DeathSwitch reveals accounts, passwords after you're gone on clarkhoward.com

What happens to your accounts, usernames and passwords when you die? A recent Time article titled "How to Manage Your Online Life When You're Dead" addresses this thoroughly modern dilemma.

DeathSwitch.com is a service that repeatedly prompts you for your password to make sure you're still living. If you fail to reply to multiple prompts, the system will then e-blast out a message you've pre-composed (containing usernames, passwords, special messages to loved ones, etc.) to let others know of your untimely demise!

WeRemember.org is another similar service.

But what if you sign up with one of these services and they go bust? What becomes of your sensitive info? There is no clear law in the United States to govern this. In similar instances, user info has even been sold to make creditors whole!

Obviously, there's no perfect solution yet. If you're a braniac, there's a great business idea here, Clark promises you.

And how does the consumer champ handle this dilemma? He's chosen to go a very analog way. Clark has given one of his lifelong friends an envelope that has all his usernames and accounts in the event of his death. If his friend is not trustworthy, he could be broke in a minute!

What others are saying

You're Missing The Point
I think you guys are missing the idea here. These new web-based companies were created so if you die, yuor family members can retrieve important info about you. I haven’t signed up yet, but my brother said weremember.org is more for insurance policies and wills and financial stuff…

@Tim – I see where you are coming from, but what happens if your kids don’t know how to contact your attorney, or if they don’t even remember his name?
By Tara @ 09/22/09 03:08:00 PMreport abuse
KISS
Sometimes high tech solutions are just too complex, error prone or risky. What happens when these start ups go under, account information gets comprised, or worse. Then what happens if you fail to respond to the prompts because you don't receive them or are on a 3 month vacation in Europe with all the money Clark saved you?

I'd much rather put them on paper in a sealed envelope in a safe deposit box with a key filed with your will at your lawyers office.
By Tim @ 09/15/09 03:10:20 PMreport abuse
Spread it around
I use an online service called LastPass, that stores my encrypted information online, available from anywhere. I need only one username and one password for this. This is on a postit at home.
By jimmy @ 09/15/09 01:54:36 PMreport abuse

You're Missing The Point

I think you guys are missing the idea here. These new web-based companies were created so if you die, yuor family members can retrieve important info about you. I haven’t signed up yet, but my brother said weremember.org is more for insurance policies and wills and financial stuff…

@Tim – I see where you are coming from, but what happens if your kids don’t know how to contact your attorney, or if they don’t even remember his name?

By Tara @ 09/22/09 03:08:00 PMreport abuse

KISS

Sometimes high tech solutions are just too complex, error prone or risky. What happens when these start ups go under, account information gets comprised, or worse. Then what happens if you fail to respond to the prompts because you don't receive them or are on a 3 month vacation in Europe with all the money Clark saved you?

I'd much rather put them on paper in a sealed envelope in a safe deposit box with a key filed with your will at your lawyers office.

By Tim @ 09/15/09 03:10:20 PMreport abuse

Spread it around

I use an online service called LastPass, that stores my encrypted information online, available from anywhere. I need only one username and one password for this. This is on a postit at home.

By jimmy @ 09/15/09 01:54:36 PMreport abuse

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Sep 14, 2009 -- DeathSwitch reveals accounts, passwords after you're gone

What others are saying