Pick a calm moment and a practical angle
This conversation does not need to be heavy. Many couples bring it up when they buy a house, have a baby or write wills. Frame it as housekeeping: here is what we have, here is where it lives, here is who to call.
Keep the first chat short. You can always return to it. The goal is that your partner, and anyone you name as a trustee, knows enough to act.
If it feels awkward, link it to something already on your list. Writing a will, naming guardians for children or updating your pension nomination all lead into the same topic. You are already talking about the future, so mentioning your cover feels natural.
What to share
Write a single page listing each policy, the insurer, the policy number, the amount and what it is meant to do. Add any death in service cover from work and any pensions with death benefits. Keep it with your will, and tell people where both are.
Update the note when something changes, such as a new policy or a change of trustee. A list that is five years out of date can send your family to the wrong insurer or leave out your newest cover. A yearly check, perhaps when you review your household bills, keeps it current.
- Insurer name and policy number
- Type and amount of cover
- Whether the policy is in trust, and who the trustees are
- Death in service and pension details from work
- Contact details for your broker
Talking with a partner
Go through your cover side by side. You may find one of you is well covered through work while the other has nothing, or that cover only clears the mortgage and leaves nothing for living costs. A partner who stays at home with children also needs cover, because replacing their care would cost money.
Talk about income protection too. A long illness can hit household income as hard as a death, and it is easy to overlook.
Talking with parents and grown-up children
If your parents are getting older, ask gently whether they hold any policies and where the paperwork is. Over-50s plans and old endowments are easy to lose track of.
Grown-up children can be trustees or beneficiaries, so it helps if they know the basics. Younger children only need to know that the family has made plans.
If anyone in the family would struggle with money matters, think about who would support them. A trust lets someone you choose manage the payout for a person who might find it hard, such as a young adult or a relative with additional needs.
How Hi Tomorrow can help the conversation
Couples can join a call with us together. We explain the choices in plain words, answer each person's questions and put everything in writing, so the details are easy to share. If you name trustees, we help you tell them what they need to know.