Photos, emails, subscriptions and online accounts can become hard for loved ones to reach or close when someone dies or loses capacity. A little planning now saves them distress and cost later. This guide helps you organise the information without putting your security at risk.
Step by step
Make an account inventory
List your online accounts by type: email, banking, utilities, subscriptions, social media, cloud photos, shopping and any online businesses. Note what each is for and whether it holds money, valuable content or regular payments. Do not write passwords on this list.
Use providers' legacy tools
Several major providers let you nominate a legacy contact or set up inactive account settings that share data or close the account after a period of inactivity. Set these up for your main email, phone and cloud photo accounts, and note in your inventory which ones you have done.
Decide on each account's future
For each important account, write whether you would like it closed, memorialised, passed on or downloaded first. For example, you might want family photos saved and social media memorialised, while subscriptions should simply be cancelled.
Store access information securely
Rather than sharing passwords now, consider the emergency access feature some password managers offer, or keep sealed written information with your important documents. Tell your executor or a trusted person where it is. Avoid putting passwords in a will, as a will can become a public document after probate.
Think about lasting power of attorney
Account access matters if you become unable to manage your affairs, not just after death. A lasting power of attorney lets people you choose act for you; the Office of the Public Guardian explains how it works in England and Wales, with separate arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Speak to a solicitor or Citizens Advice for guidance.
Review and update
Update your inventory when you open or close accounts, change phone or move house. A yearly review, perhaps alongside other household admin, keeps it accurate.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Account inventory written without passwords
- Legacy contact set on main accounts
- Inactive account settings reviewed
- Wishes noted for each important account
- Secure access method chosen
- Executor or trusted person told where information is kept
- Lasting power of attorney considered
- Yearly review date set
Practical tips
- Download a copy of irreplaceable photos and keep it with your backups so they do not depend on one account.
- Include recurring payments in your inventory so they can be stopped quickly.
- Tell the people you nominate that you have chosen them, so a notification does not come as a surprise.
Common problems
A relative died without leaving account details. What can we do?
Most large providers have a bereavement process that lets family request closure or memorialisation, usually with a death certificate. Banks and utilities have their own bereavement teams, and the Tell Us Once service can notify many government bodies in England, Scotland and Wales.
Is it safe to give my partner all my passwords now?
Sharing everything creates risk if a device is lost or a relationship changes. Emergency access features or sealed information you can update are usually a better balance. Joint accounts, such as a shared utility account, can be set up openly.
Do digital assets need to be in my will?
Assets with money value, such as online bank balances, form part of your estate. How best to mention digital assets is a legal question, so ask a solicitor or will writer, and keep passwords out of the will itself.