Do not overlook your digital assets when estate planning

So many aspects of our day-to-day life involve using the Internet in some matter. We do our banking online, communicate through email or social media, pay bills online, handle investments online and more. While this technology has made much of our life easier, it can become problematic if we pass away without giving our loved ones access to these accounts. The following are some tips on how you can ensure your loved ones can access your digital assets if you pass away.

Include your digital assets in your estate plan

If you have never thought about including your digital assets in your estate plan, you are not alone. However, it is a wise step to take. You can include clauses in your will that give the executor of your estate the authorization to access your digital assets and shut down digital accounts. This way you can avoid the problem of having to track down your online accounts or having someone wrongfully use them.

Password management technology

These days there are many different password management tools that allow you to inventory your online accounts. Again, in your will you can give the executor of your estate or the person designated as financial power of attorney the right to access your password management tools so they can handle your online accounts when you are no longer able to due to death or incapacity.

Do not leave your loved ones in the dark

Ultimately, you want to ensure a trusted individual knows the extent of your digital assets and has the ability to retrieve your usernames and passwords. Doing so can bring some comfort to your loved ones during a difficult time and can ease the stress of being in the dark about your digital assets. Estate planning attorneys in the San Jose area can provide legal advice on this topic.

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