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Letter of Instruction Writer Program User Guide Richard Safran Lingua Systems, Inc. 70A Greenwich Avenue #343 New York, N.Y. 10011 (212) 529-5929 March 22, 1989 Copyright 1989 by Lingua Systems, Inc. Contents Purpose of Letter of Instruction....................1 System Introduction.................................3 How to Use the System............................3 System Description...............................4 Printing the Letter..............................7 System Requirements...............................A-i Installation Procedures..........................A-ii Technical Information...........................A-iii Purpose of Letter of Instruction What is the Letter of Instruction? The Letter is a way to organize information about your finances, property and personal affairs. It provides this information to someone whom you would like to handle or manage your affairs in the event of your death, or your inability to do so yourself. This can include physical or emotional disability, travelling away from home, or similar circumstances. It also provides you with a recordkeeping tool for financial and estate planning. The Letter of Instruction is NOT a Will, nor does it give advice on how to manage your affairs. However, it can provide you with essential information at your fingertips when seeking advice from a qualified professional. Whose affairs should the Letter cover? The Letter should contain information about the affairs, property and wishes of all members of your household. Normally, this would be you and/or your spouse. However, if there are adults living in your household other than you and your spouse, such as parents or children or other dependents, you may wish to include them in the letter. Alternatively, you can create separate Letters if that would help you better organize your information. Separate Letters can be created by specifying a different path for the data files on the Operating Parameters screen in the Utilities option. See the section on Utilities for more information. What information should I enter? The data entry screens are fairly self-explanatory as to what information to include in the Letter. However, you should use the data entry screen section of this manual to help collect and organize the paperwork and other sources of information which you will use to compose the Letter. How long will it take to complete the Letter? Take time to carefully organize what you will enter into the Letter. It will most likely require several sessions to complete all the data entry. The actual amount of time required will depend on the ease of locating the sources of information, the amount of that information, and your computer stamina. Don't try to do more with the package than you feel comfortable doing. When reviewing the information which this system will request, you may find that your filing/storage system is less than perfect. You should consider whether to reorganize (or organize) your personal papers before proceeding. Do not feel compelled to follow the format of this system, but you are certainly welcome to use this format to develop one of your own. Be sure that however you organize yourself, that it is easy for you to find what you want. Since this Letter will describe the state of your personal affairs, remember to update it when neccesary. There is no need to update the Letter because your bank balance changes, of course, but if you change banks, or lawyers, or move, you will surely want the Letter to reflect this new information. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 1 ∙ Where should I keep the Letter? Here are some suggestions. Remember to use your own judgement as to who should see this information, or ask your attorney. 1. Keep a copy of the Letter in your safe deposit box. 2. Attach a copy to your will. 3. Give a copy to the Executor of your will. 4. Give a copy to your spouse or adult child(ren). 5. If you have a very close friend who you feel may be likely to handle your affairs, you may want them to have a copy. ∙ How should I enter locations, descriptions, etc. When the software requests the location of something, such as papers relevant to property or possessions, be specific. Also, imagine that the individual reading the Letter is unfamiliar with where you keep things. The software will insert the following phrase when composing the Letter: "Records for ... are located:". Therefore, try to enter location information which completes that phrase. For other descriptions, be specific and remember who might have to read the Letter. Use full names wherever possible. ∙ Under what circumstances might the Letter be neccesary? In case of death of you and/or your spouse. In case of disability of you and/or your spouse. In case of emergencies (such as fire, flood, war) while you are away from home. In case of other events during which you are unable to manage or direct your financial or personal affairs. ∙ Why don't I feel comfortable about doing this? It is never pleasant to contemplate death or disability, or disasters. Even though this is not an enjoyable task, it will be much easier for you and your family if you don't have to be concerned as to whether your wishes will be carried out in case these events occur. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 2 System Introduction The system is organized into three sections. First, the data entry section allows for the entry, editing, and capture of the information you want printed on the letter. Second, the Print option actually creates the Letter of Instruction after you have entered all your data. Lastly, the Utilities selection provides the ability to modify, to a small extent, the operation of the system or to attempt recovery of the Index file if the Data file is still available (see Appendix for technical information). Please read this section carefully before using the software! How to Use the System Using the Menus Menus show each item to be selected, whether that is a function, a data entry screen, or another menu. Next to the item is a function key number which can be used to select that item. In addition, one letter of each selection is highlighted in a different color. Pressing that key will also select the item. A green bar will appear over the first item on the menu. Using the up- and down-arrow keys will move the green bar from item to item. Pressing Enter will select the bar'ed item. When an item is selected, a message will appear at the bottom of the menu, asking you to 'Please Stand By' until the request is processed. Either a new screen or a message will then appear depending on whether the item is a menu or data entry screen or a function. Using the Data Entry Screens When a data entry screen appears, the cursor will be placed at the first field in which data can be entered. If information has been previously entered, you will be able to page through successively until all pages have been displayed or you exit that screen. After all pages have been displayed, or at the first page if none have been entered, an empty screen with possibly some fields pre-initialized will be presented. At any time you may change existing data or enter data in empty fields. Existing pages will be updated and empty pages will be added. When the cursor is positioned on a given field the background color of that field will change to red. You may move from field to field by pressing the Enter or Tab keys, or by filling the field with data. To exit or complete a page, press Escape. The following message will then appear at the bottom of the screen: "Press F9 to remain on page, F10 to complete, Esc to exit" If you press F9, the information will be saved and the screen will be redisplayed. If you press F10, the information will be saved and the next screen in sequence will be displayed. The next screen will be the same screen if there are additional pages to display. Otherwise the next screen is the data entry menu, except for the first selection on the menu, "Sources of Money", for which there are two screens. Pressing Escape will not save or update the current page, and will return to the data entry menu. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 3 System Description After entering the program name "LINST" on the DOS command line, the main menu will be presented. This menu allows you to select the Data Entry or Utilities menus, or the Print Function. Data Entry Menu Selecting the Data Entry option on the main menu will present the Data Entry menu. This menu allows you to select, in any order, the screens you wish to use to enter the information which the Letter will contain. This section describes each data entry selection and the information which you will be asked to enter. ■ Sources of Money This section contains two screens. All other sections have only one screen. The purpose of this section is to collect information about moneys or funds which may be due or available to you or your spouse in the event of death, disability or other circumstances. This may include life insurance, disability benefits, accident insurance, or the ability to draw on various types of deferred compensation for medical or educational needs. Also, you should list information about Social Security or Veteran's Administration benefits for which you are eligible. The first screen asks for the name of the individual to which the data applies, as well as data on the insurance and other compensation which that individual's employer provides. Be sure to include as much information as possible, especially policy numbers and whom to contact regarding each benefit. The second screen requests Social Security and VA data. ■ Things to do First This section allows you to enter information to help a third-party (such as your adult children, a close friend or relative, or your executor) to contact your employer, friends and relatives, and other important people or organizations which can provide help in a crisis. ■ Location of Personal Papers Enter the location of records and papers which provide details or proof for handling your affairs. This includes marriage and birth or naturalization certificates, military and academic records. Many times, if someone else is managing your property or affairs, these records may have to be produced or referred to. Also, you yourself should know the location of these documents, and that they or official copies are stored in a safe place. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 4 ■ Bank and Savings Accounts The purpose of this section is not to list the value of your accounts but to keep track of them. You may be surprised to know that many bank accounts are abandoned by their owners, sometimes containing substantial balances. If you yourself are unable to inform someone of their location, some accounts could be overlooked. Be specific about the title (your name), account number, and the branch at which the account was opened. Some banks find it difficult to locate your records if you are not dealing with the branch holding your account (sometimes called the domicile branch). Use this section to list Savings Accounts, Certificates of Deposit, and IRA's only. The next menu selection will handle Checking Accounts. ■ Checking Accounts The same considerations apply to Checking Accounts as other accounts. ■ Safe Deposit Boxes Safe Deposit Boxes usually contain extremely valuable papers and property. Access to these Boxes is difficult in the event of death of one or more of the box owners, since a bank must seal the box upon notification of death. Even if the box is held by more than one individual, the box will be sealed. Consult with your bank and attorney to find out the requirements for opening the box, or on how many boxes a familiy should hold, and in whose name. ■ Insurance Use this section both as a source of information in the event of death, disability, or medical emergency as well as an organizer for you to keep track of renewal dates and whether you need to increase the face amount of the policies. ■ Motor Vehicles Motor vehicles can easily be overlooked when someone else is standing in for you. Insurance policies or garaging fees can lapse, maintenance requirements are more stringent, especially with foreign cars or extended warranties. The name in which title is held can affect the ability to use or transfer title to the vehicle. Under body type, enter the basic type of the vehicle, such as "4-door sedan", "2-door coupe", "3-door hatchback", or "motorcycle". Include the location of insurance and title documents, and maintenance records. ■ Debts and Loans (Other than Mortgages) Enter information about amounts which you owe, other than mortgages on real-estate to insure that payments are kept up, and that insurance proceeds are used to cancel any appropriate debts. Speak with your attorney and accountant about which debts should or must be liquidated with insurance proceeds. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 5 ■ Investments Certain investments can provide sources of funds in an emergency, while others may need to be evaluated or protected. ■ Income Tax Information List your liability for income and other non-real estate taxes to both the federal and state governments, as well as localities such as counties or cities. List any estimated tax payments which may be required. This may help avoid penalties or tedious and expensive explanations to the taxing authority. ■ Homes and Properties Use this section to list your home(s) and real estate holdings whether they are rental, residences, or investments. Be sure to include the legal location (e.g., deed map, lot and block) of all properties which you own. Be specific about tax and financial matters, including junior (second or third) mortgages, even if they are not held by a bank. Improvements to your home(s) are a significant tax consideration. If you hold insurance which is specifically for the mortgage, list it here. ■ Cemetery and Funeral Arrangements This section should be used to ensure that your wishes concerning your funeral and burial (or your desire for any legal alternatives) are known and followed. Include any religious preferences you may have. Consult your attorney if there are differences between your wishes and those of your family and you want to preserve your rights. ■ Professionals If another person has to manage your affairs, they will certainly need to discuss things with your attorney, accountant, or physician. List them here. ■ Personal Effects and Special Wishes Some items of personal property may be distributed outside the terms of a Will. Consult your attorney to see what should be described in a Will and what (if anything) should be listed here. If you want to leave instructions as to the care and education of your children, or the care of a pet, or other such matters, include them here. In this section particularly, remember that the Letter of Instruction is primarily a personal document from you to the person(s) handling your affairs, while the Will is a legal document. Please consult an attorney to determine where to place certain requests based on your individual situation. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 6 Print Letter of Instruction Selecting the Print option on the main menu initiates the print function which begins by asking you to which destination the composed Letter will be sent. If you want to print the Letter directly, press P. If you want the Letter to be saved in a disk file, press D. If you print directly, your printer must be attached to DOS device "Lpt1:". If you save the Letter, it will be contained in a file called "LINSTFIL.PRT" in the same directory as the program. This enables you to further edit the composed Letter using any ASCII-format word processor. Pressing the Escape key at anytime during printing will terminate this function. Utilities Operating Parameters Selecting this option from the Utilities menu will display the operating parameters screen which allows you to modify certain values used by the software. These values include the path used to locate screen files if you have loaded them to a RAM Disk, the path name to locate program files if they are in a different directory than the .EXE file, the path used to locate the data files if they are stored in a different directory than the .EXE file, and a password if you want to prevent use of this software by others. Once you have registered your copy of the software, enter the registration number you receive on this screen. Once this number is entered, the shareware banner screen will no longer be displayed. Recover Index from Data **Unimplemented** Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page 7 Letter of Instruction Writer System Requirements Hardware Computer: IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible. Monitor/Adapter: Monochrome or CGA-compatible. Storage: 256K RAM, 360K Floppy or Hard Disk Storage Printer RAM-Disk (optional) Software Operating System: PC/MS-DOS Version 2.1 or later. Word Processor (if you want to edit the Letter after production) Storage Requirements: (may vary based on DOS version) RAM Disk Program: 140K 134K Screens: 4K 80K Data: 0K 30-80K File Names: Program: LINST.EXE Screens: LIS0???.SCR Menus: LIMAIN.MEN; LIMENU.MEN; LIUTIL1.MEN Menu Control: MENUDATA.MNU System Control: LINSTFIL.CTL Data File Index: LINSTFIL.DX1 (not on distribution disk) Data File Data: LINSTFIL.DAT ( " " ) News: READ.ME Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page A-i Installation Procedures The Letter of Instruction system is contained on one (1) distribution diskette. All neccesary files are on this diskette. Use the following guidelines to make a working copy of the system. Set-up procedures for one-floppy systems Format a diskette using the system(/s) option if you want to boot the system from this diskette. Otherwise, use the /2 option. Place the distribution diskette in drive a: and enter: diskcopy at the DOS prompt. The copy process will then begin. When requested by DOS, remove the distribution diskette from drive a:, and insert the formatted diskette. When the process is complete, remove and label the formatted diskette. The system is now ready to use. Store the distribution diskette in a safe place. Set-up procedures for two-floppy systems Format a diskette using the system(/s) option if you want to boot the system from this diskette. Otherwise, use the /2 option. Place the distribution diskette in drive a:, the formatted diskette in drive b: and enter: diskcopy a: b: at the DOS prompt. The copy process will then begin. When it is complete, remove and label the formatted diskette. The system is now ready to use. Store the distribution diskette in a safe place. Set-up procedures for hard-disk systems First, select the directory in which you wish to place the system. If the directory does not exist, define it using the MKDIR command. Place the distribution diskette in drive a:. Copy the entire diskette to the directory you have selected. For example, if you are using the directory HOMEFIN on drive c:, enter: copy a:*.* c:\homefin at the DOS prompt. If you are storing all the system files(program, data, and screens) in one directory, you do not need to define any pathnames to the system. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page A-ii Technical Information Source Language This software was written using Turbo Pascal Version 4.0 from Borland International. Pascal was selected for its procedure-based structure, which allows for ease of construction and maintenance. Turbo Pascal was chosen because its built-in function and procedure libraries greatly simplify the development process, and its unit structure allows for a single program, which eliminates overlay or multiple program management. This improves memory usage and performance. File Structure The data entered in this software is stored on disk in variant-record types using a proprietary ISAM (indexed-sequential access method). This access method uses an index component and a data component to allow for store and retrieve activities which are independent of the physical position of an individiual record. The index component contains a list of keys and pointers. The key is a small segment of the data or some other identifier which is sufficient to describe a single record. The pointer is the physical record number of the data. This ISAM uses a two-level index set. The first level lists the lowest and highest key of each page of the second index level. "Lowest" and "highest" refer to the collating sequence. Collating sequence means the ordering of alphanumeric data by the numeric code which it represents. The second level contains a key and pointer to every data record. To access a given record, the first level is searched to find the second level page which contains the actual pointer. A record is added by writing it to the end of the of the data file or over any previous record which has been marked as deleted. The new key is inserted in the proper index page with the new pointer. A function is provided to recover the index file from the data file. If the index file is damaged or deleted, the system will not be able to process the data file. Use of this function is only for cases where this is the last resort to recover your information. Therefore, please back up the data files regularly. This should be standard practice for all your software. Letter of Instruction Writer User Guide page A-iii