Kim Kubsch
Imagine that your mother becomes incapacitated at age 78 due to complications from a stroke. You aren’t able to access contact information from her phone or email account to reach her friends to update them on her condition. You know Mom always kept notes and lists on her phone, but without her permission, PINs, or passwords, you have no way of viewing helpful and necessary information from her online calendar, like due dates for bills or appointments.
Why Create Legacy Contacts?
How can you ensure that your children, loved ones, or Power of Attorney will have the information they need if something like this happens to you? Choose legacy contacts for online accounts to enable them to view and manage personal information if the unthinkable occurs.
You can create one or more legacy contacts (or “inactive account managers”) so they have permission to access your online data when you pass away or become medically incapacitated. In most circumstances, after entering an access code and/or uploading a death certificate or a signed letter from doctors indicating mental incapacitation, your legacy contacts can view and download your data.
How to Choose Legacy Contacts
The Internet Age has come with complications. However, more judges continue to rule that online accounts are property that can be passed down, just like material possessions. Therefore, legacy contacts can become the managers or keepers of your digital data.
Setting up legacy contacts varies by account. There is no universal format, so time is required to set up each contact. For Google, Apple, and Facebook, use their procedures listed on their website to create your legacy contact. In addition, social media outlets like Twitter and Instagram allow legacy contacts, or they offer ways to memorialize a deceased person’s account. Usually, you’ll indicate your legacy contacts under Settings—Passwords and Security.
Before choosing legacy contacts, add only people you can trust. Let them know that you’re entrusting them with your personal information if the unthinkable happens. They’ll probably get an email (with an access code) signifying that they’re now your legacy contact, but be sure they are up for this serious responsibility.
Control what your legacy contact can see. Usually, you can choose between allowing them to access apps, email accounts, social media accounts, downloads, and/or photos, etc.
Additional Considerations
Consider a separate backup plan like sharing your passwords or access to a password manager, which can help them with accounts that don’t include legacy options or getting to data that isn’t designed to be passed on, like DRM (digital rights management) protected music and movies.
Here are two more smart ways to ensure your legacy contacts are validated:
1. Print a list of your passwords/usernames and leave them with estate planning documents.
2. Add permissions in your will for legacy contacts (specifically, which accounts and what data they can access).
Review your legacy contacts list annually and update if you divorce, a relationship changes, or a legacy contact passes away or becomes incapacitated.
Giving your loved ones access to your data after death is a gift.
Stay tuned for monthly articles about decluttering, downsizing, organizing, making transitions, and clearing of estates.
Call me at 480-720-8566 to learn about my free 30-minute consultation or to speak to your group or event, or reach me by email at [email protected]. Website: www.JoyfulDOWNSIZING.com