Tracing forgotten assets

You should be aware that it is a common occurrence for investments to be overlooked when personal representatives are valuing estates.

This can easily happen especially if the person who has died was elderly and whose affairs were not in order. There are, for example, literally thousands of forgotten bank accounts in the UK with money languishing unclaimed.

Useful organisations

The following organisations will help you trace forgotten assets:

The British Bankers Association (BBA) and the Building Societies Association (BSA) to check for missing accounts

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) for missing insurance polices

National Savings & Investments (NS&I) for a range of governement savings accounts and investment schemes including premium bonds and direct saver accounts

The Pension Service for state pensions

The Unclaimed Assets Register which is a service provided by Experian, the global information services company, to help people find missing assets including pensions, life policies, unit trusts and share dividends and financial providers

Please note

Please note that information which we provide through Lasting Post is in outline for information or educational purposes only. The information is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser. We cannot guarantee that information provided by Lasting Post will meet your individual needs, as this will very much depend on your individual circumstances. You should therefore use the information only as a starting point for your enquiries.