Managing Finances After a Loss

In many households, one partner takes the lead in managing day-to-day finances—paying the bills, handling taxes, overseeing investments or pensions. That arrangement works fine, until it suddenly doesn’t.

We often meet surviving partners—intelligent, capable people—who find themselves overwhelmed because they were unfamiliar with even the basics of their joint financial situation. This is not just about money. It’s about knowing what to do, where to look, and how to maintain stability when you are grieving.

What can go wrong?

• Accessing accounts becomes a hurdle: If only one partner handled online banking or managed shared investments, the other may not know login details, which accounts exist, or which institutions to contact.
• Monthly income suddenly stops: If salary, pension, or rental income was deposited into an account solely in the deceased’s name, it may be frozen until the estate is settled.
• Insurance and pensions are left unclaimed: Survivors often overlook or are unaware of life insurance policies or foreign pension entitlements, sometimes missing out entirely.
• No Dutch will? That could mean delays: If there’s no will or the will isn’t valid under Dutch law, the legal process may take much longer—and become more costly.

What can you do now to avoid this?

The first and most important step is transparency. Make sure both partners know the essentials: where to find financial documents, who your advisors are, how to access joint accounts, and what recurring obligations exist (mortgage, tax filings, insurance, etc.).

Start small:

• Create and share a simple financial overview.
• List login details securely (consider using a password manager with shared access).
• Discuss what would happen if one of you were no longer there. It’s a difficult topic, but necessary.

Getting professional advice can help—especially if your financial life spans more than one country, as it does for many internationals.

We regularly help couples take stock of their situation before there’s an urgent need to do so. It’s one of the simplest ways to build peace of mind—for both of you.