We spend a lot of time protecting our online identity; namely, making sure our passwords are secure so nobody can hack our accounts. (Hey you, maybe it's time to chuck that Post-it with all of your passwords written on it. You'll thank us later.) But what happens when you actually NEED to let others have access to your accounts? Namely, what happens to your online identity and assets when you log off for the final time? A San Francisco-based business, LegacyLocker.com, is helping you tackle this most morbid – yet
important – of subjects.
When we make a will, we ensure that our physical assets are
accounted for. Houses, cars, bank accounts, offspring. Tangible parts of our
lives that will need tending to when we're no longer around to do it ourselves.
But with much of our life now happening online, many people are overlooking a
huge part of their assets: their digital ones.
Legacy Locker aims to make this easy, by transferring your login
credentials to your named beneficiaries in the event of your death. You can
choose who would receive access to each account; perhaps you send your spouse
your eBay information but your work passwords to your colleague. And it's not
only online services; you can also keep encrypted versions of important
documents – such as stock certificates, the deed to your house, contracts, and even
a “Legacy Letter” or video to your loved ones – safeguarded to be sent to your
beneficiaries posthumously. Because you always have access to this information,
this service doubles as an easy way to keep a safe copy of your personal
artifacts, such as your ID or credit cards, for quick access should they get
lost or stolen. For those of us prone to 'misplacing' our wallets, this feature
is worth the $30/year (or $300 for a lifetime account) price tag alone.