If you are like billions of other people, you have several e-mail accouts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other accounts online. You might even be the owner of a domain name or two. But, has it ever occurred to you what will happen to these digital estates once you pass away? I did. And I found a good solution with estate planning at Lexikin. Read on to see what I’ve discovered.
When a person makes out a will he or she commonly thinks of real estate, heirlooms, bank accounts, stocks and many other tangible items that he or she will leave to an heir. For the past 20 years or so, not much thought has gone in to what to do with e-mail accounts, yet it is important to consider these digital assets now that just about everyone has them. Here are some easy steps to take to protect your digital estate.
First, make a list of all of them. Think about every social media account you have, to any other type of online account you have. This includes your bank accounts, savings accounts, brokerage accounts and credit card accounts. Do not forget about any shopping online accounts that you have either. Also, list the location of where you have accessed or used these accounts.
List every computer, external hard drive, flash or jump drive, smart phone, e-reader, mp3 player and tablet. Remember, when listing your digital assets think about anything that is stored on a physical device or in the “cloud.” Do you have anything listed on Google Drive, for instance? Are there any important documents stored there?
What about any trademarks or any code that you have written? You own those, so you want to list them and where they are accessible. Finally, if you do have domain names be sure an list them as well as where they are hosted. The same is true for listing websites and all pages as well as any blogs or online journals that you keep.
Now, decide who you wish to handle these assets for you after you die. Let that executor or executrix delete whichever accounts you wish to delete. Or, if you prefer, let them take the account over. The choice is up to you, but now that the world has so much digital assets going for it, you need to consider these assets and how they will be taken care of after you die. For more help in arranging things, you can consult with a will and trusts attorney.
If you are like billions of other people, you have several e-mail accouts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other accounts online. You might even be the owner of a domain name or two. But, has it ever occurred to you what will happen to these digital estates once you pass away? I did. And I found a good solution with estate planning at Lexikin. Read on to see what I’ve discovered.
When a person makes out a will he or she commonly thinks of real estate, heirlooms, bank accounts, stocks and many other tangible items that he or she will leave to an heir. For the past 20 years or so, not much thought has gone in to what to do with e-mail accounts, yet it is important to consider these digital assets now that just about everyone has them. Here are some easy steps to take to protect your digital estate.
First, make a list of all of them. Think about every social media account you have, to any other type of online account you have. This includes your bank accounts, savings accounts, brokerage accounts and credit card accounts. Do not forget about any shopping online accounts that you have either. Also, list the location of where you have accessed or used these accounts.
List every computer, external hard drive, flash or jump drive, smart phone, e-reader, mp3 player and tablet. Remember, when listing your digital assets think about anything that is stored on a physical device or in the “cloud.” Do you have anything listed on Google Drive, for instance? Are there any important documents stored there?
What about any trademarks or any code that you have written? You own those, so you want to list them and where they are accessible. Finally, if you do have domain names be sure an list them as well as where they are hosted. The same is true for listing websites and all pages as well as any blogs or online journals that you keep.
Now, decide who you wish to handle these assets for you after you die. Let that executor or executrix delete whichever accounts you wish to delete. Or, if you prefer, let them take the account over. The choice is up to you, but now that the world has so much digital assets going for it, you need to consider these assets and how they will be taken care of after you die. For more help in arranging things, you can consult with a will and trusts attorney.
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