What should I leave so someone can sort out my affairs?

The work of dealing with someone's affairs is mostly discovery: finding out which banks, which pension, which insurer, which subscriptions. Done cold it takes months, involves tracing services and often misses assets entirely. Done from a list the person left, it takes a fortnight. This is the single most useful hour of admin anyone can do for the people who come after them, and almost nobody does it.

Step by step

1. Write a list of what exists and where, not a copy of everything.The point is a map. Institution, type of account or policy, an account or policy reference, and where the paperwork is. It should fit on a few pages and it must be updateable without rewriting.
2. Start with the will and any powers of attorney.Whether a will exists, which firm or service holds the original, its reference, who the executors are and how to reach them. The same for any lasting power of attorney, including whether it is registered.
3. List every financial relationship.Current and savings accounts, ISAs, premium bonds, investments, shares, workplace and personal pensions, life assurance, and any old policies from previous employers. Pensions from decades-old jobs are the single most commonly lost asset.
4. List debts and regular payments.Mortgage, loans, credit cards, hire purchase, and every direct debit and standing order. The regular payments list is what stops months of subscriptions continuing to be taken from a frozen account.
5. List property, vehicles and insurance.Property with the title number, any second property or land, vehicles with registrations, and every insurance policy — buildings, contents, motor, travel, pet, health — with insurer and policy number.
6. Deal with digital accounts properly.Which email addresses matter, where photographs and documents live, which subscriptions renew, and any legacy contact arrangements the platforms offer. Do not write passwords here. Use a password manager with an emergency access feature, and record only that it exists and how to trigger it.
7. Include the practical household knowledge.Where the stopcock and consumer unit are, which key opens what, the alarm code arrangement, the boiler service company, who has spare keys, and where the pets go. Immediately useful in the first week, when nothing else is.
8. Write down funeral wishes separately and keep them findable.Burial or cremation, any prepaid plan and its provider, whether there is a plot, and any specific requests. These are needed within days, long before anyone reads the will.
9. Keep passwords, PINs and full account numbers out of the document.A single sheet with everything on it is a serious fraud risk while you are alive. References and institutions are enough for an executor to make contact; credentials are not needed and should not be there.
10. Tell people it exists, and review it annually.The executor, and one other person. Put a reminder in the calendar — an out-of-date list sends someone to a bank you closed in 2019 and misses the pension you started last year.

Checklist

• Will: whether one exists, who holds it, reference, executors and contacts
• Lasting powers of attorney and whether registered
• Every bank, building society and savings account with provider and reference
• Pensions, including old workplace schemes
• Investments, shares, premium bonds and ISAs
• Life assurance and any policy written in trust
• Mortgage, loans, credit cards and hire purchase
• All direct debits, standing orders and subscriptions
• Property title numbers and vehicle registrations
• All insurance policies with insurer and policy number
• Accountant, solicitor, financial adviser and GP contacts
• Digital accounts, where files and photographs live, and how emergency access works
• Household practicalities: stopcock, consumer unit, keys, alarm, pets
• Funeral wishes and any prepaid plan
• Where the original documents are kept and who has access

Questions people ask