Most people think of getting organized as a cost. The real cost comes later — paid by your children or your family, in plane tickets, lost work, professional fees and money that is never found. Here is what that can look like.
A retired couple in the Roaring Fork Valley with a multi-million-dollar estate: their home, IRAs, a brokerage account, several bank accounts, life insurance, and a rental house in California.
They did the responsible thing and set up a trust years ago. But no one ever checked whether every account and property was actually retitled into it.
Their two grown children and other close family live out of state. When both parents have passed, the family steps in — with no master list, no passwords, papers spread across drawers and email, and no relationship with their parents’ attorney, CPA or advisor.
| What it costs the family | Conservative | Bad case |
|---|---|---|
| Extra trips to the houseFlights into Aspen or Eagle, lodging, rental car | Conservative$5,8004 trips × $1,450 | Bad case$10,8006 trips × $1,800 |
| Lost workChildren and other family members taking unpaid or vacation days | Conservative$3,5002 × 5 days × $350 | Bad case$8,0002 × 10 days × $400 |
| Time spent searchingMail, drawers, email, calls to banks and insurers — valued at $40/hour | Conservative$2,40060 hours | Bad case$6,000150 hours |
| Extra attorney hoursReconstructing what exists and where it is | Conservative$2,4006 hrs × $400 | Bad case$8,00020 hrs × $400 |
| Extra CPA feesFinal tax returns and missing cost-basis records | Conservative$1,500 | Bad case$3,000 |
| Late fees and lapsesMissed autopays, insurance on a vacant home, subscriptions that keep billing | Conservative$750 | Bad case$2,000 |
| A trust that was never fundedA house in another state was never retitled into the trust, so it goes through that state’s probate court | Conservative— | Bad case$24,500California example |
| Money never foundA life insurance policy no one knew existed | Conservative— | Bad case$25,000One modest policy |
| A retirement benefit never claimedAn old employer 401(k) or pension no one knew to track down | Conservative— | Bad case$15,000One small account |
| Total cost of disorganization* | Conservative≈ $16,000 | Bad case$100,000+ |
| BournePrepared — everything in orderOne flat fee, done with you in your home | Flat fee$2,500 | Flat fee$2,500 |
Even in the simple case, disorganization costs the family more than six times what it costs to get organized. In the bad case, more than forty times.
*“The biggest cost isn’t on this list. It’s your children or your family spending months of their grief on paperwork.”
This is an illustrative, hypothetical example, not a prediction for any particular family. Travel, wage, attorney and CPA figures are estimates based on typical rates and will vary.
BournePrepared is not a law firm, CPA firm, investment adviser or insurance agency, and nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Decisions about trusts, titling, taxes and insurance should be made with your licensed professionals.
Three working sessions in your home, up to three hours each. One flat fee. Your family will know exactly where to start.
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