- You will have to deal with a lot of admin and financial decisions when you least want to
- We explain the rules around obtaining probate and inheriting pensions and Isas
- Rely on your support network and do not rush into anything
Nobody wants to be reading this article. If you are reading it, however, you might be engulfed in the admin that follows the death of a loved one. “You have a huge amount to do when you least feel like doing it,” says one Investors’ Chronicle reader, who was widowed in 2022. “It feels so unimportant, and yet it's a dark cloud hanging over you.”
Dealing with the financial fallout of a death – particularly the death of a spouse – can feel totally overwhelming, and the process is often made worse by outdated systems. However, the bereaved are given no choice: paperwork needs to be filed, phone calls must be made, and longer-term decisions need to be weighed up.