By: Mark Hamilford & Damon Segal, co-founders of LifeTidy
Damon Segal:
The pandemic has put a huge focus on mortality and the need to prepare should the worst happen. People recognise the benefits of getting organised more than ever before, but the pace at which our busy lives are moving makes this a challenge.
Our research shows that despite Covid-19 being a key trigger for many regarding future planning, a significant number still aren’t doing enough to protect loved ones if they pass away. More than a third of those surveyed (37%) said they don’t have a will in place, rising to half (49%) of those aged 45-54.
I have experienced first-hand just how difficult this can be after I was left to manage my brother’s estate when he passed away a few years ago. Due to the sudden nature of his death, both he and I were completely unprepared. As a result, I was left with the monumental task of navigating probate without any of the right information to hand. If this wasn’t challenging enough, I was doing all of this while grieving the loss of my brother, which made the whole experience very unpleasant.
From start to finish, the process was incredibly long and time-consuming, being made considerably more complicated by the fact none of my brother’s affairs were in order. After opening just one drawer in the study and being met with a mountain of paperwork, I knew that I had a lot of work ahead of me.
It transpired that my brother had stored years of paperwork, assets and other important information in various locations around the house – from boxes under the bed to files on his computer, with no evident filing system. There was also the challenge of tracing passwords and requesting access to find certain information which was an extra challenge I hadn’t even considered. This meant locating the right documents took months. Far longer than it needed to. And there are still gaps that I have been unable to fill.
After speaking to other people, I realised that this situation is not unique to me and there are many others around the UK facing very similar issues. Research we conducted prior to coming up with the idea for LifeTidy found that 94% of people do not have their affairs fully organised in the event of their death which can have a significant and detrimental impact on probate.
This experience really highlighted the need for a product like LifeTidy. I wanted to be able to offer a platform that would enable people to get their lives organised today, by providing full oversight of assets and other important information, as well as helping families access the documentation needed in the event of a family member’s death. It is certainly something that I would have found incredibly helpful at what was a very emotional time.
Mark Hamilford:
The market research that we conducted, along with Damon’s personal story of dealing with the loss of his brother, demonstrates the need for a product which helps make life organisation as simple and as stress-free as possible.
LifeTidy is a secure, encrypted online platform that enables users to do this quickly and easily. The platform can store information such as assets, passwords, financial information, policies, ID documents, healthcare information, contracts with suppliers and much more – keeping them them in one safe place.
LifeTidy is accessible anywhere, anytime, via mobile or desktop. The platform features an integrated wealth dashboard that provides a holistic overview of a user’s current wealth position to help them better understand and manage their day-to-day affairs.
The platform is encrypted with the highest bank-grade levels of security to ensure that all personal data is protected. Users can supply a secure key to executors and trusted advisors, so if the worst were to happen, they will have full access to the information needed to navigate probate. With LifeTidy, people have complete oversight over their affairs for clarity today and peace of mind for tomorrow.
The product has only just launched, but we are optimising the platform daily and already have a number of exciting upgrades and features planned for early next year, including the ability to refer partner products to our users, and the ability for partners to white label LifeTidy. We don’t want to give too much away just yet, but we will be adding more AI driven functionality throughout 2022.
We are also continuing to seek valuable, long-term partnerships with experts in sectors such as wealth, healthcare and insurance so that we can continue to deliver the best possible service and a product that will enable users to quickly and easily get organised.