Most people think when someone dies, their family inherits the debt. That's one of the biggest estate planning myths I hear and unfortunately, it's a myth some debt collectors are happy to let people believe. In most cases, your loved ones don't inherit your debt. But your debt can still affect what they inherit, what your estate has to pay, and how the entire administration process unfolds. Here's what really happens after someone dies and what every family should know before the collection calls begin. Read more…

Most people think leaving behind a list of passwords is enough. It isn't. Today, it's not the password that keeps families locked out after someone dies. It's everything that comes after it: two-factor authentication, security codes, and devices only one person could access. Here's why a password list alone isn't enough and what a real digital estate plan should include. Read more…

Following your death, unless you’ve planned ahead, some of your online accounts will survive indefinitely, while others automatically expire after a period of inactivity. Still, others have specific processes that let you give family and friends the ability to access and posthumously manage your accounts.

In parts one and two of this series, we covered the processes that Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter, and Apple offer to manage your digital accounts following your death. In part three, we’ll conclude this series by covering the most effective methods for including digital assets in your estate plan.

Last week, in part one of this series, we covered the processes that Facebook and Google have in place to manage your digital accounts following your death. Here in part two, we’ll continue our discussion, covering how Instagram, Twitter, and Apple’s collection of online platforms handle your accounts once you log off for the final time.

If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple, or Amazon, you have a digital legacy, and that legacy is yours to preserve or lose.

Following your death, unless you’ve planned ahead, some of your online accounts will survive indefinitely, while others automatically expire after a period of inactivity. Still, others have specific processes that let you give family and friends the ability to access and posthumously manage your accounts.