Organising affairs for future

I too have spoke spoken to a very pleasant and helpful lady at Age UK and ordered the Life Book. Thanks again for the useful and caring advice.

Sorry for your loss Twopence. You’ve come to the right place for thoughtful caring advice. 💐

I also phoned Age UK and requested the LifeBook. Spoke to a lovely lady. She said she would put a book in the post this afternoon. Apologised as they could only send it 2nd class. So helpful and polite.

I have created an Inevitability Box to help our two DDs sort out our estate when we no longer need it. The box includes our wishes for funeral, as well as location of legal documents, wills, DOBs, NI nos. Driving Licence Nos, Passport details, GP details, Life Assurance details, Bank and Savings accounts etc and who we will need / want them to notify on our demise. I have also included a list of my favourite music as younger DD asked for this. I just wanted to make things as straightforward as possible for them, and to let them know specifics on our preferences.

I have diarised a reminder to review the Box contents every three months to ensure it is all up to date.

You are correct Foxy. If one joint account holder dies the other(s) automatically own the account. You did the right thing as regards a separate account for matters connected to your mother’s estate, and each of you owns the account as executors, not in your own right so if you died before the administration was complete your sister would not inherit any more of the money in the account than is due to her under your mother’s account, despite becoming the sole owner of the account. It would be best if the name of the account were changed to ‘X and Y as executors of the late Z’ to make matters entirely clear. The bank should be willing to do that if you both request it. It also prevents any suggestion that all the money in the account belongs to either of you if your or your sister’s assets have to be declared for the purposes of a benefits claim or care home assessment.

I have paper Deeds and tge Deed of Conditions fir my house first registered 2009. The Deeds are not the old fashioned thick paper bound with ribbon but merely a copy of what is on the Land Registry.

Crossed posts!

This is Age uk’s Life Book. I called to order it, and the very pleasant lady that I spoke to asked if there was anything else she could help me with. So nice to speak to a real person!

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A very useful little book

Talking of death certificates, for the last two (my mother and an aunt) I asked for a dozen at the reg. office. You have to pay, but so many originals are often needed - it saves hassle when there’s more than enough of that anyway.

When my mum died last year and I informed Lloyds with the necessary paperwork, her account was immediately frozen. Nothing goes in, nothing goes out. My sister and I opened a joint account with Barclays and once probate was granted and proved, Lloyds transferred the assets to the new account and then closed the Lloyds one. We decided to have a joint account as executors to keep anything to do with mum separate from our own accounts so nothing was mixed up. With regard to joint accounts, I thought, maybe incorrectly that if one dies the other can withdraw money. Please correct me if I’m wrong, it was just something I thought I had read somewhere or maybe not.

There is a book on Amazon called Last Orders which is excellent for your needs of headings

Kateykrunch

People often mention that they have left a list of account numbers and PIN numbers, but unless it is a joint account, surely no-one can access someones account after they have died, wouldn't that be fraud?

I am also recently widowed, and I knew what accounts my husband had and who with, so I only had to ring the banks or whatever and they could deal with it, I wouldn't have gone into the accounts myself after he had died, so didn't need all the details. We didn't involve a solicitor. I do have access to his emails though, so I've been able to sort things like utilities and insurance through those.

Greg Wise has just been on the radio talking along these lines. [Radio 5 about 1ish 27 /03] Worth a listen. He cared for his sister in the last three months of her life. I could have put the words in his mouth. He advocates everyone making a "Death Box" with all the relevant information that whoever has to cope with their death will need. This has always been my way of thinking. It is just a kindness to whoever is left behind and bereft. I have a lovely gold coloured box that contains my funeral plan / wishes - they don't have to follow it but I know what it's like to worry about "what they would have wanted". Also notes about bequests and letters to the people getting them. We jointly have an old tin box with all the financial stuff in. I would like to talk to my lovely step-son about our will but he really doesn't want to know. We're in our 70s in reasonable health and hopefully have years ahead of us. I just wish death wasn't such a taboo subject. It's going to happen to us all and if we all made some preparations at least it would help those who have to deal with things.

Twopence: So sorry for your loss.

I have done much the same as Oopsadaisy, and after my husband's death I have had a solicitor draw up a provisional power of attorny for the eventuality that I, towards the end, may not be able to manage my affairs or express my preferences.

I have also invested in a burial plot where my husband is buried and where there is room for my coffin alongside his.

I shall choose a headstone big enough for my name and dates to be added when the time comes, and am looking into a pre-paid funeral plan, and shall shortly be adding a codicil to our joint will.

When properties were registered for the first time the LR returned any deeds they didn’t need to keep. Usually they stamped the new title number on them. You can check on Gov.uk whether your property is registered.

I put all my important documents in a fireproof package or box. In with them there is a list of importent organisations who need to be contacted. Plus my current account DDs will point in the right direction. I've also put a typed document of some personal things I want done. I did this during the first year my husband died. I feel good about it in general. He did leave most of his financial affairs in order.

Does that mean that because I have the paper deeds of my house there will be no on line record?

As already suggested on here…. Age UK do a free book for you to list everything it gives you prompts on the pages as well.

I have gone through all financial.paperwork and attached written instructions, relevant phone numbers and details of any monies to be claimed, eg dependants pension

Based on this thread, I spent yesterday afternoon going through our files, throwing out old insurance policies and stuff, getting everything in order. Now all neatly filed. Pin nos and account details have always been kept in our safe.

Yes, compulsory registration when a property was transferred or mortgaged only came in in the 80s.

Just be aware that if you've owned your property for a very long time, then it may not be registered on line with Land Registry. My parents bought their house in 1971 and when it was sold in 2021 they still had the original deeds only - the paper one!

We have son abroad who is not likely to come back and a daughter who cannot manage money. We have each a POA for each other with the idea if one dies the other makes arrangements (will, exec, etc.). Don't feel confident giving exec to daughter!

I have the one from age UK called my life book