Digital Death Planning

As a mom, it can seem almost impossible to think about what would happen if you died. Even preparing for this episode, I started picturing my husband in his grief, searching aimlessly for passwords, digital photos, bank records, and everyday information that lives either online or in my head. Imagine a spouse who just lost their partner, spending hours, days, and months searching for everything. Rectifying bills, closing social media accounts, deleting subscriptions, changing “case of emergency” contacts. The list goes on and on.

According to estimates, it takes 16 months to settle an estate on average. Combing through the digital components of a deceased person’s life can take a lot longer and be much more stressful. Physical assets are one thing but finding, accessing, dissolving, or preserving a person’s online life really is quite another. So that is what we are going to talk about today.

Kate Hufnagel is a professional digital organizer, speaker, and educator who helps individuals and families do the important work that nobody likes to discuss. She is on a mission to normalize conversations about death planning, whether it be during family game night or out for brunch with friends. With a mindblowing background in big tech, Kate uses all of her know-how and experience to help people leave behind a well-organized digital estate.