NORFOLK, Va. — Elizabeth Ayoola says her phone is a big part of her life - it stores special emails exchanged between her and her son and holds her daily journals.
With an abundance of personal information on her device, she wants to make sure it is in good hands when she dies. For that reason, Ayoola, along with millions of people, has looked to digital estate planning.
“Digital estate planning is basically the process of planning what happens to your digital assets when you die,” she says. “Have paperwork that outlines what your last wishes are, and what you want done with your digital assets.”
In addition to her other roles, Ayoola is a personal finance expert with Nerdwallet and says your “digital assets” include everything from your iCloud files (if you have an iPhone) to the information saved on your Amazon account.
To protect this information after you die, Ayoola says to start by finding a digital executor that you trust and ask them if they are comfortable taking on the responsibility.
“Creating inventory of your online accounts and digital files is one of the best things that you can actually do to help your loved ones prepare,” she says.
Make sure your selected loved one has the passcode needed to get into the device itself and any others that may be connected to two-factor authentication.
Also, keep an updated list of passwords and tell them if you want anything deleted.
Ayoola says to be mindful of subscription services as well, so charges are not racking up when the platform is not being used.
“It is a good idea for people to check what the laws are in their state. They can consult with a lawyer to find that out. Each digital platform has different rules [so be sure to look into that as well],” she says.
Nerdwallet says not to include any sensitive information like passwords in your will since that document becomes public after you die. Instead, put the inventory and instructions with your other estate planning documents. They suggest organizing your information on online storage sites like Everplans or LifeSite.
Both Apple and Android allow you to add a legacy contact to your phone, which gives someone immediate access to your data if you die.
