It is easy to put off a conversation that feels as though it can wait. When someone else suddenly has to take over, even the first clue can be missing.
01Your family would not recognise your wallet or recovery records.
A hardware wallet is familiar to you. To someone else, it may look like an old device. A written recovery phrase may look like a meaningless list of words.
Important items may be overlooked or discarded. If all usable keys and recovery options are lost, self-custodied assets may become permanently inaccessible.
02Only you know the full picture across countries and platforms.
You have bank accounts, investments and digital assets in several places. Your family knows you have savings, but not which institutions hold them.
They may find your everyday account while missing other assets entirely, with no starting point for cross-border enquiries and paperwork.
03Your children live overseas and have never asked about the details.
Family calls focus on everyday life. Account names, insurance policies and the location of important documents rarely come up.
An urgent return home can become a search for unfamiliar records, under pressure and at an already difficult time.
04You have always managed the family's finances yourself.
Investments, bills, borrowing and account verification all run through your phone and email. Your partner relies on arrangements you normally handle.
If you cannot act, essential payments and other commitments may be disrupted even though the family has assets.
05A serious illness leaves you unable to explain or sign.
A hospital stay or procedure may lead to a longer period in which you cannot communicate clearly or deal with accounts personally.
Relatives may know about the assets but lack the authority and documents needed to act, while care and financial decisions both become urgent.
06An unexpected event makes you temporarily unreachable.
An accident, travel disruption or another matter requiring your attention may prevent normal contact. Your family may not know when you will be available again.
Care, living expenses, contracts and payments cannot always wait. Without prior instructions, nobody may know what to do or whom to approach.
07Someone owes you money, but nobody knows where the records are.
You remember the loan, repayments and agreed terms. The supporting records are spread across messages, old devices and paper files.
Your family may have to reconstruct the history and locate the borrower. Incomplete evidence can make recovery more difficult.
08You invested in a business or hold an interest through someone else.
You understand the partnership or holding arrangement. Your family may know little more than the project's name.
Without agreements, payment records and contacts, establishing your rights can become a difficult negotiation or dispute.
09A blended family means different people know different parts of the story.
You have commitments to several family members. Some are documented; others have only been discussed.
If you cannot explain, uncertainty over existing rights and intended arrangements can lead to misunderstandings and disputes.
10You bought insurance, but your family does not know to ask.
The policy is in an old inbox. The contact has changed, and the paperwork was never brought together.
When a claim may be available, your family may not know about the cover or which provider to contact.
11Years of moves and device changes have scattered your records.
Old accounts, employment benefits, contracts and safekeeping records are stored in different places. You have been meaning to organise them.
Without an index or instructions, valuable information may be missed or lost when old files and devices are cleared away.