Everything your household needs to keep going if the person who usually holds the passwords, pays the bills, knows the accounts, or keeps the documents cannot do it for a while.
Written by G.D. Hart · GuardDoc.tech · Free to use, no sign-up
START HERE
If you only do one thing, write down three: where your passwords are managed, which accounts keep the household running, and who can step in if you cannot. Those three cover most of what goes wrong. Everything else on this page is detail.
Five things worth getting right
Each guide answers one question and tells you exactly what to record or set up. Read them in any order.
1. Password management for families
Choose a password manager, record who can request emergency access, and make sure the person you trust knows that the system exists. One place for passwords is better than passwords scattered everywhere.
A practical starting point:.
Use a reputable password manager rather than a shared note, spreadsheet, or browser-only password list. For most households, compare 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane. Choose the one that the people who may need to use it can actually understand and maintain.
- 1Password — A strong choice for households that want a polished family plan and a clear emergency-access option.
- Bitwarden — A strong free or low-cost choice for people comfortable with a more practical, less polished interface.
- Dashlane — A mainstream alternative for households that want password management alongside broader credential-security tools.
GUIDE · 5 MIN READ
2. Digital estate planning: what happens to your accounts
List the accounts that matter, set up the platform tools available to you, and include digital property in your wider estate planning. Make sure somebody knows what exists and where to start.
Read the Digital estate planning: what happens to your accounts guide.
3. Cloud storage and document organization
Pick a secure storage location, create a folder structure, and save copies of the documents people may need. Your family should be able to find what matters in minutes, not months.
GUIDE · COMING SOON
Why PDFs matter: Save completed records as PDFs rather than relying on editable files or loose photos. PDFs are easy to open, easy to share, hard to alter accidentally, searchable on most devices, and ready to print when a bank, insurer, lawyer, executor, or family member needs a copy.
Use the “Print” menu and choose “Save as PDF,” or use “Export as PDF.” Do this for important statements, policies, signed documents, care instructions, and household records. Keep the original where it belongs; save the PDF as the version people can quickly find and share.
4. Household bills, subscriptions, and recurring obligations
Record the bills, subscriptions, due dates, payment methods, and contact details that keep the household running. Someone stepping in should know what has to be paid, cancelled, or watched.
GUIDE · 7 MIN READ
5. Trusted contacts, authority, and review
Write down who should be contacted, what they are trusted to do, and where any legal authority is documented. Review it once a year, and whenever the household changes.
CHECKLIST · COMING SOON
Why it’s worth an hour.
Nobody plans for the hospital stay, the lost phone, the account lockout, or the person who normally pays the bills becoming unavailable. When it happens, what you have written down is all anyone has to go on. The household still needs to run. Your family should not have to guess.
What to set up:
- A password manager with an emergency-access plan
- A list of your most important accounts
- The primary email accounts that control password recovery
- Two-factor authentication and recovery information
- Names and contact details for trusted people
- Notes about who can request emergency access
- A secure cloud-storage location for household records
- Scanned PDF copies of key legal, financial, medical, and insurance documents
- A list of recurring bills, subscriptions, and payment dates
- Bank, utility, insurer, mortgage, landlord, and service-provider contact details
- Digital assets, websites, domains, social-media accounts, and other online records that matter
- Cryptocurrency access instructions, if applicable, stored securely outside ordinary PDFs
- Where paper originals, keys, devices, and backups are kept
- Written instructions for the person who may need to step in
- The location of any will, power of attorney, or other authority document
- A review date and a reminder to update the plan
Sixteen things. Most people can complete the first eight in an afternoon.
If you would rather not build the structure from scratch, the Household Digital Continuity Plan gives each part its own fillable document.
Household Digital Continuity Plan
You can build this yourself with a notebook and the checklist above. The Household Digital Continuity Plan simply gives you a place for each part.
List of eight documents
- Overview — a simple summary of the plan and where to begin
- Account Recovery Directory — the important accounts, recovery methods, and access notes that matter most
- Devices, Phone Numbers & Backups — household devices, phone numbers, backup arrangements, and recovery details
- Digital Assets & Online Presence — websites, domains, social accounts, digital files, and other online assets
- Financial Snapshot & Recurring Obligations — recurring payments, subscriptions, financial accounts, and household obligations
- Insurance & Important Documents — policy details, document locations, renewal information, and access notes
- Trusted Contacts & Authority — the people who may need to help, how to reach them, and where authority is documented
- Review Checklist & Action Log — a practical way to review the plan, record changes, and keep it current
Download the collection, complete the sections that apply to your household, save it somewhere secure, and share it only with the people who may need to step in.
Keep it secure: These documents may point to sensitive accounts and records. Use a reputable password manager for live passwords, recovery codes, private keys, and seed phrases. Do not place those credentials in an ordinary PDF.
FAQ
Pattern: GdT FAQ
Q: Do I need to put my passwords in these documents??
No. Do not put live passwords, recovery codes, private keys, or seed phrases in an ordinary PDF. Use a reputable password manager for credentials. These documents should explain where passwords are managed, who has emergency access, and what important accounts exist.
Q: What is a digital executor??
It is a practical term for the person you want to deal with your digital accounts and assets if you cannot. Whether that person has legal authority depends on your will, power of attorney, local law, and the individual platform’s rules. Record the person you trust and discuss formal estate-planning authority with an attorney where appropriate.
Q: Do I need to document every account??
No. Start with the accounts that control other accounts or keep the household running: primary email, banking, utilities, insurance, mortgage or rent, phone service, cloud storage, and any digital assets. Add the rest over time, don’t overwhelm yourself.
Q: Why save records as PDFs??
PDFs are easy to open, share, search, print, and keep unchanged. They are a practical copy to store with your household records, while the original document remains where it belongs.
Q: How often should I update this?
Review it once a year and whenever something material changes: a new phone number, new account, moved cloud-storage location, changed password system, changed insurance, or a change in the person you trust to help.
Last Reviewed
Review note:
Last reviewed: September 2026 · General information only; not legal, financial, or cybersecurity advice. Estate-planning rules and account-access policies vary by jurisdiction and provider. Seek professional advice for your situation.
Sources
Federal Trade Commission, “What to do with someone’s online accounts after they die”
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-someones-online-accounts-after-they-die
American Bar Association, estate-planning resources
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/real_property_trust_estate/resources/estate-planning/
Disclosure: GuardDoc.Tech may earn a commission if you choose a paid service through some links on this page. This does not change the price you pay. We include free and paid options so you can choose what suits your household.
