Digital Estate and Legacy Planning Week 2: Your Digital Account Inventory

You don't need to organize everything at once — just start with knowing what you have and where it lives.

You probably know you have “a lot of accounts.” But if someone asked you to name them all right now, off the top of your head, you’d likely get halfway down the list and realize you forgot three email addresses, a streaming service, and that genealogy site you signed up for two years ago.

That’s the gap this week is about. Not passwords. Not legal documents. Just a clear picture of what you have and where it lives.

Why “I’ll Remember It” Doesn’t Work

Your digital life has grown quietly over the decades. An email account here. Online banking there. A photo backup service you set up when you got a new phone. None of it feels complicated in the moment, but together it adds up fast.

When something happens to you, your family won’t know where to start. They won’t know what accounts exist, let alone how to reach them. A simple list, even a handwritten one on paper, changes everything.

Action step: Before you read further, write down three accounts you know you have. That’s your starting point.

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The Six Categories Worth Covering

Work through these one at a time, over several days if needed:

1. Email accounts — including old ones you rarely check

2. Financial accounts — banks, investment accounts, PayPal, Venmo

3. Devices — phones, tablets, computers, and whether they’re locked with a PIN

4. Subscriptions — streaming, news, software, anything with a monthly charge

5. Photos and storage — iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, external hard drives

6. Social media and online communities — Facebook, NextDoor, genealogy sites

Don’t try to finish in one sitting. Pick one category per day and you’ll have a solid draft by the end of the week.

A Format That Actually Works

You don’t need special software. A spiral notebook works fine, or a basic Word document. For each account, jot down four items on the same line or in a short block:

• Service name

• What it’s for

• Where the login lives (phone, notebook, password manager)

• Monthly cost, if any

Keep one copy somewhere your trusted person knows about. A physical folder labeled “Digital Info” in a filing cabinet is perfectly fine. Digital documents are great too, but a paper backup has never needed a software update.

Action step: Open a notebook or blank document and fill in at least five accounts using this format today.

Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Done

You won’t remember every account on the first pass. That’s fine. Add a new entry whenever one comes to mind. When a billing email lands in your inbox, check whether that service is on your list. This becomes a living document, not a one-time project.

One woman I heard about discovered, after her husband passed, that he had four separate email addresses and none of the family knew which one was connected to his retirement account alerts. A simple list would have saved weeks of frustration.

You don’t have to be that family.

What Comes Next

Next week, we’ll tackle the harder question: how do you safely share access to these accounts with someone you trust, without writing passwords on sticky notes or sending them in an email? There’s a right way to do this, and it’s simpler than most people think.

For now, your only job is the inventory. What exists. Where it lives. Nothing more.

What’s the one type of account you suspect you’ve signed up for and completely forgotten about?

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Do I need to list every single online account I’ve ever created?

• A: No. Focus on accounts that matter: financial, email, photos, devices, and active subscriptions. Old accounts you haven’t used in years can be ignored or noted separately.

• Q: Is it safe to keep this list on my computer?

• A: A computer document is fine as long as your device has a password and you have a backup. Many people keep both a printed copy and a digital one for redundancy.

• Q: Should I include accounts my spouse uses too?

• A: Yes, especially shared financial accounts, streaming services, and any account where autopay is tied to a joint card. Think of it as a household inventory, not just a personal one.

• Q: What if I can’t remember the email address I used to sign up for something?

• A: Check your inbox for old confirmation emails. Search terms like “welcome,” “verify your email,” or “thanks for signing up” often surface accounts you’ve completely forgotten about.