About The Next Checklist
Who runs this
My name is Phillip Boudreaux, and I run The Next Checklist.
I built this site because I went through several of these situations myself — a death in the family, aging parents, and the paperwork that follows — without much guidance. When I looked for help, almost everything I found was trying to sell me something or collect my email address before it would tell me anything useful. What actually mattered was buried under funeral packages, lead forms, and "get your free quote."
So I started keeping my own checklists: what to do, in what order, and what could wait. This site is those checklists, cleaned up and sourced.
How I write them
I read the primary sources directly — the IRS page, Social Security's own death-reporting page, the FTC Funeral Rule, a state's probate or vital-records office — and I link them on each page so you can verify anything yourself rather than take my word for it. Every page shows when it was last reviewed. I explain how I research, review, and correct these pages on the editorial policy page.
What I'm not
I'm not an attorney, an accountant, or a medical professional. This is orientation, not advice, and the rules vary from state to state. For decisions that matter, confirm with a professional or the agency involved. Please read the full disclaimer.
My promise
My promise
No account, no email signup, no personal information — and nothing you do here is ever sold or shared. You can read and print all of it without giving up anything.
Corrections and contact
If something on a page is unclear, out of date, or wrong, I want to fix it. See the contact page for how to reach me, or email hello@thenextchecklist.com directly. Every message is read, and a page that is wrong gets fixed.