Health Sep. 18, 2020
When you lose a loved one, the heartbreak and grief can be
devastating. The last thing you want to worry about is the stress of taking
care of their final affairs. There may be many things that require attention,
like obtaining a death certificate and closing bank accounts; even simple
things like cancelling gym memberships or shutting down social media accounts.
It can all seem overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through
it alone. It may be helpful to create a checklist of what needs to be done and
delegate certain tasks to other loved ones. It’s also a good idea to check to
see if your life insurance plan offers help, too.
Protecting your loved one’s legacy also includes their digital
presence. The average person owns multiple digital accounts, including social
media, online shopping, email and banking. These accounts tend to outlive their
users, and can be at risk of cyberthieves, who steal the identities of
nearly 2.5 million deceased Americans each
year.
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, an opportunity to
better understand your options when it comes to managing your family's final
affairs. Consider these tips to help protect the digital legacy and online
assets of you and your loved ones:
·
Designate
a digital executor: Work
with your attorney to name a trusted friend or family member as a digital
executor in your will. This person will have the ability to oversee what
happens to your digital assets and carry out your terms. Without this, many
online platforms and services may restrict access to accounts, so your loved
ones may not be able to log in and retrieve information.
·
Create
an inventory of all your assets: Make a list of every account you have. Include frequent-flier
information or other rewards programs, which can be redeemed by a designated
family member. Find a safe place to store your inventory lists.
·
Research
state laws: Federal guidelines set
in 2015 helped clarify how digital assets should be handled after a death.
However, because states have adopted the law in different ways – along with a
lack of knowledge by the general public about how to plan their digital legacy
– it has made it difficult to establish a good management system. Visit
the National Conference of State Legislatures site for more
information about state-by-state legislation.
·
Most
importantly, don’t wait: Digital assets can be as significant as physical ones, so it is
important to protect them before passing and help minimize avoidable burdens
for loved ones.
Some life insurance plans may offer support following the
passing of a loved one, like UnitedHealthcare life insurance plan that now
offers 24/7 support through Beneficiary Companion. The program’s
assistance coordinators can help you obtain death certificates, plus manage
notifications to the Social Security Administration, credit card companies, financial
institutions and other government agencies. They can also help memorialize and
preserve digital profiles, including social media and professional networking
accounts.
Grieving is a challenging and important process after losing a
loved one. Consider planning ahead and asking for support, so you can take away
some of the stress of managing your loved one’s final affairs and focus on
celebrating their life.
Beneficiary Companion services are provided by Generali Global
Assistance, LLC, a service provider that is not affiliated with
UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare is not responsible or liable for care,
services, or advice given by the provider or vendor of these services.
Disclaimer:
Noninsurance services
are offered only on specific lines of coverage and are not insurance. These
services may be modified or terminated at any time, may not be available in all
states and may vary depending on state laws and regulations. Not available in
New York and Washington.
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