Why You Need a Digital Estate Plan and How to Make One

From the nextavenue website

What happens to all your digital accounts, services and property after you die? The official name for all these is a Digital Estate Plan. And with the lines increasingly blurred between our on- and off-line lives, it’s more important than ever to have a plan for your digital holdings.

With one in place, all your digital accounts and services can be deleted, managed or transferred to someone else after you’re gone. You can also ensure all paid or recurring services are closed and not draining money from your bank account or racking up credit card debt. Finally, a plan will provide guidance and direction about what you want done with your digital assets and overall online presence.

In the same way you need to organize your physical possessions, if you don’t get a handle on your digital life, you’re leaving a huge mess for your family when you sign off from this world.

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If you don’t think this post applies to you – STOP! 

If you have any of these accounts, you need to read this post: any Google account (including YouTube), Facebook or Instagram, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft. 

And there many others not mentioned in the post: other social media accounts (Twitter, etc.), financial accounts (banks, insurance, phones, etc.), accounts with businesses (like Home Depot, Costco, Best Buy, Macy’s, etc.), subscriptions (magazines, software, etc.). 

Bottom line – if you gave any personal information when you registered with a company website, these accounts need to be part of your digital estate plan.