Digital Will — What Happens to Your Accounts When You Are Gone

Nobody likes thinking about death, but your digital life does not stop when you do. Email accounts with years of memories, cloud storage full of photos, subscriptions that keep charging, social media profiles that stay online — without a plan, your loved ones will struggle to access or close any of them. Create a digital will: a secure document listing your key accounts, how to access them, and what you want done with each one.

Store it alongside your regular will or in a secure location a trusted person knows about. Include instructions for email, social media, cloud storage, financial accounts, and subscription services. Some platforms let you designate a legacy contact — set that up now. This is not morbid; it is a final act of care for the people you leave behind.