Legacy Locker: Even in Death, your Digital Assets can Live On

It may seem like an obscure question, but have you ever wondered what would happen to your email accounts, digital media, and other important computer files after you pass away?

While many would assume that the activity of the computer dies with its owner, a San Francisco-based startup is asking people to give serious thought to the idea of allowing certain people access to their digital assets. The "online will" service, known as Legacy Locker, would add a new dimension to traditional estate planning.

A Will for the Digital Age

Legacy Locker works in a similar manner to that of a written will, but only concerns digital assets, including email, photos and online accounts. The service promises to be easy to use and can be updated from anywhere in the world.

As the name suggests, users store their important information and files into a virtual "locker" to be retrieved later by specified beneficiaries. When the user passes on, all digital assets assigned to their beneficiaries will be sent to them via email. (Source: yahoo.com)

Why would anyone want to share their digital media and online accounts? Millions of people stay connected with each other via social networking services. At the very least, a beneficiary having access to your contact list will ensure that friends and family members are aware of your passing.

A Growing Industry

Legacy Locker is hoping to tap into a market that sees 5,000 estate-planning attorneys create 900,000 new wills each year. Offering Legacy Locker as a supplemental service could score the small startup big money in the future.

Legacy Locker will be available to the public sometime in April. The service offers a free trial account which includes three assets, one beneficiary, and one Legacy letter to start. After the trial period has ended, the service costs $29.99 a year or $299.99 for a lifetime fee. The paid services come with unlimited assets, unlimited beneficiaries, and unlimited Legacy letters. (Source: newsfactor.com)

While certified planners still encourage written estate planning for families, many people are already praising Legacy Locker for addressing such a uniquely modern concern. wills.