What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die?
Discover the crucial steps to manage your digital legacy after death. Learn how to designate a digital executor, update your estate plan, and online accounts.
In today's digital age, most of us have numerous online accounts and digital assets. From social media accounts to email accounts, online banking to digital photos and documents, we store a lot of valuable information on the internet. However, have you ever considered what happens to all of these accounts and assets when we die?
This is an important question that often goes unaddressed, but it's important to have a plan in place to ensure our digital legacy is handled properly. Most people have a will or an estate plan to distribute their physical assets to their heirs, but what about their digital assets and online accounts?
Digital Assets and Estate Planning
When we die, our online accounts and digital assets are typically controlled by the companies that provide the services. However, with proper estate planning, we can designate someone to manage our digital assets and accounts after we die. This person can be given access to our accounts and instructed on what to do with our digital assets, such as whether to delete or preserve them.
It's important to include digital assets in your estate plan and to regularly update it as you acquire new online accounts and assets. Some digital assets can have financial value, such as cryptocurrency, and may need to be treated differently than other digital assets. It's essential to identify all of your digital assets and determine how you want them to be managed after your death.
State Laws and Digital Assets
Laws regarding digital assets and estate planning vary by state, so it's crucial to understand the laws in your state. Some states have laws in place that allow a person to designate a digital executor to manage their digital assets after they die. Other states do not have specific laws regarding digital assets, which can make it more difficult for loved ones to access and manage these assets after their death.
It's essential to consult with an attorney who specializes in estate planning and digital assets to ensure that your digital legacy is handled properly. They can help you navigate the laws in your state and create a plan for your digital assets that meets your wishes.
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Managing Your Digital Legacy
Managing your digital legacy is important to ensure that your online presence is handled in a way that aligns with your wishes. This includes designating someone to manage your digital assets and accounts after you die, updating your estate plan regularly, and understanding the laws in your state regarding digital assets.
By taking these steps, you can ensure that your digital legacy is preserved and managed in a way that reflects your wishes. You can also provide peace of mind for your loved ones, who won't be left guessing what to do with your digital assets and accounts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our online accounts and digital assets are valuable and should be included in our estate planning. It's important to have a plan in place to ensure that our digital legacy is handled properly after we die. By designating someone to manage our digital assets, updating our estate plan regularly, and understanding the laws in our state, we can ensure that our digital legacy is preserved and managed in a way that reflects our wishes.
Don't leave your digital legacy to chance. Start thinking about it now and take the necessary steps to ensure that your digital assets are managed according to your wishes.
Our service
At WillBox.me, we provide a complete digital estate planning service that helps you organize and manage your digital assets, so they can be accessed and transferred by your loved ones after you pass away or become incapacitated. Our service includes creating a digital inventory, determining who will have access, providing instructions on how to manage your assets, and securely storing your digital estate plan.
Subscribe to our service today, and gain peace of mind that your legacy will be protected.