate written license. Contact us for terms.
Free · No purchase
Not sure you need this yet? Find out in four minutes.
The Family Readiness Gap Check is a one-page diagnostic. Twelve questions about what your family could actually locate tomorrow morning if you were unreachable. You score it yourself. Most people miss more than they expect.
- Twelve questions across people, documents, access, and money
- A plain scoring band, so you know whether this is urgent or simply overdue
- Written to stand alone — it is a diagnostic, not a sample chapter
- Confirm once by email. Unsubscribe in one click.
Send me the Gap Check
Check your inbox for a confirmation link. The printable PDF arrives right after.
We send the checklist, occasional notes about the book, and nothing else. No sharing, no reselling. See the privacy policy.
One last thing
Give the right person a clear first step.
Surprise on the worst day is harder than honesty in advance. Every field you fill, even imperfectly, is one less question your family has to answer alone.
Get the Ultimate System: $49Instant download · Fillable + print · 5 bonuses · One-time payment