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Are you an American citizen living in and intending to stay in Germany, and is your better half a non-U.S. citizen? Let’s assume you are handling the business with the social security agency and the organization paying your retirement pay. If so, the following may be valuable information for your spouse.
Of course, we hope you are doing well, and you will continue to do well for a long time to come, nevertheless, we see the need to address a more unpleasant issue that comes up from time to time at the German-American Community Office in Kaiserslautern. The GACO team has repeatedly helped or attempted to help German spouses of American citizens when it came to social security or retirement payments following a death.
If your spouse does not speak English or only to a minimal amount and has never been introduced to the paperwork and online matters you are handling regarding social security matters, retirement pay, health insurance or another American insurance, this may become a real burden for your spouse/partner in the case he or she is left behind. But also, in the case your partner speaks English, here comes a suggestion your partner will greatly benefit from: The emergency folder.
This folder should contain:
Your personal data although it may seem obvious for family members: Your complete name, address and all telephone numbers, tax ID, SSN and other ID numbers, a current copy of your ID card, a copy of your birth certificate, a copy of your marriage certificate, if applicable.
Important contacts: Indi-vi-duals who have played a role in your life. First and foremost, a list of emergency contacts to be informed about your condition in case of an emergency: for example, your parents, children, or partner. Then, you should list other important people who have played a more or less important role in your life. These could be the family doctor, important specialists, family lawyer/notary, bank advisor, financial advisor/insurance broker
Powers of attorney/living will: All documents that give instructions or power of attorney to other people. In an emergency, first responders, for example, can find this important information for you right away and act accordingly. Please make sure that documents such as powers of attorney are always filed in the folder as originals, as copies often cannot be used by relatives. General powers of attorney, living will, bank powers of attorney, will
Information on severe health issues
Financial data: Bank accounts, stock portfolios / bonds, investments, safe deposit boxes / valuables, loans / credits, real estate (land registry extract!)
Insurances: This should contain copies of all important insurance policies relating to illness, accidents, or life e.g. life insurance, death benefit insurance, accident insurance, private / compulsory health insurance, supplementary health insurance, retirement insurance.
Other important contracts: Rental contract, maintenance contracts (heating, solar panels) or memberships in clubs.
Passwords: Nowadays, many things in the world happen digitally. Everyone leaves their mark in various sources on the internet: from social media such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok to posts in forums about hobbies.
In the “Passwords” section, you should store the user accounts that are most important to you, but at least the access data for your email addresses.
Tip: Seal the archived passwords in a sealed envelope and stick it in the folder. In the unfortunate event of a break-in, you can see immediately whether the envelope has been opened (or stolen) and change the passwords straight away.
We are listing all of this to draw your attention to this issue that you may not have thought about before because there was no need to do so. The experiences of the GACO team have motivated us to write this article with the recommendation that you take some time to familiarize your partner with the above issues.
Your partner will benefit from this one day, and you might feel better knowing that you have an informed partner.
