Navigating the Digital Afterlife: A Guide to Preserving Your Online Le
"A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door." -Confucius
Technology has undoubtedly shifted our society over the last 15 to 20 years.
It's time we discuss estate planning with a technological twist.
There are a few key pieces when forming an organized estate plan, but here are a few pointers for managing and allocating your personal digital assets in the future.
Estate planning isn't a "fun" topic, but again, this day and age calls for it. If you have a lot of important business and data online (most of us do), let's ensure that everything is recovered or removed from the www.
Define "Digital Asset"
Before we go any further, the following could be considered digital assets in your name:
- Emails
- Social Media Sites
- Blogs
- Financial Accounts
- Music Files
- Photographs
- Videos
- Customer Database
- Cryptocurrency
The list goes on, but these are a few common personal online assets.
Taking Inventory
Have you created a will? If so, digital estate planning works similarly in theory.
A massive component of the planning phase is getting your assets in order. The list provided is a great place to start. Are those items listed organized? Are they saved onto an external hard drive? Do you have them under specific files on your computer?
Decision Time: After compiling this list, it is essential to decide if you want a fiduciary to disperse and allocate the information/digital assets accordingly.
In addition to the items on our list, you should list out all of your passwords and security questions. But it would help if you didn't keep those in a Word Document or Google Doc. Numerous password services will keep those passwords safe for you. (Although most password managers cost a little cash, your privacy and safety are worth it.)
According to social media policies, you do not need to leave login information for many accounts—simply the username and information for contacting the company is sufficient. These "deceased user" policies are often buried deep in their "help" sections and can be hard to find.
Who To Contact
The following list will send this blog to the spam folder. So, type in the URL for each site; the subsequent “string” is the rest of the link address.
Here is a list of policies we located for the major companies:
/accounts/answer/3036546?hl=en&ref_topic=2382809
/help/1506822589577997/
X (Twitter)
/en/rules-and-policies/contact-x-about-a-deceased-family-members-account
/help/LinkedIn/answer/a1380121/deceased-LinkedIn-member-removing-profile?lang=en
https://help.xxxcom/151636988358045/
https://help.xxxcom/en/article/deactivate-or-close-your-account
Yahoo
https://help.xxxcom/kb/yahoo-account/SLN2021.html
WordPress
https://en.support.xxxcom/deceased-user/
What each site may need
Take a few moments and familiarize yourself with each site's policies that matter to you.
If you take the time now to record which social media sites you have accounts and what you would like to happen after your death, your family will not have to guess after the fact, try to remember where you had accounts, or try to figure out what you would have wanted. They will see your instructions and know what to do.
Your representative will need extra details for LinkedIn. It is essential to provide details that will make their job easier during times of loss.
They’ll need the following information to submit your request:
- Member's full name
- LinkedIn profile link/URL
- Your relationship
- Member's email address
- Death date
- Link to an obituary
For requests to close the account, you’ll also need a copy of the member’s death certificate and one of the following legal documents to show you have the authority to act on behalf of the deceased member:
- Letters of Administration
- Letters of Testamentary
- Letters of Representation
- Other court order appointing the requestor as an authorized representative for the deceased member’s estate
Make a Plan and Stick to It
After collecting and listing your digital assets, it's up to you and the fiduciary to plan for the future. Execute this kind of plan within your will and agree on asset alignment or destruction in the event of death or disability.
It's important to factor in the terms of use and agreement on your most important accounts (yep, those boxes you check and say you "read").
Winston Churchill once said, "Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential." Although we can't be certain about the "plans" of our lives, "planning" makes the uncertainty a little more bearable.
BE THE ROAR not the echo®
Warmly, Janet “The Tax Wizard”
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