Most families focus on their home, bank accounts, and retirement funds when building an estate plan — but one massive category is often overlooked:
Your digital life.
Every year, more of our identity, memories, accounts, and financial value shift online. Yet very few people plan for what happens to:
- Email accounts
- Passwords
- Social media profiles
- Cloud storage
- Digital photos
- Subscription services
- Crypto wallets
- Online banking
- Digital documents
- PayPal / Venmo / CashApp balances
- Investment apps
- Password managers
- Domain names
- Online businesses
If no one can access these accounts when you pass away or become incapacitated, your family may be locked out — permanently.
This post explains how to integrate digital assets into your trust and estate plan, and how TrustFully helps families prevent digital chaos.
(If you’re new to trust funding, start with: “Why Most Trusts Fail: The Shocking Truth About Unfunded Trusts.”)
⭐ What Counts as a “Digital Asset”?
Digital assets fall into three major categories:
✔ 1. Online Accounts & Profiles
- Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo
- Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
- Amazon, Netflix, Apple
- Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive
- Online photo albums
- Shopping accounts
- Memberships and subscriptions
These accounts often contain:
- Photos
- Videos
- Documents
- Personal messages
- Financial information
- Identity information
✔ 2. Digital Financial Assets
These include any online-held or digital-valued accounts:
- Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.)
- Wallet keys
- NFTs
- Online stock apps
- Robinhood, E*Trade, Kraken, Coinbase
- Venmo, CashApp, PayPal
- Airline miles, hotel points
- Online business assets
These are real, transferable assets — but only if your trustee can access them.
✔ 3. Stored Passwords & Access Credentials
This includes the tools needed to access your digital property:
- Password manager apps (1Password, LastPass)
- Computer logins
- Phone passcodes
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) devices
- USB security keys
- Backup codes
- Private crypto keys
- Browser-saved passwords
These are the keys to your online estate.
⭐ Why Digital Assets Need Estate Planning
Without a plan, digital assets can become:
- Inaccessible
- Lost forever
- Stolen or mismanaged
- Legally restricted
- Locked behind authentication protocols
Many families have experienced this firsthand:
- Loved ones cannot access email after death
- Photos and memories become permanently lost
- Crypto wallets worth thousands become unrecoverable
- Online businesses collapse
- Bills go unpaid because logins are missing
- Subscription charges continue for years
Traditional estate planning does not automatically cover digital assets.
You must plan for them intentionally.
(Your successor trustee’s role is explained in: “What Is a Successor Trustee — and How Do You Choose One?”)
⭐ Can Your Trustee Legally Access Your Digital Accounts?
Not without authorization.
Federal privacy laws (including the Stored Communications Act) restrict your trustee from accessing your accounts without proper documentation.
Your trust — and your estate plan — must include:
✔ Digital asset authorization language
✔ Clear instructions for your trustee
✔ A list of accounts and access methods
✔ Password management procedures
TrustFully ensures all trust documents include the correct legal provisions.
⭐ How To Include Digital Assets in Your Trust
Here’s how to protect your online estate properly.
✔ Step 1: Create a Digital Asset Inventory
List all digital accounts, including:
- Cloud storage
- Banking apps
- Social media
- Crypto wallets
- Password managers
- Online subscriptions
- Online businesses
- Digital photos
- Digital documents
- Cloud backups
TrustFully provides templates to help families create and maintain this list.
✔ Step 2: Document Access Credentials
This includes:
- Passwords
- Usernames
- Backup codes
- 2FA methods
- Device PINs
- Security questions
- Private crypto keys
Never store passwords inside the trust document itself.
Instead, store them in one of these ways:
- Password manager with “emergency access”
- Encrypted external drive
- Encrypted cloud folder
- Sealed letter kept in a safe
- Secure digital vault
Your trust should describe where the information is stored — not the credentials themselves.
✔ Step 3: Name a Digital Executor / Trustee
Some families choose a separate person to oversee digital assets.
Examples:
- Your adult child who is tech-savvy
- A trusted friend
- Your primary successor trustee
- A professional fiduciary
Your trust should include:
- Digital executor designation
- Authority to access accounts
- Authority to manage crypto keys
- Authority to download or delete data
- Authority to close accounts
TrustFully ensures these powers are drafted correctly.
✔ Step 4: Give Your Trustee Legal Permission
Your trust must include:
- Digital Assets Clause
- Digital Fiduciary Authorization
- Online Account Access Authorization
- RUFADAA compliance language
(RUFADAA = Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act)
Without this, platforms like Google, Apple, Meta, and Coinbase may deny access.
✔ Step 5: Provide Instructions For Each Asset Type
Specify how you want your digital property handled:
Examples:
- Photo libraries: Download and give to family
- Cloud files: Share with spouse or children
- Email accounts: Delete after backup
- Social media: Turn into memorial profiles
- Crypto wallets: Transfer to trust beneficiaries
- Online businesses: Transfer ownership or archive
Clear instructions prevent confusion and disputes.
⭐ Special Rules for Cryptocurrency & NFTs
Crypto is unique because:
- There is no customer service
- No password recovery
- No “lost key” resets
- No probate assistance
If no one has your private keys, the assets are unrecoverable — permanently.
Your plan must include:
✔ Storage location
✔ Backup keys
✔ Device security
✔ Trustee instructions
✔ Transfer procedures
TrustFully helps families structure crypto access securely and legally.
⭐ Common Mistakes With Digital Assets
❌ Mistake 1: Relying on your spouse or children to “figure it out”
Without authority, they are legally blocked.
❌ Mistake 2: Storing all passwords only on your phone
If you die or become incapacitated:
- The phone may be locked
- FaceID fails after death
- Access becomes impossible
❌ Mistake 3: Keeping crypto in a hardware wallet without backup keys
If your trustee cannot access it, the value is lost forever.
❌ Mistake 4: Assuming your will covers digital property
It doesn’t.
A will does not give access to digital accounts or crypto.
❌ Mistake 5: Not updating accounts after changing passwords
Your digital estate plan must stay current.
TrustFully provides periodic review support to keep your plan updated.
⭐ How TrustFully Helps Families Protect Their Digital Estates
Every TrustFully plan includes:
✔ RUFADAA-compliant digital access language
✔ Digital fiduciary authority
✔ Beneficiary coordination for digital assets
✔ Option to appoint a digital executor
✔ Crypto wallet planning
✔ Digital property inventory templates
✔ Guidance on secure password storage
✔ Instructions for trustees
Your online identity, memories, and assets deserve protection — just like your home and bank accounts.
⭐ Final Thoughts: Your Digital Life Is Part of Your Legacy
Modern estate planning isn’t complete without addressing:
- Passwords
- Online accounts
- Crypto
- Photos
- Digital files
- Subscription services
- Online businesses
These assets matter deeply — financially, emotionally, and practically.
Your trust should protect every part of your life, not just your traditional property.
TrustFully helps families build complete, modern estate plans that reflect the world we live in today.
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