Estate Planning in the Digital Age: Why Digital Assets are a Critical Part and How to Address Them

Let's consider a common – but overlooked – problem in estate planning. Someone becomes incapacitated and has essential personal and financial information stored in an online account. The password is secured in a note on their phone, and the phone is locked with a passcode. Even if they gain access, the note itself requires two-factor authorization that goes to an email account with its own password. Suddenly, what seemed like a simple matter of accessing important information has suddenly become a complex, digital maze!
This scenario isn't unrealistic. As our lives become increasingly digitized, often behind multiple layers of security, the ability to access this information easily also becomes increasingly important. Yet, many people don't think about what will happen to these digital assets if they pass away or become incapacitated, especially when many people don't realize how much we rely on them.