Digital Estate Planning: What Happens to Your Online Life?
In today’s world, much of our financial, personal, and sentimental lives live online. From bank accounts and crypto wallets to photos, emails, and social media profiles, your digital assets don’t disappear when you’re gone. If they’re not planned for, they can create confusion, stress, and even permanent loss for your loved ones. In this episode of the A Wiser Retirement® Podcast, Shawna Theriault, CFP®, CPA, CDFA®, and Estate Planning Attorney Arun Gupta unpack what digital estate planning really means, and how you can take action in under an hour.
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Summary:
A digital asset is anything stored electronically that has value, financial or sentimental. This includes obvious items like online bank accounts, Venmo, crypto, and business logins, but also photos, email accounts, subscriptions, social media profiles, and cloud storage. Many people don’t realize how extensive this list is, or how much value may be sitting in places like payment apps.
Why Digital Estate Planning Is Often Overlooked
Traditional estate planning focuses on homes, investment accounts, and beneficiaries. Digital assets are often lumped in or missed entirely. With the average person managing hundreds of passwords, it’s unrealistic to expect loved ones to “figure it out” later, especially with two-factor authentication and device restrictions in place.
What Actually Happens When You Die?
There are three layers that determine access to your digital life:
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Platform policies – What companies like Apple, Google, Meta, or Venmo allow (often through legacy contact tools).
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Legal authority – What your power of attorney or executor is legally permitted to access under state law.
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Practical reality – What your family can realistically access with passwords, devices, and authentication hurdles.
Even if someone has legal permission, they may still hit technical roadblocks without the right preparation.
The Legal Side: What Executors Can (and Can’t) Access
Most states follow laws that allow executors to see a catalog of digital activity (like who you emailed and when), but not the content itself. However, you can explicitly grant broader access in your estate planning documents if you choose. This is an important and very personal decision that should be made intentionally.
Platform Tools Matter More Than You Think
Many platforms now allow you to name a legacy contact or set inactive account instructions. These tools often override what’s written in your will, making them one of the most powerful (and easiest) planning steps you can take.
The Rise of the Digital Afterlife
Memorialized social media accounts are becoming more common, allowing loved ones to revisit photos, posts, and memories. For some families, this is comforting. For others, it’s not desired. The key is deciding what you want and documenting it, before someone else has to guess.
Passwords, Security, and Two-Factor Authentication
Strong security is essential while you’re alive, but it can create major challenges if you’re incapacitated or pass away. Using a password manager, documenting where information lives, and ensuring a trusted person can navigate two-factor authentication can save enormous time and stress later.
A Simple Digital Estate Checklist You Can Do in Under an Hour
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Inventory your digital assets (financial accounts, email, phone, photos, subscriptions, crypto).
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Note where data lives (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, devices).
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Choose your people (executor, trusted helper, legacy contacts).
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Use platform tools first (Apple legacy contact, Google inactive account manager).
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Document consent and instructions in your estate plan.
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Securely share access info, never passwords in a will.
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Decide your digital wishes (keep, memorialize, or delete accounts).
A small amount of time now can save your loved ones from unnecessary frustration later.
Digital estate planning isn’t separate from traditional estate planning, it’s an essential part of it. As more of life moves online, ignoring this area creates real risks. The good news? With awareness, the right tools, and a little intention, this is one of the most impactful updates you can make to your plan.
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