Plan Together
The Sit-Down Together Conversation
The whole purpose of planning is to protect what you earned, and to make sure the people you love are never left guessing. This is the conversation most families never get to have, usually because no one knows how to start it. We make it simple, with plain steps and no VA jargon. Do it once, and your family will thank you for years.
Silence is what costs families the most
Veterans spend years earning these benefits, often at real cost to their health. Too often the people they leave behind never see a dime of them, not because they did not qualify, but because the conversation never happened. A folded flag does not come with instructions, and grief is the worst time to go searching for paperwork. Having this talk now spares your family that scramble later.
Benefits left on the table
A surviving spouse who never knew about DIC, pension, or burial benefits often never claims them. The money was earned - it just went unspoken.
A frantic search at the worst time
Where is the DD-214? Which bank? What did the VA already approve? Grieving families lose weeks hunting for answers that could have been written down in an afternoon.
Deadlines that quietly pass
Some survivor benefits are time-sensitive. When no one knows to file, the clock runs out - and a family loses what a veteran spent a lifetime earning.
Everything your family would need, in one place
Six plain-language steps, and not a word of VA jargon. It captures the whole picture, so a loved one could pick it up and know exactly what to do. You fill in what you know, skip what you do not, and come back to it any time. When it is done, everything your family needs sits in one place instead of scattered across drawers and memories.
Step 1
The veteran
The basics of who this is about and their military service.
Step 2
Service & exposures
Where and when they served, and anything they may have been exposed to.
Step 3
VA status
What the VA already knows about them today.
Step 4
Key people
The people a family should call when they need help.
Step 5
Documents
Which papers you have, and exactly where they are kept.
Step 6
Wishes
Final wishes and a message for the family.
It even tracks where your key papers are kept
For each document, you simply note whether you have it, whether it is in your Vault, or whether it still needs to be found - and exactly where it lives.
Simple, private, and yours to keep
Four easy steps, and you are always in control of who sees it. You decide who to invite, what they can view, and when to change your mind. Nothing is shared without your say-so, and you can revoke access at any point. It is built so the right person can find it when it matters, and no one else.
Create a free account
It takes a minute and keeps everything private and secure. No cost, ever, to use the worksheet.
Fill it in together
Sit down with your spouse or an adult child and go through six gentle steps. Skip anything you are not sure of and come back any time.
Share with people you trust
Invite the loved ones who would need it. They can view your worksheet, so nothing is ever lost.
Print & keep it safe
Print a copy for the folder, the safe, or the kitchen drawer - wherever your family would look first.
The Sit-Down Together worksheetThe one conversation every veteran and spouse needs to have
Too often, when a veteran passes, the family left behind has no idea what benefits exist, where the DD-214 is, or what the VA already knows. Benefits worth thousands go unclaimed - not because a family did not qualify, but because no one ever wrote it down. The Sit-Down Together worksheet walks you and your spouse (or an adult child) through all of it - your service, your VA status, who to call, where your papers are, and your final wishes.
- Fill it out together in six plain-language steps - no VA jargon, skip anything you are unsure of.
- Keep it private, then share it with the spouse, child, or trusted person of your choosing.
- Print a copy so the people you love are never left guessing.
Free & private - saved to your account and shared only with people you choose.
Information only - not legal advice
For information purposes only - this is not legal, financial, or medical advice. The Aging Veteran is a private service and is not part of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Benefits are subject to VA eligibility rules. Always confirm your specifics on va.gov or with a qualified professional.
Two ways to move forward — both free
Not sure where to start?
Ask Albert, our free assistant, anything about the Sit-Down Together worksheet or the benefits it helps protect. Tell it where you are stuck and it will walk you through the section in plain language. It is private, and it is here any time, day or night. There is no cost, and nothing you enter is ever sold or shared.
Have a question? Get free information
Ask a question, learn what you may be owed, or find out where you stand. Confidential, free, and no obligation to go any further.
Ready to hire us? Register
Decided you want us to work your claim? Registering is free — we match you with an accredited advocate and get you started. We cannot begin until you sign VA Form 21-22a, and fees, if any, are always disclosed up front.
