A family asset register is the single most important document most affluent families do not have. It is not a will. It is not an estate plan. It is the master index that makes every other document actually usable.
Done well, it tells one person — your spouse, your executor, your eldest child — exactly what you own, where it is, what it is worth, and who to call.
What belongs in it
Property and real estate, in detail. Operating businesses and shareholdings, with cap tables. Bank, investment and superannuation accounts. Insurance policies and beneficiary nominations. Vehicles — every car, motorcycle and trailer. Collectables — art, watches, wine, memorabilia. Digital assets and online accounts. Identity documents. Recurring subscriptions and memberships. Loans, guarantees and liabilities. Personal effects with significant emotional or financial value.
Who sees it, and when
Your asset register is private. Most families share the full register with their spouse and one or two trusted advisers — and a structured subset (sometimes called an executor briefing) with their nominated executor. Adult children typically receive an overview, not the full detail, while parents are still living.
The principle is: the right people see the right information at the right time. Never before. Never less than they need.
Where to keep it
Not in a desk drawer. Not in a single computer. Not in a single cloud account no one else can unlock. A proper register lives in an encrypted vault, with structured access protocols and a clear release process. That is exactly what Legacy Vault was built to do.