In our tech-driven world, our lives are intertwined with digital footprints—from photos and videos to social media profiles and online banking. Yet, many overlook the importance of managing their digital legacy in funeral planning.
It’s not just about physical possessions anymore; protecting your digital memories and assets is crucial. Let’s explore why digital legacy planning matters and how to do it right.
Understanding Digital Assets
Incorporating digital assets into your end-of-life planning is crucial to preserving your digital memories and managing your online presence according to your wishes. Digital assets include any online accounts, digital files, and electronic data you own. These can include:
- Social Media Accounts: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, etc.
- Email Accounts: Personal and professional email addresses.
- Digital Photos and Videos: Stored on your computer, cloud services, or social media.
- Financial Accounts: Online banking, investment portfolios, cryptocurrency wallets.
- Subscriptions and Services: Streaming services, cloud storage, online publications.
- Personal Websites and Blogs: Any content you’ve created and shared online.
Each of these assets holds personal and sometimes financial value, making it essential to include them in your funeral planning process.
Choosing a Digital Executor
A Digital Executor is someone you trust to manage your digital life after you’re gone. They will handle closing, memorializing, or managing your accounts and dealing with digital assets like photos and videos. You can appoint this person in your will.
Online tools like GoodTrust and Trust & Will can help simplify this process. GoodTrust allows you to set up a private digital vault to keep track of your online accounts, organize essential documents, and share important information, including passwords. Trust & Will helps you create an estate plan that includes provisions for your digital assets.
These resources, designed with user-friendliness in mind, make it easy to create a comprehensive plan for your digital assets and ensure that your information reaches the right hands when needed.
Preserving Digital Memories
Photos, videos, and other digital memories hold sentimental value and are an essential part of your legacy. To ensure these memories are preserved:
- Back-Up Important Files: Regularly back up your digital photos, videos, and important documents to an external hard drive or cloud storage service.
- Organize and Label: Organize your digital files in a way that makes sense to your loved ones. Label folders and files clearly to help them navigate through your digital collection.
- Share Access: Provide access to your digital memories to your family members or trusted friends. This can be done by sharing login credentials or setting up shared cloud storage.
- Consider Digital Legacy Services: Companies like Celebr8 Life and INALIFE specialize in preserving digital legacies. Celebr8 Life creates personalized, multi-scene tribute videos utilizing their AI platform, while INALIFE allows clients to share stories and record videos across different life stages, ensuring memories and moments are preserved for future generations.
Protecting Financial Digital Assets
In addition to sentimental value, some digital assets have significant financial implications.
Here’s how to protect these assets:
- Online Banking and Investment Accounts: These accounts are critical for your estate planning. Make sure your digital executor has access to your online banking information, including passwords and security questions. Specify how you want these accounts handled in your will, whether closing or transferring them to a beneficiary.
- Cryptocurrency Wallets: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are becoming more common financial assets. Ensure that your digital executor has access to your cryptocurrency wallets and understands how to manage them. This may include sharing private keys and recovery phrases securely.
- PayPal and Other Payment Services: Many people use services like PayPal, Venmo, or Square for various transactions. Include these in your digital inventory and specify how they should be handled.
- Subscription Services and Digital Purchases: Subscriptions to streaming services, online publications, and software may have renewal fees or contain valuable digital content. Make a list of all subscriptions and determine whether they should be canceled or transferred.
Managing Email Accounts
Email accounts serve as a central hub for much of our online activity. Managing these accounts after your passing is crucial for privacy and security. Here’s how to handle your email accounts effectively:
- Create an Email Inventory: List all your email accounts, including personal, work, and any secondary or backup accounts. Include login credentials, passwords, and any security questions or recovery options.
- Designate Access: Decide who should have access to your email accounts. This could be your digital executor or a trusted family member. Ensure they know how to access these accounts and understand your wishes regarding them.
- Review Email Content: Periodically review your email content and delete any messages or attachments that are no longer needed or that you prefer to keep private. This makes it easier for your loved ones to manage your accounts and reduces the risk of sensitive information being misused.
- Close or Transfer Accounts: Specify in your will whether you want your email accounts to be closed, transferred, or maintained. Some email providers have policies for managing accounts after death, so review these policies and include instructions in your digital legacy plan.
Conclusion
Digital legacy planning is a key aspect of modern funeral arrangements. By organizing your digital assets now, you ensure your digital life is handled according to your wishes, giving peace of mind to you and your loved ones.
