Regarding (1), I should give many of the books I own to public libraries. Some libraries no longer want surplus books; they’re inundated. So what I will do is drive over at maybe 2:30 a.m. and sneakily drop off a box of books. I’ve also accumulated maybe 20 or so big plastic boxes containing the thousands of newspaper and magazine articles I’ve written since I began my journalistic career in 1957. I mean, as wonderfully written and insightful as those articles remain, do I really need to keep “How to Invest in 1997”? and “Best Mutual Fund Managers of 2001”? And all 16 of the articles I’ve written on dollar-cost averaging?

(2) My investment portfolio is close to resembling an enormous mess, yet I relentlessly keep buying stuff. AT&T, ExxonMobil, TFS Market Neutral. My rules: Sell securities in taxable accounts that have lost money. Sell small positions in whatever. Beef up stuff I have confidence in (e.g., Johnson & Johnson stock, Vanguard fixed-income funds).

(3) Leave a last letter with the names, phone numbers, and addresses of my fee-only CFP, accountant, estate lawyer, and so forth; remind family members where my will and other important papers are; and suggest what should be said at my funeral. Namely, what Warren Buffett once suggested be said at his own funeral: “My God, he’s moving!”—Warren Boroson, guest contributor

Warren Boroson is the author of more than 20 books, including “How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett” (J.K. Lasser) and “The Reverse Mortgage Advantage” (McGraw-Hill). He also teaches courses on great singers of the past, like Elisabeth Rethberg, Cochita Supervia, and Titta Ruffo.