Secret stash? Make sure you keep a record

By James Beresford, head of wills, tax, trust and probate at Slater + Gordon.

Almost half of us have a secret stash, with a third of us storing cash at home.

If your savings are somewhere more secure like a bank account, but no one else knows about it, that account will stay active until the bank realises you’ve died.

For example, if you’re in a relationship, but not married, and you don’t have a will - your other half won’t get anything, apart from certain joint assets, and it might pass to your children instead. If you have been married previously it could end up going to your ex.