Ask the Experts: Digital Assets
Q: What are digital assets, and what role do they play in estate planning?
A digital asset is any item or information that is stored electronically. Most commonly, this means your logins, passwords, PINs, and anything contained within an online account. What happens to these accounts when you die? The answer depends on the type of account and whether you have included its assets as part of your estate plan.
To add digital assets to your estate plan, start by making a list of all accounts. If you are already using a password management application, such as 1Password, LastPass, NordPass, or Keeper, a master list will be included as part of the service. Internet browsers can also show a list of saved logins and passwords. Check under settings and search for passwords.
Next, determine which accounts are valuable to you. Even if the asset has no financial value, its emotional significance might mean it’s worth saving. For instance, you may save your photo storage accounts and movie or music collections. In general, don’t bother creating plans for online shopping accounts, since these are likely to be deactivated on their own after a certain period of inactivity.
Most social media and email accounts have end-of-life provisions that can automatically transfer the account to a designated person after a specific number of days without access. But you must make sure you set these up.
For cryptocurrency, there are various digital asset inheritance services, such as Inheriti by Safe Haven and Covenant by Casa, that will guide your beneficiary through the transfer process.
Financial institutions do not recommend letting anyone else access your account using your credentials, whether you are dead or alive. Usually, your spouse or executor will simply need to contact the company and let them know you are deceased to begin the closure process. All financial accounts, including credit and debit cards, should be shut down soon after death to prevent fraud.
One digital asset worth preserving: Your frequent flyer accounts. Most airlines will transfer miles to a spouse or child.
As part of your estate planning, you will want to designate a specific person and provide them with authority to manage your digital assets. However, this does not mean you should include your passcodes or other access information in your will. When you die, your will becomes a public document, which means anyone can read it.
One solution is to reference an outside document in your will that contains all the necessary information to settle your digital estate. This way, you can continue to revise and update the outside document without having to either change your will or put your digital assets at risk.
By including digital assets as part of your estate plan, you make things easier for your loved ones, who would otherwise be responsible for tracking down and managing these accounts.
Yes, it means getting organized now, but doing so will protect you both in the short term and long after you are gone.
Have questions? Need help? Call the CAPTRUST Advice Desk at 800.967.9948, or schedule an appointment with a retirement counselor today.
