Last year, more than 7.3 trillion digital photos were tucked away on cloud storage devices and hard drives. To some of us, these are the most priceless possessions a loved one can leave behind.
However, unless your loved one has given you access or their passwords, discovering and accessing these digital treasure chests can prove to be difficult and time consuming.
A little advanced planning can make the process much smoother. Use our checklist to help you think through your digital legacy planning.
1. Take inventory of your digital assets.
Rather than indexing every file name on your storage device, make a list of the location where your most important information lives. Think: e-mail, social media accounts, etc.
2. Add a digital executor to your will.
If you already have a will, we are happy to help you add a digital legacy clause. If you do not have a will, this is an excellent place to start. Get in touch today, and ask about our free consultation.
3. Add digital heirs.
Some of the larger tech companies permit you to assign a “legacy contact,” or an “inactive account manager.” For a vast majority of companies, however, it is important that you list specific digital heirs in your will.
4. Log your passwords.
The simplest and safest way to ensure a specific person can access your digital assets after your death, is to leave a log of all accounts and passwords. Mattingly Ford P.S.C., has prepared a form to help you think through and record each of these accounts to pass on to your loved ones. Please e-mail us to get your free copy, today!
5. Record your stories.
Spend time now, capturing your life experiences and stories you want to pass on. Consider digitizing this content.