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Bereavement Guide
Dealing with the death of a loved one and the practical steps you’ll need to take.
In this guide:
It can be difficult to know where to start, and our guide is designed to provide you and your family with a useful source of information to help support you through this incredibly hard time with the least amount of difficulty, based on our personal experiences and professional expertise of dealing with our own families and clients.
Please note that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) does not regulate cash flow planning, estate planning, tax or trust advice.
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From this guide:
Dealing with the estate - Gathering all the documents you need
To start the process of dealing with an estate, you need to gather together as many documents relating to the person’s possessions as you can. You need to find items such as:
- Investment portfolio statements
- Bank account details and statements
- Insurance documents
- Car ownership documents
- Property ownership deeds
- Evidence of any debts
Many of these documents may be filed in the personal papers of the deceased. If this is not
the case, it may be worth speaking to their solicitor (if known), an independent financial
adviser (IFA), their bank/s, their insurance companies, the DVLA and for property deeds
specifically, the Land Registry.
When you are contacting each of the organisations about the death, they will ordinarily require a certified copy of the death certificate. These will need to be obtained directly from the registrar. It can be useful to buy a number of copies when you are registering the death, as they are often
cheaper at that time.
Download the full guide to read more.
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Meet our expert team
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Dan Alder
Senior Financial Adviser - Chartered Financial Planner, APFS
Dan is a Chartered Financial Planner, working from our Bath office and supporting clients across the South. He empowers clients to make informed and confident decisions about the present, their longer-term futures and helping the next generation.
Grace Whalley
Financial Adviser - Chartered Financial Planner, FPFS
Grace is a Financial Adviser and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society. She takes the heavy lifting off clients shoulders to help them to navigate various financial life stages and allow them to focus on meeting their different objectives in life.
David Dodgson
Partner - Chartered Financial Planner, FPFS
David is an experienced adviser and a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society (PFS), supporting his clients with their financial needs. His primary aim is to help his clients gain an appreciation of what lifestyle their current and future wealth is capable of delivering.