If your Facebook page, email and social media accounts are a big part of your life, they’re also going to be an important part of your afterlife. Unless your family has a decryption expert on hand, these account passwords need to be part of your estate planning. Should the worst case scenario happen, it’s wise to ensure that a trusted person or family member has access to your online account passwords. It may sound like a morbid piece of planning, but taking precautions will give you control over the fate of your online accounts. So what’s the strategy? Create a simple printed list of all your login and password details then stash it somewhere safe . This can mean the difference between immediate account closure and a long drawn out process to retrieve your assets. If you have passport management software you can give your spouse or executor the master password, which unlocks all the others for your digital estate. Putting instructions for your digital future in your will is not entirely fool proof but it’s a good start. Only seven states actually have laws addressing online estate planning but they will take notice of your list of beneficiaries. This means all of your online updates should include the correct beneficiaries to your life insurance policies, annuities and retirement accounts. Just a small bit of forward planning can help to streamline your digital assets. So don’t let your online footprint get lost in cyberspace.
by TheStreet 1:20 mins
If your Facebook page, email and social media accounts are a big part of your life, they're also going to be an important part of your afterlife. Unless your family has a decryption expert on hand, these account passwords need to be part of your estate planning. Should the worst case scenario happen, it's wise to ensure that a trusted person or family member has access to your online account passwords. It may sound like a morbid piece of planning, but taking precautions will give you control over the fate of your online accounts. So what's the strategy? Create a simple printed list of all your login and password details then stash it somewhere safe . This can mean the difference between immediate account closure and a long drawn out process to retrieve your assets. If you have passport management software you can give your spouse or executor the master password, which unlocks all the others for your digital estate. Putting instructions for your digital future in your will is not entirely fool proof but it's a good start. Only seven states actually have laws addressing online estate planning but they will take notice of your list of beneficiaries. This means all of your online updates should include the correct beneficiaries to your life insurance policies, annuities and retirement accounts. Just a small bit of forward planning can help to streamline your digital assets. So don't let your online footprint get lost in cyberspace.
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