Big life changes come with a pile of money jobs, and it is easy to miss one. This free money checklist covers five of the biggest moments: having a baby, buying your first home, starting your first job, going self-employed and when someone dies. Pick a list, tick things off as you go and print it if you prefer paper.
Iceburg Wealth life event money checklist. Free at iceburgwealth.com/life-event-money-checklistHow to use the money checklist
Step 1: Pick your life event
Tap one of the five buttons at the top. Each list is split into stages, so you can see what needs doing now and what can wait.
Step 2: Tick off each job
Every item explains why it matters and links to a free tool, a guide or the official GOV.UK page. Your ticks are saved on your device, so you can come back later and pick up where you left off.
Step 3: Print or share it
Press print to get a clean paper copy with every link written out. Alternatively, copy the link to send the right list to a partner, friend or family member.
Having a baby money checklist
Start with parental pay. Statutory Maternity Pay runs for up to 39 weeks. You need to tell your employer at least 15 weeks before your due date. After the birth, register it within 42 days, or 21 days in Scotland. Then claim Child Benefit straight away, because claims only backdate three months.
After that, think longer term. A Junior ISA lets family save up to £9,000 a year tax free. Meanwhile, Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 you pay in. Our free budget planner helps you see how life on parental pay will work. To add up what the first year will cost, try our baby cost calculator.
Buying your first home money checklist
Your deposit is only the start. First time buyers in England and Northern Ireland pay no stamp duty up to £300,000. Above that, they pay 5% on the part up to £500,000. Use our stamp duty calculator to check your bill, then budget for solicitor fees, a survey and moving costs too.
If you are saving for a deposit, a Lifetime ISA still adds a 25% bonus for now. However, the Budget on 28 October 2026 announced a new First Time Buyer ISA. It will replace the Lifetime ISA for new savers from April 2029, while existing accounts carry on as they are.
Starting your first job money checklist
Your first payslip can be a shock. Hand over your P45 or starter checklist so you are not stuck on an emergency tax code. Most people should be on the 1257L code. Then run your salary through our take home pay calculator to see if the numbers match.
In addition, stay in your workplace pension. If you are 22 or over and earn at least £10,000 a year, you are enrolled automatically. Your employer pays in too.
Going self-employed money checklist
The biggest job is registering for Self Assessment by 5 October after the end of the tax year you started. On top of income tax, you pay Class 4 National Insurance of 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270. As a result, many people put aside 20% to 30% of every payment so the January tax bill is not a shock.
Also check whether Making Tax Digital applies to you. Sole traders with income over £50,000 have needed to send quarterly updates since April 2026. The limit falls to £30,000 in April 2027. Full details are on the GOV.UK Self Assessment page.
When someone dies money checklist
Losing someone is hard enough without the paperwork. You need to register the death within 5 days in England and Wales, or 8 days in Scotland. The free Tell Us Once service then tells most government departments for you. The GOV.UK guide to what to do after a death walks you through each step.
Later, the executor values the estate and applies for probate. Any Inheritance Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death. From April 2027 most unused pensions will count towards Inheritance Tax too, which our guide to pensions and Inheritance Tax explains.
Why a money checklist helps
Big life events are busy and often emotional, so small money jobs slip through the cracks. A missed Child Benefit claim or a late tax registration can cost you real money. A simple money checklist turns a long, stressful to do list into clear steps you can tick off one at a time.
Want to dig deeper? See if you are owed money with our unclaimed money checker. You can also find your money type with our money personality quiz, build a safety net with our emergency fund guide, or browse every calculator and download on our free financial tools page.
Money checklist FAQs
Yes. All five lists are free, there is no sign up, and your ticks are saved on your own device only.
Yes. Press the print button and you get a clean paper copy of the list you are viewing, with every link written out in full.
You have 42 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 21 days in Scotland.
You must register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started working for yourself.
You have 5 days in England and Wales, or 8 days in Scotland, from when the medical examiner’s office says you can register.