I've said it before and I'll say it again, protecting your digital assets is just as important as it is for your bank accounts, shares and home! Perhaps not on the same financial scale, but certainly in terms of the emotional impact on friends and family left behind on your death.

STEP clearly agrees, having launched a campaign to encourage people to protect their digital memories. The key take-aways are to update your legacy settings and talk to your friends and family.

Updating legacy settings

I mentioned in my last article that many service providers had in-app processes (or equivalent) to allow you to direct what happens to the information contained in it on your death. STEP have collated the most up to date information about what these processes entail for Facebook, Google, Apple, LinkedIn and Twitter, which you can find here. It's useful, but not exhaustive, so make sure to think about your personal situation and what might be required.

Talking to friends and family

STEP has also published a guide that provides a really helpful starting point to encouraging open conversation. The more your executors and family know about your assets (including online accounts), the easier it will be for them to manage your estate after death. It's not an easy conversation, but it is an important one. 

If you have any concerns about what might happen to your accounts on your death, contact your legal adviser for help on how best to manage this.