Protecting Your Digital Legacy: Planning for the Online Afterlife by Troy C. Kiefer

In our increasingly digital world, estate planning must now include online assets. Seniors often have photos, bank accounts, email, social media, and even cryptocurrency tied up in the digital realm. Without instructions, loved ones may face frustrating barriers, lost memories, or unexpected costs when trying to manage these accounts.

Begin by taking inventory—list every digital account, login, and password, including cloud photo storage, email, subscriptions, and cryptocurrency wallets. Next, appoint a digital executor, a trusted, tech-savvy person charged with carrying out your wishes online. Then, specify your instructions: do you want accounts deleted, memorialized, or passed to family? Do you want sentimental photos preserved or financial assets transferred?

Include these digital directives in your will, trust, or power of attorney. This gives your executor legal authority to access accounts. Also, update any platform-specific “legacy contacts,” such as Facebook or Google’s Inactive Account Manager.

By taking these steps—inventory, executor, clear wishes, legal authority—you ensure your digital life is handled with care, reducing stress and preserving cherished memories for your family.