To use the Canadian digital end of life planner, save a copy to your device before you type, fill it in one section at a time, keep a backup on a second device, and tell your executor where the file is.
It is a fillable PDF built around Canadian accounts and terms, so you can record CPP, RRSP, and TFSA details, your passcodes and online accounts, and your wishes in one editable file. Review it twice a year so it stays accurate.
Key takeaways
- Save a copy with a clear file name before you type. Some PDF viewers won't keep your entries otherwise.
- Work one section at a time. Start with the easiest pages.
- Record accounts by institution and account type, not just by balance.
- Keep a backup on a second device, and test that it opens.
- The planner organizes information. A will and powers of attorney under your province's rules do the legal work.
What is the Canadian digital end of life planner?
It is a fillable document you complete on a computer, tablet, or phone. Instead of a generic template, it is organized around Canadian accounts, institutions, and terms, such as CPP, RRSPs, TFSAs, and provincial health cards, so each entry matches how Canadian finances and health care work.
An end of life planner holds what loved ones need to find, decide, and act on when you can't speak for yourself. The digital format makes updates easy, which matters because passwords, accounts, and beneficiaries change. A paper folder often becomes outdated or gets misplaced.
| Category | What to record |
|---|---|
| Government benefits | CPP and OAS details |
| Registered accounts | RRSP and TFSA, with the institution for each |
| Everyday banking | Chequing and savings accounts, credit cards, and branch details |
| Health coverage | Provincial health card details and where the card is kept |
| Insurance | Life, home, and other policies, plus agent contacts |
| Digital access | Phone passcode, authenticator apps, and recovery emails |
| Subscriptions | Streaming, software, and memberships that auto-renew |
Not every row applies to everyone. Fill in what you have and leave the rest. You can always add a row later, and an incomplete planner is still more useful to your family than a blank one.
A digital planner suits people who are comfortable on a computer, expect their accounts to keep changing, or have relatives in different cities who may need to read it. If you would rather write by hand, the printed edition covers the same ground on paper.
How do you use a digital planner in Canada?
Start by saving the fillable PDF to a computer or tablet. That keeps your work from being lost and lets you update the file over time. Then follow these steps.
- Save a copy. Give it a clear name, such as "Planner-LastName-Date", before you type anything.
- Work one section at a time. Use whatever order feels natural. You don't need to finish in one sitting.
- Begin with digital access. Record your phone passcode, Face ID backup, authenticator apps, and recovery emails.
- Add Canadian accounts by institution. List each account with its institution name and account type.
- Add insurance and subscriptions. Include anything that auto-renews and could lapse unnoticed.
- Tell your executor where the file is. Share how to open it.
Digital access comes first because a locked phone or a two-factor prompt can block everything behind it. If the file is interrupted halfway, the most useful pages will already be done.
What account information should you include?
Record every account an executor will need to find and open. The most useful entries are:
- Phone passcode and Face ID backup, so photos and messages stay reachable.
- Verification codes and authenticator apps that control access to banking, email, and social media.
- Recovery emails tied to each account, so password resets still work.
- Canadian bank accounts, credit cards, and investments, with branch details and account identifiers.
- Crypto wallet details and exchange logins, stored separately from banking information.
- Insurance policies and subscriptions that renew automatically.
Canadian households often hold accounts across several institutions at once: a chequing account at one bank, a TFSA at another, and an RRSP through an employer or advisor.
Listing each one with its institution and account type, not just a balance, lets an executor work through them in order instead of guessing where to start. Our guide to managing your digital estate goes deeper on the digital side.
How does your executor reach the completed planner?
Share the file's location and how to open it with your executor or a trusted family member. Keep a second copy somewhere separate, such as with your lawyer or in a safety deposit box. Update the planner after any major change, such as a new mortgage or the birth of a child. For more on giving someone access safely, read how to grant digital account access securely.
Does a planner replace a will in Canada?
No. A planner organizes information and points to your legal documents. It does not make anything legally binding. If you die without a valid will, provincial law decides how your estate is distributed.
Wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives follow rules that differ by province, so check yours or speak with a lawyer in your province. Use the planner to record where those documents are kept, who your executor and agents are, and how to reach them. In some provinces the executor role has a different formal name, so use the term on your own will.
How do you keep a digital planner secure?
A planner that holds passcodes and account details is a sensitive file, so treat it like one. Keep it in a private folder, not on a shared family computer, and avoid sending it by regular email.
If you protect the file with a password, store that password separately from the file and make sure your executor knows how to get it. Protection that nobody can open defeats the purpose. Whatever you choose, write down in the planner where the file lives and how to reach it.
What mistakes should you avoid with a digital planner?
- Leaving the file on one device. A planner stored on a single device fails the moment that device does.
- Never updating it. A fillable PDF that sits on a hard drive quietly becomes obsolete.
- Skipping sections because they feel overwhelming. Do one page per sitting. A small step each time adds up.
- Assuming your family can guess. Passwords, account locations, and wishes need to be written down.
- Never testing the backup. A corrupted file can erase years of work, so store a backup on a second device or a secure cloud service and check quarterly that it opens.
Locked phones and two-factor prompts are a common reason families can't reach accounts. Read about preventing digital lockout if you want to see how to avoid it.
How often should you review the planner?
Review it twice a year, for example on your birthday and again six months later. Those checkpoints catch new accounts, changed passwords, and updated beneficiaries before they slip away. Also update it whenever you change a password, open an account, or change a beneficiary. A planner that gets reviewed stays accurate, while one that gets ignored drifts out of date.
When you update, save the new version before you delete the old one, and confirm the new file opens. A dated file name such as "Planner-LastName-2026" makes it clear which copy is current.
Which Canadian edition fits your household?
The LAMORIAL End of Life Planner & Journal comes in two Canadian formats, because not everyone wants to type their way through a planner and not everyone wants to handwrite one.
The fillable Canadian digital edition suits someone who expects passwords, accounts, and beneficiaries to change and wants to edit entries instead of crossing them out. The printed Canadian edition suits someone who would rather fill it in once by hand and keep a single physical record an executor can pick up and read.
People who stall partway through a planner usually stall on a term they don't understand. The Canadian planner walkthrough guide explains every section step by step and includes glossaries for the legal and financial terms.
Many households keep both a digital file and a printed copy. The printed copy, along with the will and other originals, belongs somewhere it can survive a fire or flood. A fire- and water-resistant document organizer keeps those papers together in one place your executor knows to look.
See the fillable Canadian edition
Where to start this week
Save a copy of the planner, fill in the digital access pages first, and list your accounts by institution. Each section you finish is one less thing your family has to work out later. If you want one place to start, use the LAMORIAL Canadian fillable digital edition.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Wills, powers of attorney, and estate rules differ by province, so speak with a lawyer in your province about the documents you need.