What Happens to Your Digital Life When You’re Gone?

If something happened to you tomorrow, would your family know what to do with your digital life?

They might know about your home, vehicle and bank accounts. But would they know where to find your family photos, online accounts, digital documents, rewards points or cryptocurrency?

Why are we talking about this? This month, Downriver CU is partnering with Trust & Will to offer members special savings on estate planning. That got us thinking about something many of us may overlook when planning for the future: our digital lives.

Your digital life is part of your legacy

A 2026 Trust & Will survey of 5,000 U.S. adults found that 48% had no instructions for what should happen to their digital accounts and files when they die. Even among people who had a Will, 23% still had no digital instructions in place.

That's important because your digital estate may include much more than you realize:

• Memories: photos, videos, emails and cloud storage
• Financial assets: cryptocurrency and certain online financial accounts
• Online accounts: email, social media, websites and subscriptions
• Rewards: loyalty programs and other online benefits
• Important information: documents and records stored electronically

Some of these assets have financial value. Others may be priceless to your family.

And unlike a house or vehicle, your family can't find a digital asset they don't know exists.

Give the people you love a starting point

The good news? You don't have to organize your entire digital life at once.

Start with three simple steps:

1. Make an inventory.
List your most important digital accounts and assets. Trust & Will recommends taking inventory as a first step in digital estate planning.

2. Decide what you want to happen.
Which photos should your family keep? Which accounts should be closed? Are there digital assets that need to be transferred or managed?

3. Make sure the right person knows where to start.
Think about who you trust to handle your digital affairs and how they would know where to find the information they'll need.

Even completing step one can make things easier for the people you love.

One thing you probably shouldn't do

It might seem convenient to put your usernames and passwords directly into your Will. But that's generally not a good place for sensitive information.

Trust & Will recommends keeping digital-estate information separate because a Will can become public after death. There's another practical reason: passwords and online accounts change frequently. A separate, securely maintained inventory is easier to update.

Individual online services may also have their own rules and tools for handling an account after someone dies. As you're creating your inventory, check whether your most important services offer legacy or account-management options.

Take five minutes today

You don't need to solve everything today.

Instead, ask yourself:

“If I couldn't manage my affairs tomorrow, would someone I trust know what I have and where to start?”

If the answer is no, spend five minutes making a list of your most important digital assets.

That small step today could mean less searching, fewer questions and more clarity for the people you love later.

Ready to look at the bigger picture?

Your digital life is only one part of your legacy. If this exercise has you thinking about your larger estate plan, Downriver CU can help connect you with a resource to take the next step.

Through October 31, 2026, Downriver CU members can save 30% on the initial purchase of a Will or Trust-based estate plan with our partner, Trust & Will.

Visit DownriverCU.com/TrustAndWill to learn more and get started.