Most people think about their physical belongings when they plan their estate. Fewer think about their digital ones. But your digital life — financial accounts, photo libraries, subscriptions, email, social media, cryptocurrency — has real value and real consequences when it goes unaddressed after death.
Why a Digital Assets Inventory Matters
Without documentation of your digital assets, your family faces several problems:
- Financial loss: Online bank accounts, investment accounts, PayPal balances, cryptocurrency, reward points, and digital business assets can be lost or take years to recover without proper documentation
- Inaccessible memories: A lifetime of photos stored only in the cloud, email containing irreplaceable correspondence, and other digital records may be permanently inaccessible if the accounts can't be accessed or closed properly
- Identity and security risks: Active accounts that continue to exist after death can be vulnerable to fraud, hacking, or misuse
- Practical burden: Families spend significant time and energy tracking down and closing accounts — time that could be spared with basic documentation
What to Include in Your Digital Assets Inventory
Financial digital accounts
- Online-only bank accounts (Ally, Marcus, etc.)
- Investment and brokerage accounts
- PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle accounts (note any balances)
- Cryptocurrency wallets — document the wallet addresses and, separately and securely, the seed phrases or private keys
- Online payment platforms and merchant accounts
Social media and communication
- Facebook / Instagram / Meta
- Twitter / X
- TikTok, YouTube, and other content platforms
- Email accounts (especially any with significant correspondence or files)
- Note for each: whether you want the account memorialized, closed, or deleted
Photo and file storage
- iCloud / Apple Photos
- Google Photos / Google Drive
- Dropbox, OneDrive, or other cloud storage
- Amazon Photos
- Note: specify whether these contain irreplaceable photos or files, and your wishes for them
Subscriptions with value
- Streaming services (cancel these to stop recurring charges)
- Domain names and website hosting (may have ongoing value or business significance)
- Online business accounts and associated revenue streams
- Patreon, Substack, or other creator platform accounts
Loyalty programs and reward accounts
- Airline miles and frequent flyer accounts
- Hotel reward points
- Credit card rewards
- Store loyalty points with significant value
Digital media libraries
- Amazon Kindle library
- iTunes / Apple Music purchases
- Google Play purchases
- Note: most digital media licenses are non-transferable — you own a license, not the content — but the accounts can still be closed properly
How to Document Without Creating a Security Risk
The challenge: a document containing all your accounts and passwords is a significant security risk if it falls into the wrong hands. The balance between accessibility and security:
Use a password manager
A password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, etc.) stores all your credentials securely. For your family, document only: (1) that you use a password manager, (2) which one, (3) the master password or recovery key, stored separately in a secure location. This gives your family one key that unlocks everything, rather than requiring you to document hundreds of individual credentials.
Separate the inventory from the credentials
Your digital assets inventory should document what accounts exist, what email address is associated with each, and what you want done with each — without necessarily containing the passwords themselves. Keep credentials in your password manager or a separate secured document.
Store securely
Your digital assets inventory (without credentials) can be stored more openly — with your estate documents, in a secure digital legacy platform, or with your executor. The master password or password manager recovery key should be stored with the same security as physical valuables: a fireproof safe, a safe deposit box, or a sealed envelope with your attorney.
Platform-Specific Legacy Settings to Set Up Now
Several major platforms allow you to pre-designate what happens to your account after death:
- Apple Digital Legacy: Settings → [your name] → Legacy Contact. Designates someone to access your iCloud data after death. Generates an access key they'll need.
- Google Inactive Account Manager: myaccount.google.com → Data & Privacy → More options → Make a plan for your account. Pre-plans what happens when your account becomes inactive.
- Facebook: Settings → Memorialization Settings. Choose a legacy contact or request account deletion after death.
- Instagram: Can be memorialized or removed by a verified immediate family member after death.
These settings take about five minutes to configure and ensure a clear, legally recognized path for your designee to access your accounts.
A Simple Template to Get Started
For each significant account, document:
- Platform/service name
- Account type (bank, social media, email, etc.)
- Associated email address
- Where credentials are stored (password manager, safe, attorney)
- Your wishes (close the account, memorialize, transfer, download data first, etc.)
- Notes (account balance, subscription billing date, important files stored here, etc.)
Keep It Updated
A digital assets inventory is a living document. Set a reminder to review it annually — you open and close accounts, change email addresses, and accumulate new digital assets regularly. An outdated inventory is better than none, but a current one is far better than either.