People are being urged to leave their loved ones clear instructions on how to access personal accounts including social media, websites and bank accounts.
The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) are set to launch a campaign in order to raise awareness of the importance of passing on passwords and access details of online accounts. With so many memories now stored online in the form of photographs, music, video and email, there is a risk that they could be lost if the owner of the account passes away without leaving behind necessary information on how to access them. A Facebook account may seem trivial when considering estate planning, but images and videos stored online could hold a lot of sentimental value.
Five Things To Do Before You Die
Approaching the subject of death and wills is often considered a taboo, but we have highlighted the need for families to discuss estate planning at the earliest opportunity. We have also looked into ways to pass on your digital estate in more depth, in order to reduce stress and upset for loved ones. SAIF has released the Five Things To Do Before You Die campaign which aims to encourage people to record their wishes as extensively and in as many ways as possible. The “five things” are listed as:
1. Making a will – outline inheritance wishes and digital legacy details
2. Recording funeral wishes – state whether the individual wishes to be buried or cremated, preference of venue and other important details
3. End of life care and support – where an individual would like to be cared for and practicalities including pet care
4. Organ donation – whether or no the individual wishes to donate their organs after dying
5. Keeping loved ones up to date with the location of important documentation - including passwords for digital accounts
If you would like more information on estate planning and guidance on writing a will, please get in touch.
