What Are "Digital Assets"?

Technically speaking, digital assets are any “electronic record” that you own, license, or control. This includes just about any online account or digital file that you have authority to access – email, online banking, social media accounts, cloud storage, blogs, and just about anything else that you do online, on your phone, or on your computer that requires a login.

We’re hearing a lot about digital assets these days because it’s become apparent that while most of us are steeping in the burdens and rewards of digital life, we’re haven’t really thought through what will happen to all of those accounts, profiles, and files when we die.

Go to Nolo’s section on Digital Assets to learn about what happens to your digital assets when you die. There we discuss why it might be a good idea to leave a letter providing guidance to your loved ones about what to do with your digital assets when you die. To get you thinking about what kind of instructions you might want to leave, here is a non-inclusive list of digital assets that you might have.

Scan through this list and ask yourself: “what should happen to this stuff when I die?”

Email Accounts

• Gmail
• Yahoo
• Hotmail
• Earthlink

Social Media Accounts

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Pintrest

Subscriptions

• Professional journals
• Legal forms
• X "of the Month" clubs
• Amazon Prime

Marketplace Accounts

• Amazon
• Etsy
• Ebay
• Craigslist
• Any online store

Interest-Specific Chatrooms or Boards

• Professional boards
• Neighborhood boards
• Gaming boards
• Reading boards
• Fashion boards
• Parenting boards
• Exercise/fitness boards

Apps

• Any app on your phone or tablet.

Photos

• On your phone

• On your computer

• On a hard drive or flash drive
• In the cloud
• Online

Books, Music, and Videos – Storage or Streaming

• iTunes
• Spotify
• Rhapsody
• Pandora
• Google Play
• Vevo
• Vimeo
• Netflix
• YouTube
• Audible
• Amazon

File Sharing & Storage

• Dropbox
• Google Docs

Financial Accounts

• Savings
• Checking
• Bill pay
• Loan or line of credit
• Credit card
• 401k
• FSA
• Trading
• Budget
• Credit monitoring

Gaming Accounts

• XBox
• Playstation
• Minecraft

Online Dating Accounts

• Match
• eHarmony
• OKCupid
• Tinder
• Grinder

Medical Accounts

• Doctor’s portals
• Pharmacy stores

Insurance Accounts

• Car insurance
• Home insurance
• Life insurance
• Health nsurance

Blogs & Websites

• Blog building sites
• Domain name registrars
• Third-party hosts

Online Accounts for Utilities

• Cell phone accounts
• Gas and electric
• Internet service
• Alarm companies

Information, Files, or Programs Stored on Your Phone, Tablet, or Computer

• Contact lists
• Professional software
• Financial software
• Legal documents software
• Tax software
• Music
• Photos
• Movies
• Documents

Loyalty Program Benefits

• Credit card "cash back" programs
• Frequent flyer miles