Digital estate

Why your digital estate matters:

When someone dies, the surviving relatives have to manage or close dozens of online accounts – often without passwords. Without preparation this is extremely difficult or even impossible.

What belongs to your digital estate:

• Finances: online banking, securities accounts, PayPal, crypto wallets
• Email: Gmail, Outlook (often the key to everything else)
• Social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok
• Subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, cloud storage, magazines
• Photos & documents: Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox
• Digital purchases: Steam games, Kindle books, iTunes music

How to sort it out:

✅ Password manager: all passwords in ONE place (Bitwarden, 1Password). Store the master password securely (safe deposit box or notary)
✅ Digital power of attorney: explicitly mention digital accounts in your lasting power of attorney
✅ Google Inactive Account Manager: decide what happens to your Google account if you're inactive for 3+ months
✅ Facebook legacy contact: decide who manages your profile after your death
✅ Crypto: store the seed phrase securely (without it, the money is lost forever!)