I
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Monthly income (after tax / take-home)
Your monthly take-home pay after tax and NI
If applicable
Any additional paid work, consulting, or self-employment
If you rent out a property in the UK or abroad
Child benefit, tax credits, or any other regular benefits
Pension income, investments, anything else
Total monthly income
£0
Why this matters
Your total income is your starting point. Everything else in this map is measured against it. If the number surprises you in either direction, higher or lower than you expected, that is worth noting.
II
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Housing
Living costs
Commute, car, travel
Streaming, gym, apps, memberships. Add them up.
Clothing, eating out, social, personal care
Obligations and savings
Remittances, family support, overseas mortgage
Minimum payments on credit cards and loans, not the mortgage
Standing order to savings, ISA contributions
Anything not covered above
Total monthly outgoings
£0
Monthly surplus / shortfall
£0
The number that matters most in this section
The monthly surplus or shortfall tells you whether you are building or eroding. If the number is negative, that needs addressing before any investment or planning conversation. If it is positive but smaller than you expected. That gap is worth investigating.
III
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Cash and savings
What you consider savings in your current account
Investments
Shares, bonds, funds outside an ISA
Pensions: list each one separately
Current employer
Previous employer
Previous employer
Any other pension arrangements
If you own property, estimated current value
Total assets
£0
About the pension pots
If you have worked for multiple UK employers and cannot find all your pension pots, go to gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details. Enter your previous employers' names and the government will give you the pension provider's contact details. This takes about 10 minutes and is worth doing before you complete this section.
IV
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Total across all cards
UK student loan outstanding
Klarna, Laybuy, or similar
Family loans, informal borrowing
Total debts
£0
Net position (assets minus debts)
£0
The net position
Your net position is your total assets minus your total debts. A negative number is not a crisis. It is information. A mortgage means your property value sits in Section 3 and the debt here. What matters is the direction of travel. Is the gap getting smaller or larger?
V
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This section is a checklist. For each item, mark whether it is in place, partially in place, or not yet in place. Be honest. Gaps here are not failures. They are the most important things to address first.
Life insurance
A policy that pays a lump sum to your family if you die. Separate from any employer death-in-service benefit. Check whether yours goes with you if you leave.
Income protection insurance
Replaces a portion of your income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. Your employer's sick pay will run out. This is what takes over when it does.
Critical illness cover
Pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specified serious illness. Covers you in the period where you are alive but unable to work.
A valid, up-to-date will
Without a will, UK law decides what happens to your estate. Your wishes, your partner, your children, and your family overseas may not be protected the way you intend.
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
Appoints someone to make financial and health decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity. Without one, your family may have no legal authority to help.
Named beneficiary on all pension pots
Your pension does not automatically pass via your will. You need to complete an expression of wishes form with each pension provider to nominate who receives it.
Emergency fund (3+ months of essential expenses)
Accessible savings that cover your essential outgoings for at least three months. For those supporting family overseas, this calculation should include those obligations.
Gaps identified. The items marked above are worth prioritising. They do not all need to be addressed at once, but they should be on your plan. The Financial Blueprint programme works through these with you in a structured way.
Why this section matters most
The FCA's 2025 survey found that income protection has the lowest financial literacy pass rate of any topic in the UK. Only 18% of people understand it. Most people discover at least one significant gap in this section. That is not a failure. It is what the map is for.
VI
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These are not trick questions. There are no right answers. But the honest answers will tell you more about what to do next than any of the numbers above.
Do not overthink this. Write the first thing that comes to mind. That is usually the most important thing.
The thing that comes to mind when you think "I really should sort this out."
Be specific. Not "I would be wealthier" but what would actually have changed?
Not what you tell people. The honest reason.
What to do with these answers
Read them back. The first answer usually names the most urgent thing. The last answer usually names the most important thing to address. Not the practical gap, but the reason it has stayed a gap. Both are part of what a financial plan needs to address.
Your Money Map summary
This is what your map says about where you are right now. The numbers update automatically as you complete each section.
Monthly income
£0
Total coming in
Monthly outgoings
£0
Total going out
Monthly surplus
£0
Available to build with
Total assets
£0
What you have
Total debts
£0
What you owe
Net position
£0
Assets minus debts
The Money Map is for your personal reference only. The figures here are for your own clarity and do not constitute financial advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, please speak with a qualified financial adviser. Funmi Akande is a certified financial adviser at Life After Arrival.