Think of this as a map for your family, not a treasure hunt. It’s a single document listing what you own, what you owe, and where everything lives — plus who to contact. When something happens, this saves weeks of detective work and reduces the chance that assets go missing.
What to include (keep it simple, but complete):
- Banking & cash: Banks/building societies, account numbers (or last 4 digits), where statements live, named contacts.
- Investments & pensions: ISAs, holdings, platforms, NS&I, Premium Bonds, certificated shares, crypto wallets; pension providers and death benefit nominations.
- Properties: Addresses, title numbers, mortgage details, where the deeds are.
- Insurances & protection: Life cover (and whether it’s in trust), home/car policies, income protection, business/key-person cover.
- Debts & commitments: Mortgages, loans, credit cards, HP/lease, guarantees.
- Business interests: Companies, partnerships/LLPs, shareholder or partnership agreements, accountant and lawyer details.
- Digital assets: Email, cloud photos, social media, password manager/legacy contact set-ups, crypto keys.
- Valuables & “the teapot”: Jewellery, art, collections, vehicles — and anything sentimental that could cause a row.
- Professional contacts: Accountant, solicitor, financial adviser, bank manager, key business contacts.
How to keep it useful (not exhausting):
- One or two pages is fine — think index, not encyclopedia.
- Update annually (tax-return time works well) or after big life events.
- Store it safely (with your Will at the solicitor, or an encrypted copy). Let executors know where it lives.
- Use a password manager with legacy access rather than writing passwords.
Common mistakes:
- Listing assets but no provider contact details.
- Forgetting old pensions, dormant accounts, Premium Bonds.
- Not noting who owns what (joint vs sole, business vs personal).
- Omitting nominations (pensions, death-in-service) and whether policies are in trust.
Practical tip: Don’t chase perfection. A clear, 80%-complete list beats a beautifully formatted blank page.
Call to action: Ask Lucy for our balance-sheet checklist — it’s the fastest way to get version 1 done.
Back to You are not Immortal – a practical guide to a delicate topic – IHT
