In this day and age, everything is digital. But what happens to your digital property in the afterlife? We leave a will to our successors to deal with our estate, including our financial and property assets. But what becomes of our social media accounts, emails, computer files and any other digital accounts account that require a password?

Many times survivors are locked out of the deceased online accounts. It can be a lengthy and difficult process to obtain the secure information, which could require sending proof of death to the company and waiting for access. Without prior preparation unneeded subscriptions may continue and important information may be lost. But with a little prior preparation, you can manage your digital assets before you go.

How to Prepare your Digital Afterlife

Take Inventory.

While preparing your will, it may be a good idea to take inventory of any digital assets you may have. This is more than just your email and social media, but should include cloud storage, streaming services, domain and websites, online banking, and all photos, videos, and documents saved onto your computer.

Get a Password Manager.

Put all your passwords in one place so that when you die they can be easily accessed by whoever may need them. There are many options, but the best is getting an encrypted digital password manager. You can let one of your children or whoever is in charge of your estate when you go be the secondary person on the account, or just securely let them know the password. If you are wanting a more classic method, write all your passwords down but be sure to keep them locked in a safe.

Specify Your Wishes

When creating your will, make sure to name a digital legacy holder and specify what you want done with your digital estate. You can opt to close down your accounts or archive them. And make sure any bank or financial information can be accessed so your assets don’t get frozen. Be sure to get this is writing either to your next of kin or whoever is handing your will.

Dealing with your digital afterlife doesn’t have to be scary or stressful. But it is important to note that it is part of your estate and must be handled as you would property or other assets. This helps ensure that your loved ones can preserve your stories and memories, and not be stressed in a time of difficulty!