[updated Oct. 14, 2026]
Your online accounts may hold family photos, important records, and the information needed to manage your household. A digital estate plan helps the people you trust find and handle these items if you become incapacitated or pass away. We recommend taking the following steps alongside your broader estate plan.
➢ Review your estate documents
Ask your estate planning attorney to review the digital asset provisions in your will, trust, and financial power of attorney, including permission to access the content of email and other electronic communications. Your executor, trustee, or agent may need help from someone comfortable with technology. Naming a digital executor or sharing passwords does not automatically establish legal authority. Check that your online legacy settings match your estate documents; under applicable state law, online directions can override conflicting estate instructions.
If you would like to create or update an estate plan through Trust & Will, our advisor link provides a small discount at checkout. Anyone can use the link, including people who are not Stonekeep Investments clients. If you get started through it and are not already a client, we will receive a notification and reach out to see whether you need help. There is no obligation to become a client. No referral fees or credits are exchanged between Stonekeep Investments and Trust & Will. Using this link does not establish an investment advisory relationship with Stonekeep.
➢ Create a private account inventory
List important accounts, their usernames, where secure access instructions are stored, and what you want done with each account. Include email, cloud photos and documents, financial accounts, subscriptions, household bills, rewards programs, and any business websites or cryptocurrency wallets. Specify what should be preserved, transferred where permitted, memorialized, or closed.
Keep passwords, recovery codes, and cryptocurrency seed phrases out of your will, which may become a public court record. Store sensitive instructions securely and tell the appropriate person where to find them.
➢ Plan for passwords and authentication
A password may be insufficient when an account also uses a code sent to your phone, an authenticator app, a security key, or a passkey. Document the tools you use and the approved recovery methods. Secure any necessary device passcodes and backup codes. Keep a way to recover the password vault itself, so its instructions are accessible if your usual device is unavailable.
Password managers offer different options. Bitwarden Emergency Access lets premium users designate a trusted contact and a waiting period. 1Password's Emergency Kit can hold the information needed to sign in, with separate planning for two-factor authentication. Complete the setup and confirm your trusted person understands the process. Do not send password lists through ordinary email.
➢ Use platform legacy features
Apple Legacy Contact allows a chosen person to request eligible Apple Account data after your death. Share the access key; they will also need your death certificate. Passwords and passkeys stored in iCloud Keychain are excluded, so plan separately for those credentials.
Google Inactive Account Manager lets you choose trusted contacts, the data they should receive, and an inactivity period. It provides selected data rather than your login credentials. Google's inactivity policy also allows deletion of personal accounts after at least two years of inactivity, subject to exceptions.
Facebook Legacy Contact can manage certain features of a memorialized profile, but cannot log in as you or read private messages. You can also choose deletion after death.
These are just a few examples. Please check the other platforms you use that you may want others to have access to when you pass away to see if there are any legacy features built into their system.
➢ Preserve important files and manage account closures
Keep separate copies of irreplaceable photos and documents where intended recipients can access them. Record recurring charges and which services your household should keep. Leave instructions to preserve essential phone, email, and cloud services until needed records and authorized access are secured.
Financial institutions should be notified promptly and accounts handled through their incapacity or estate procedures. Knowing a password does not transfer ownership or authorize withdrawals.
If you hold cryptocurrency yourself, document the wallet and a secure recovery process. Private keys and seed phrases need special protection; losing access to both can make the assets unrecoverable.
➢ Review the plan with your trusted person
Review the plan at least annually and after changes to devices, recovery details, family relationships, or estate documents. Walk your chosen person through the inventory and access instructions. Confirm that they can locate what they need without depending entirely on an account that could itself be locked.
Three tasks to get started
Create or refresh your private account inventory.
Set up applicable legacy contacts and share required access keys.
Document a secure recovery path for your password manager and authentication tools.
***This article is for educational purposes. Estate laws and provider policies vary. Consult your estate planning attorney for guidance about your situation.***
