Digital Assets and Passwords in Your Will (Canada)

Banking, crypto, photos, email, and social media are part of your estate. If you don’t plan for them, value can be lost and access blocked. For overall estate steps, see the Complete Canadian Will Guide.

Step 1 — Make a Complete Digital Assets List

• Financial: online banking, investing apps, PayPal, crypto/NFTs.
• Communications: email accounts, domains, cloud storage.
• Social & media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, iCloud/Photos.
• Monetized assets: online stores, creator accounts, ad revenue.
• Loyalty/rewards: airline or hotel points (where transferable).

Step 2 — Decide Access & Custodians

• Appoint a digital executor (or empower your executor).
• Authorize them in your Will to access, manage, and close accounts where permitted by law.
• Ensure credentials are stored securely outside the Will.

Step 3 — Storage & Security

• Use a reputable password manager for account details.
• Keep 2FA recovery codes and any hardware wallets accessible to the executor.
• Document where devices, SIMs, and backup codes are stored.

Step 4 — Platform Policies

Some providers offer legacy tools (e.g., inactive-account managers, memorialization). Set preferences now and note them for your executor.

Step 5 — Handling Cryptocurrency and NFTs

• Keep a record of wallets, exchanges, and cold-storage devices.
• Store private keys or seed phrases offline, separate from your Will.
• Authorize your executor to transfer or liquidate these assets where permitted by law.
• Clarify whether holdings are personal or business-related for valuation and taxes.

Common Pitfalls

• Placing passwords inside the Will (probate makes it public).
• Ignoring crypto private keys (value can vanish).
• Forgetting monetized channels (AdSense, Shopify, Patreon).