Family Matters – it is all that matters.

Family Matters. Pun intended! Family does matter. The ongoing pandemic has proved it to most of us in several ways.

We at SAvings – the financial advisory division of SudeepAudio.com, have designed a booklet that will help you store your personal and invaluable information in a very simple and organised manner. It is called FAMILY MATTERS.

This “record keeper” is for EVERY individual with some kind of asset (property/investments/material goods/online user IDs, etc.) in his or her name – anywhere in the world! And it is up to you what data you want to fill in. The more details you provide, the better it will be for your family.

It is not meant to scare you, or remind you, about a certain event each of us will face… “death”. Well, it is

But more than anything else, it is THAT small red book or black diary. This record-keeping tool will organise all your critical personal information even when you are alive and well. The document will empower everyone, and more so their family, with critical information that they will eventually need. And the right time to download and complete the Family Matters booklet is NOW.

Family Matters is available as a well-designed pdf by our colleague Jigna Shah Oza (Mumbai), and also as an easy-to-use Microsoft Excel sheet, designed by musician and IT expert Deepak Ananth (Pune). And they are available as 3 options at a nominal cost!

Note: FM Medical and FM Essentials are available only in pdf. FM COMPLETE is available in pdf and Excel versions. If you buy FM Complete, FM Essential does not need to be purchased. FM Medical is an independent organiser.

Who should use the Family Matters pdf booklet(s)?

If you are comfortable filling up and keeping a hand-written hard copy of your personal and asset information, this is highly recommended. Ensure the writing is legible and complete.

In the pdf versions, you will find the contents as described on the website. A front and back print will save paper. You can choose “Fit to Page” in your printer settings and print on A4-size paper too. However, Legal size gives more breathing space to the data entry.

Another useful thing to do is to insert photocopies of critical documents like a mediclaim policy, MF statements, and IDs like Aadhar, PAN, GST, etc. filed in their appropriate sections within Family Matters. This will make the whole document the go-to file for any info you need, at any time.

Also, make sure you keep your printed booklet in a safe place known to you and a family aide.

Who should use the FM Excel version (available in FM COMPLETE edition only)?

FM COMPLETE is available in PDF and Excel versions. During the making of this booklet, we found that many wanted to store their data electronically. Making the product into an app or an online service was ruled out as many of us would not be comfortable sharing such sensitive information on any cloud or online server. Hence, we decided to make it into a Microsoft Excel sheet that you can store locally on your computer. Of course, if you still fear that your machine can be hacked by someone, please use the PDF print-out option.

Those who are comfortable using an Excel sheet (with multiple colour-coded sections), should use it. Additionally, you can make a special folder on your computer and keep scanned copies of all your critical documents along with the FM Excel sheet.

However, please make sure to store the Excel sheet in a location that a close confidant in your family knows about. Plus, if you password-protect it, share it only with those you trust. Otherwise, your effort would be wasted.

As a safety measure, keep a backup of the completed sheet on another hard drive. In a nutshell, don’t lose it

So without any worry or concern that we will live for another <XYZ> years:
1. Simply buy and download a copy of the Family Matters booklet(s).
2. Print the downloaded pdf on Legal / A4 paper.
3. Fill it up carefully (this would take you some days, if not weeks. But do not postpone it further.)
4. Store your document carefully (tip: keep a backup after filling it out).
5. Do share this effort with other friends and relatives to help them spread the cause, designed for one and all, at a nominal purchase price.

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