How to write down where your family's accounts and assets are

Family Asset Map — Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:43:11 +0000

When a spouse, an adult child, or an executor has to step in, the first problem is often not "how do I open this account?" It is "where should I even look?" A written inventory answers that question. It names institutions, account types, and where documents live. It is not a list of passwords, and it is not a will.

This guide is for households in the United States. It is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. State law, plan documents, and each institution's rules control what happens after a death. For personal decisions, talk to a qualified professional.

Start with a short list, not a perfect one

For each place money or coverage may live, write down:

A name the family will recognize (the bank, employer plan, insurer, brokerage, credit union, or exchange)
The type of account or policy (joint checking, 401(k), term life, IRA, hardware wallet) — not the full account number
Where paper files or portal instructions live (a labeled folder at home, an attorney, an HR benefits site)
Whom to call first

Leave off bank passwords, PINs, private keys, and recovery phrases. Those belong in a separate place you already treat as appropriate for secrets.

Fictional example: Alex writes "Riverbend Credit Union — joint checking," "Northbridge 401(k) — HR portal," "term life through work," and "hardware wallet — instructions in the blue binder at home." No logins appear on the list.

A practical inventory checklist

Work through the groups that apply to your household. Check an item only when the name and "where to look" note are written down.

Everyday money and bills

[ ] Checking and savings accounts (note which ones are jointly owned)
[ ] Accounts used to pay rent, utilities, and insurance premiums
[ ] Major credit cards and lenders (issuer names; who is a joint holder versus an authorized user)
[ ] Mortgage or auto loan servicers

Retirement and investments

[ ] Current workplace retirement plans, plus how to reach HR or the plan portal
[ ] Former employer plans that were never rolled over
[ ] IRAs and brokerage accounts
[ ] Who is named as beneficiary on file with each plan or insurer (the designation at that institution, not only what a will says)

A will does not automatically update every account. The IRS explains that, for many retirement plans, a beneficiary is the person or entity the owner names under the plan's procedures, and that some plans have required beneficiaries in certain situations (Retirement topics — Beneficiary, Internal Revenue Service). Confirm each account separately.

Insurance and important papers

[ ] Individual and group life insurance, and where the policy or benefits booklet is kept
[ ] Safe deposit box location, or the home folder that holds deeds, titles, and tax returns
[ ] The name of a tax preparer or attorney already involved (names only)

Digital and crypto holdings

[ ] The email address used for account statements
[ ] Exchanges, listed under names the family will recognize
[ ] Self-custody wallets, described by custody type, with a pointer to separate instructions
Keep recovery phrases and private keys outside this inventory

Talk through the list while everyone can

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau encourages couples to share financial information and an inventory ahead of time, so both people have a complete picture of family finances (Help for Surviving Spouses, CFPB, "Planning ahead together"). Waiting until an emergency often means searching across apps, old employers, and paper files with no starting point.

A useful test: can someone you trust pick up the list and say where they would look next, and whom they would call?

Do not send full account numbers, Social Security numbers, or recovery phrases in ordinary email threads.

If there is no list: official U.S. starting points

The directories below help after a death, or when property may have been abandoned. They are not a way to look up a living person's private accounts.

Unclaimed property. There is no single federal vault. USA.gov explains that state governments hold most unclaimed money, that you should search each state where the person lived, and that a legal heir may be able to claim money that was owed to a deceased relative (How to find unclaimed money from the government, USA.gov). The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators points to official state programs at unclaimed.org.

Inactive bank accounts and safe deposit boxes. The FDIC explains that abandoned accounts and boxes may escheat to state unclaimed property programs, and that an executor may need a death certificate and court documents to obtain information (How to find a long-lost bank account or safe deposit box, FDIC).

Life insurance of a deceased person. The NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator is a free tool to help find life insurance policies and annuity contracts when a family does not know the insurer. NAIC states that the tool will not locate benefits for people who are alive. If a participating company finds a policy and you are the beneficiary, the company contacts you directly (Learn how to use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator, National Association of Insurance Commissioners).

Workplace retirement plans. The U.S. Department of Labor's Retirement Savings Lost and Found helps people search certain private employer and union plans. It does not cover IRAs or government plans. It also does not allow a search for a deceased spouse's benefits; in that case, contact the former employer or Ask EBSA (Retirement Savings Lost and Found, U.S. Department of Labor; Ask EBSA).

Social Security survivor benefits. USA.gov states that spouses and minor children may be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits, and points readers to the Social Security Administration's survivor benefits page for eligibility, amounts, and how to apply (Report the death of a Social Security or Medicare beneficiary, USA.gov, last updated August 31, 2026). USA.gov also notes that you can give the funeral director the person's Social Security number so they can report the death to SSA. The official SSA page is Survivor benefits.

Estate administration, in plain terms. The IRS describes that an estate administrator or executor generally gathers assets, deals with debts, and accounts to the court under state rules (Responsibilities of an estate administrator, Internal Revenue Service). Publication 559 is the IRS overview for survivors, executors, and administrators (Publication 559, IRS).

A related consumer point, also from CFPB: a surviving spouse is generally not responsible for a deceased spouse's debt unless the debt is shared or state law says otherwise (Am I responsible for my spouse’s debts after they die?, CFPB). Whether a particular debt is yours depends on the facts and on state law.

Keep the inventory where someone can actually find it

Put the list in a place a trusted person already knows: a labeled binder, a folder with your other important papers, or a shared private map. Review it when accounts change — a new job, a refinance, a new insurer.

If you want a digital place for this kind of list, Family Asset Map is a private map you fill in by hand and can share read-only. It does not connect to accounts or hold money. It is not a will. Passwords stay outside the map.

Disclaimer

This article is general information for people in the United States. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules differ by state, plan, and institution. Official pages change; follow the linked sources for current procedures.

Sources

USA.gov — How to find unclaimed money from the government
NAUPA — unclaimed.org
FDIC — How to find a long-lost bank account or safe deposit box
NAIC — Learn how to use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator
U.S. Department of Labor — Retirement Savings Lost and Found
U.S. Department of Labor / EBSA — Ask EBSA
USA.gov — Report the death of a Social Security or Medicare beneficiary
Social Security Administration — Survivor benefits
IRS — Responsibilities of an estate administrator
IRS — Publication 559
IRS — Retirement topics — Beneficiary
CFPB — Help for Surviving Spouses
CFPB Ask CFPB — Am I responsible for my spouse’s debts after they die?

DEV Community: Family Asset Map