1 — What it is
A digital accounts inventory is a structured record of all the online accounts, subscriptions, and digital assets you hold — from email and social media to banking apps and cloud storage.
The average adult has dozens of accounts, many of which carry financial value, sentimental data, or ongoing obligations that require action after death or incapacitation.
Without an inventory, these accounts become inaccessible black holes — continuing to charge fees, storing irreplaceable memories, or remaining open as identity theft targets.
2 — Why it matters
- Family members unable to cancel subscriptions that keep charging a deceased person's card
- Irreplaceable photos, videos and messages locked in accounts no one can access
- Cryptocurrency or digital assets permanently lost because private keys were never documented
- Identity theft via abandoned accounts that were never closed
- Online banking and investment accounts missed during estate administration
- Business-critical accounts inaccessible when the account holder is incapacitated
3 — When to apply it
- When creating or updating a will or family continuity plan
- After any significant account consolidation or digital life audit
- When onboarding a new password manager or security system
- Periodically every 12-18 months to remove obsolete accounts
- After a major life event affecting your digital presence (job change, relationship change)
4 — Procedure
- 1Start with your email inbox: search for "welcome", "verify", "account" to surface forgotten accounts.
- 2Check your password manager or browser saved passwords for a full list of accounts.
- 3Review your bank and credit card statements for recurring subscription charges.
- 4Categorise accounts: financial, communication, social media, cloud storage, subscriptions, professional, health, cryptocurrency.
- 5For each account, record: platform name, username/email, how to access or recover it, monthly cost (if any), what to do with it after death (delete/memorialise/transfer).
- 6Document any cryptocurrency holdings: wallet addresses, exchange accounts, how private keys are stored.
- 7Store the inventory in an encrypted vault — never in plain text.
- 8Review and update the inventory every 12-18 months.
5 — Checklist
- Email inbox searched for forgotten accounts
- Password manager or browser passwords reviewed
- Bank statements checked for subscriptions
- Accounts categorised by type
- Each account recorded with access details and death instructions
- Cryptocurrency assets documented separately
- Inventory stored in encrypted vault
- Trusted person informed of vault access
- 12-18 month review scheduled
6 — Documents involved
- Digital accounts inventory (encrypted)
- Password manager export (encrypted)
- Cryptocurrency wallet addresses and key storage instructions
- Subscription billing statements
- Cloud storage account details
- Social media account details with death/memorial instructions
- Professional platform accounts (LinkedIn, domain registrars)