Plan ahead for your online accounts

Friends, as we get older, we do a lot of smart planning. We update our wills, name beneficiaries on life insurance, and make sure our important papers are in one safe place. But there’s one growing part of our lives that too many of us overlook: our online accounts.

Today, the average person has more than 150 online accounts—email, banking, streaming services like Netflix, cloud photo storage, loyalty programs, shopping sites, and sometimes even cryptocurrency or small online businesses. When we pass away, these accounts don’t automatically close or hand over to our loved ones. Without a simple plan, our families can be left locked out, frustrated, and facing extra bills and heartache at the worst possible time.

There are too many adult children who spent weeks or months trying to access a parent’s Gmail to find important documents, or who kept paying for subscriptions they didn’t even know existed. Irreplaceable family photos stored in Google Photos or iCloud can become unreachable. Email accounts left open may even become targets for hackers. And if there’s cryptocurrency involved without clear instructions, those digital assets can be lost forever—no bank or company can recover a lost seed phrase.

The problem is that our financial and personal lives have moved online faster than the laws have caught up. A death certificate used to open doors at the bank. Today, it often can’t get past two-factor authentication or company policies. Most platforms have no legal duty to notify your family or grant them access. Traditional wills may not cover digital assets in enough detail, leaving everything in a legal gray area.

The good news? You don’t need a lawyer or a lot of time to fix this. An afternoon of thoughtful preparation can spare your children and grandchildren a great deal of stress.

Step 1: choose a digital executor. Pick someone you trust who is comfortable with technology—maybe one of your children, a tech-savvy niece or nephew, or the same person you named as your estate executor. This “digital executor” will handle closing accounts, transferring photos, or canceling subscriptions after you’re gone.

Write it down. Include it in your will if possible, or create a separate letter of instruction that your main executor knows about. A verbal promise isn’t enough; documentation gives them the standing they need to act.

Step 2: use the built-in tools on major platforms. The big services already offer free, easy ways to plan ahead. It takes just a few minutes.

• Google Inactive Account Manager: Decide what should happen to your Gmail, Google Photos, Drive files, and YouTube after a period of inactivity. You can have everything deleted or share specific data with up to 10 trusted people.
• Apple Digital Legacy: Add a legacy contact to your Apple ID. They can request access to your photos, messages, notes, and other files using a special access key you create now.
• Facebook and Instagram: Name a legacy contact who can manage a memorialized account, pin a final message, or request deletion if that’s what you prefer.

These tools are simple and cost nothing. Setting them up now means the platforms will follow your wishes instead of their default policies.

Step 3: create an accessible record of your accounts. This is where many good intentions fall short. Don’t hide everything in a notes app or an encrypted file that no one can open. Use a reputable password manager such as 1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass that includes an “emergency access” feature. You designate a trusted person, set a short waiting period (like 72 hours), and if you don’t respond, they gain access. It’s a smart safety net.

If a password manager feels overwhelming, a clearly written list stored with your will or in a fireproof safe works well too (this is what I use). Include account names, the email address used to sign in, and—for subscriptions—the rough monthly cost. That alone can prevent months of unwanted automatic charges for streaming, software, or other services.

Pay special attention to cryptocurrency. If you hold any in a private wallet, securely document your seed phrase or private key so your digital executor can access it. Otherwise, those assets disappear with you.

One last practical tip: recurring subscriptions don’t stop on their own. Make sure your list includes them so your family can cancel promptly and avoid draining your estate unnecessarily.

If you’re dealing with a loved one who has already passed without a plan, start by contacting each platform with the death certificate and proof of your relationship. Processes exist, but they can be slow. For financial accounts, an estate attorney can help guide you through probate.

Seniors, we’ve always been good at looking out for our families. Adding our digital lives to that care is just one more thoughtful step. Take a little time this week to designate a digital executor, turn on those legacy tools, and create a clear record of your online accounts. Your children will thank you for it.

Thanks for reading All About Seniors, see you next week!

Bill Milby is a Director of Visiting Angels® of Central Georgia, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at  https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA