Kim Kubsch
In this digital age, we rely heavily on computers and laptops for email and business, on the conveniences of smartphones to stay in touch with people and pay bills, and we use wearable devices to track our physical activity. We also rely on various online accounts like Zelle or Venmo to stream a movie or have items delivered to our doorstep.
The downside to our modern-day life is the lack of a good paper trail. Today, our loved ones are less likely to know what we have unless we tell them.
Most service agreements we agree to when creating an online account state that nobody, including spouses, will be granted access to an online account when we pass away or become incapacitated.
Litigation attorneys indicate it can cost a family or estate up to $10,000 to pursue legal action to attempt to obtain access to one digital account belonging to a loved one. In many states, the process could take three to nine months.
How to Organize a Digital Legacy
Provide Access
Access to all devices is critical. In our high-tech, modern world, the single, most impactful action you can take is to make sure someone has access to your cell phone and all your devices. Dual authentication is often required, which involves access to both an email and a cell number.
Be sure someone has access to your devices. You can program a loved one’s face or fingerprint into your phone. Or choose to tell a loved one the password to your phone or laptop. Or leave information behind telling loved ones where they can find the password to various devices.
Secure Passwords
Just like with devices, having the ability to access our loved ones’ online accounts is critical.
If a loved one isn’t able to access an online account, access to cherished digital photos or text messages or voicemails will not be possible. You may continue to pay for accounts that are no longer needed because they don’t have the authority and/or information needed to close the account. Or thousands of dollars on legal fees may be spent to pursue access to a digital account. Leave a list of digital accounts and their passwords to save loved ones from frustration.
Keep in mind that if you have the password to an individual’s bank account, it may not give you the proper, legal authority to access the account. Every financial institution has its own processes that must be followed when someone passes away or becomes incapacitated.
Consider using a password manager or digital vault to securely protect and organize your passwords. Cybercrimes are on the rise, and bad actors know we tend to reuse the same three or four passwords. Password managers not only keep our passwords safe, but they also can help us by creating unique and complex passwords.
Preparing for the inevitable, or the unexpected, is not something that many people like to think about. As author of Getting Your Life Together Organizer, I urge you to use these tips to organize your digital legacy today to make things easier for your loved ones!
To learn more about secrets of being organized, visit Amazon for Kim’s book Joy of Downsizing and Getting Your Life Together. For Kim’s free 30-minute downsizing consultation, call 480-720-8566 or email [email protected].