CONSUMERS |
GENERAL
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LEGAL |
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ACCOUNT GUARDIAN |
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HEIRS |
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DIGITAL EXECUTORS |
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LAWYERS |
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LAWYER DIRECTORY |
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CORPORATE PARTNERS |
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| Entrustet allows you to create a free list of all of your digital assets (online accounts and files on your computer) and decide if you'd like them transferred to heirs or deleted when you pass away. |
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| Online accounts and computer files. Online accounts include email accounts, social networking profiles, online digital photo accounts, banking and investment accounts, domain names and websites you own, online media subscriptions - practically anything with a unique username/password combination. Examples of files include Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents, digital photos and videos, and digital music. |
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As our lives have become digital, so have our assets. Current wills and trusts do not fully protect your digital assets so that you can transfer or delete them when you pass away. For more information, check out our page "Why Use Entrustet." |
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Entrustet allows you to create a secure list of your digital assets, nominate heirs and decide if you'd like each asset transferred or deleted when you die. Entrustet also helps you work with a lawyer to make your wishes legally binding. When you pass away, Entrustet helps make sure that your wishes are carried out. For more information, check out our page "How Entrustet Helps Consumers." |
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| All you need is an email address. You can sign up for Account Guardian for free to start protecting your digital assets. |
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| You can get started with the Account Guardian for free. Account Guardian allows you to list unlimited accounts, heirs and add a digital executor. You can upgrade to premium, which includes the Account Incinerator, to privately delete any online accounts you'd like. |
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Absolutely. Security, safety and privacy are our utmost priorities. Entrustet uses state-of-the-art security, including 256-bit encryption, to keep your personal information secure; in fact, Entrustet provides greater security than many online banks. Additionally, all Entrustet employees are vetted using background checks as a condition of their employment. Customer's private data is completely inaccessible to Entrustet employees. Check out our Security Page for more information about our security. |
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| One of the most important roles of your Entrustet Digital Executor is to notify us when you die. Your Digital Executor signs into their own Entrustet Digital Executor account and clicks the "report a passing" button. We double verify that you're really dead with a death certificate and a copy of your obituary. |
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How do you verify that I'm dead?
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| Once Entrustet receives a report of a passing, we require a physical copy of your death certificate and double verify your death by placing a call to the local vital records office in your state. We use this procedure to make sure that your digital assets are fully protected even after your death. |
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Who takes care of estate-related matters after I pass away?
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| Once Entrustet has verified that you've died, we help your Digital Executor work with your estate planning attorney, if you have one, to follow your wishes as laid out in your Account Guardian. If you don't have an attorney, we help your digital executor carry out your last wishes. |
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What exactly is a Digital Executor?
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| A Digital Executor is the trusted friend or family member who you nominate to distribute and delete your digital assets after you die. This person can be the same as your traditional executor, but doesn't have to be. You could also choose to nominate your estate planning attorney as your digital executor. If you plan to do so, please consult with your attorney ahead of time so that you can be sure that your estate planning attorney will accept this responsibility. |
Legal
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Is Entrustet a legal service?
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| No. Entrustet is not a legal service, nor does we provide legal advice. Entrustet provides products and services that complement traditional estate plans and are designed to be used in conjunction with representation by an estate planning attorney or with a do it yourself solution like LegalZoom. |
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Does Entrustet try to replace lawyers?
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| No. Entrustet does not provide legal advice. Entrustet partners with lawyers to help them incorporate their clients' digital assets into traditional estate planning documents. For consumers who do not yet have an estate planning attorney, Entrustet provides a list of attorney who have been Entrustet Certified, which means that these attorneys have expertise in estate planning for both material and digital assets. Entrustet has partnered with LegalZoom to give users a less expensive, do-it-yourself solution as well. |
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What if I don't have a will or trust yet?
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| Life is unpredictable, and we highly recommend everyone create the appropriate legal documents to protect their assets and provide instructions for final arrangements. There are several options, depending on your particular needs. So-called "do-it-yourself" legal online companies such as Entrustet's partner Legal Zoom have become popular in recent years. Additionally, you can find an estate planning attorney through referrals from friends, family members and other trusted advisors. Also, Entrustet provides a list of Entrustet Certified Attorneys who specialize in estate planning and are knowledgeable about managing both physical and digital assets. |
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If I have a will or a trust already, can I use Entrustet?
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| Yes. Entrustet products serve as supplements to your will or trust. Complete Account Guardian (for free) and bring the summary document to your lawyer so your digital assets and instructions can be incorporated into your existing will or trust. Or, if you are using a do-it-yourself online legal resource like LegalZoom, follow their instructions to upload the completed Account Guardian summary to ensure your digital assets are incorporated into your legal documents. |
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Can I use Entrustet with my lawyer?
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| Yes. Print out your Entrustet summary and bring it into your attorney's office, or select a Digital Estate Planning expert from our Entrustet Certified list of attorneys. |
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Can I use Entrustet with a do it yourself solution like LegalZoom?
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Yes. Entrustet has partnered with LegalZoom, the market leader in do-it- yourself legal documents, to give you the ability to create a less expensive, do-it-yourself solution to create your will or trust. |
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How Do I Add My Digital Assets to a LegalZoom Will?
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It is easy to add your digital assets to your a LegalZoom will. We have detailed instructions on our blog that will help walk you through the process.
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Account Guardian |
What is Account Guardian?
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| Account Guardian is Entrustet's primary product and is free of charge. Account Guardian is the tool you use to create a secure list of all your digital assets, decide which assets you want to transfer to specific heirs and determine which assets should be deleted after your death. You can nominate an executor and update your profile for free at any time. It is the best way to start protecting your digital assets. |
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What is Entrustet Premium and Why do I need it?
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| Entrustet Premium allows you to privately delete any of your online accounts after you die. Executors are spending hundreds of hours deleting online accounts of deceased people, why not let Entrustet handle all of this privately? |
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How much does Entrustet Premium cost?
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| $30/year. |
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Is Account Guardian all the protection I need for my digital assets?
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| Protecting your digital assets is a two-step process: First, complete the Account Guardian. Second, protect your digital assets legally. There are several options to finalize your digital asset planning: give the summary to your estate attorney to add to your existing will or trust (or to create a new will or trust) or use an online will/trust service such as our partners at LegalZoom. |
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Why shouldn't I keep my account info stored in a Microsoft Word document or written on an index card?
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| All computer documents, even those that are password-protected, are the best way to protect your digital life. If your hard drive crashes or your computer is stolen, you will lose your list. A written list is not secure, since it can be found by anyone or damaged by fire or flood, or easily lost. Locking information away in a bank safe deposit box makes updating passwords and account information more troublesome, as well as requiring someone else know where it is and have permission to access the box when you pass away. |
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Can I use my Entrustet account to retrieve my usernames and passwords if I forget them?
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| No. Entrustet is not a password vault. Precisely because of our commitment to security and protection of your personal data, there are strict limitations on what is viewable after you have entered it. For example, while you will be able to see the name of each account you entered into Account Guardian, specific usernames and passwords attached to each account are not viewable after entered. Usernames and passwords can be updated as they change, of course, but are not accessible to prompt your memory. If you would like this functionality, we recommend using one of the many password vault companies available online. |
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Can I list my usernames and passwords in my will?
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| While this is an option, listing usernames and passwords in your will means they are neither secure nor private. Lawyers, witnesses and other people have access to your will at various points in time. |
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Can I upload my personal documents?
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| Yes, Entrustet encourages you to upload the personal documents that you want to bequeath to heirs. However, Entrustet is not appropriate for use as a virtual storage drive or as an automated backup service that copies your computer's contents in case of hard drive errors. For computer backup protection, Entrustet recommends its partner Mozy.com, which provides an automated service that can protect your digital assets. |
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What about financial accounts, such as my online banking account?
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| Financial accounts are gateways to traditional assets like a bank account and should be handled by your attorney. Entrustet allows you to create a list of all of your financial accounts so that your digital executor and heirs will know where all of your financial assets are located, but we cannot legally allow you to grant access to these accounts, as they have to be treated like physical assets and need to go through the traditional will and trust process. |
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So where exactly does Entrustet draw the line between traditional (tangible, material, non-digital) and digital assets?
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| Financial accounts include bank accounts, brokerage and investment accounts, credit card accounts and any other financial account that is available offline, but allows you to have access to a physical account. |
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Is it worth adding non-financial accounts such as my cable bill, online photo membership, email, or online magazine membership into Account Guardian?
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| Yes. In our research and interviews with numerous executors, we determined that having an updated list of all accounts makes your executor's duties much easier. Creating and maintaining an up-to-date list of all your online and offline accounts, even your cable bill, makes it much easier for your executor and heirs to get your affairs in order after your death. |
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Is there a limit to the number of assets I can place in my Account Guardian?
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| You may put as many digital assets into Account Guardian as you wish.(For free!) |
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Should I go to an estate planning attorney or use LegalZoom?
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Ultimately, the decision is an individual one, based on your needs and budget.
We recommend retaining an attorney to build your digital assets into a new or existing will or trust. Whether you go to your existing attorney or you find one in our list of Digital Estate Planning Experts, attorneys offer the best way to protect digital assets, they are also the most expensive option.
A cheaper route to legally protecting digital assets is to manually enter them into a LegalZoom will or trust. While Entrustet.com does not 100% guarantee any products or services purchased on a third-party site such as LegalZoom, we are confident that LegalZoom wills and trusts offer sufficient protection for the majority of our users. |
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| An heir is the person you nominate to receive your digital property after you die. |
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Do heirs need to have an Entrustet account to receive digital assets after a customer's passing?
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| Yes. Your heirs will need to create a free Entrustet account in order to receive your digital assets after your passing. Entrustet requires heirs to create free Entrustet accounts for security reasons. To guarantee that only your heirs have access to your digital assets after you die, Entrustet created a secure dashboard for each of your heirs. |
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What if one or more of my heirs is unresponsive or unwilling to sign up for an Entrustet account?
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| If an heir does not respond or is unwilling to take responsibility, your Digital Executor will not be able to distribute those particular assets to those particular people. |
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What if one or more of my heirs does not have an email account?
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| Since digital assets require at least an introductory knowledge and familiarity with computers and the Internet - and because an email account is required to receive digital assets -- you should make sure the heirs you select have access to a computer and an email account (now or at the time of your passing). |
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Is there an age requirement for heirs of digital assets?
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| According to estate planning attorneys, it is best if your heirs are 18 or older. Some companies may not allow minors access. Ultimately it is your decision, but Entrustet suggests that you confer with an estate planning attorney if you would like to nominate heirs under the age of 18. |
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Is there a limit to the number of assets I can pass to a single heir?
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| There is no limit to the number of assets you can pass to a single heir. |
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Is there a limit to the number of heirs I can nominate?
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| You may nominate unlimited heirs in your Account Guardian but you may only nominate up to 10 heirs for each of your digital assets. |
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Can I assign more than one heir to a single asset?
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You can assign up to 10 heirs to a single asset. You should know that if you have multiple heirs for an asset, you are granting ownership and access to all 10. Entrustet suggests that you think about only having one heir per account, but it is up to you as a user.
When you pass away, all of your nominated heirs will have the same access to the specific digital asset. For example, if you nominate 10 heirs for your email account, all 10 will receive your username and password and will have full access to your email account after you die. |
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Can I nominate backup Digital Executors in case something happens to the first?
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| No. You may only nominate one Digital Executor. If your Digital Executor predeceases you or you change your mind, you can edit your Digital Executor in your Account Guardian. |
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What if my Digital Executor is unresponsive or unwilling to take on this responsibility?
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| Before you assign a Digital Executor, you should check with that friend or family member to ensure they are comfortable with the responsibility. If that agreement changes at any time, you can easily update the information in your Entrustet account. Additionally, you may nominate a second Digital Executor to provide an alternative if your first choice is unwilling or unable to take responsibility at the time of your death. |
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Does my Digital Executor need to have an Entrustet.com account?
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| Yes. Your Digital Executor will need a free Entrustet account. Your executor will need to login to their account to report your passing and to manage the distribution and deletion of your digital property. |
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Heirs |
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I've been nominated as an heir to someone's digital assets...what's next?
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| You should sign up for your free Entrustet account so when that person passes away, you will be able to quickly and easily gain access to the digital assets that have been bequeathed to you. |
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Will I still be able to receive my assets even if I don't want to set up an Entrustet.com account?
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| No. If you want to receive your digital assets, you must sign up for a free Entrustet account. |
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As an heir, am I required to use anything else in Entrustet?
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| To receive your digital inheritance, you simply need to sign up for a free Entrustet account. Nothing else is required (though we do hope you will explore the idea of protecting your own digital assets). |
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What happens if a particular asset has transferred to me and another heir? Who 'gets' the asset?
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| Entrustet allows your loved ones to grant access to specific digital assets. If someone bequests a specific digital asset to more than one person, both heirs will have equal access to the account. It is up to the heirs to decide what happens to the account if there are multiple heirs associated with the specific asset. |
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I've received someone's assets, but the username/password combination doesn't work. Why is this happening, and what can I do about it?
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| It is most likely happening because the username/password were either changed before the person died and they did not update their Entrustet account, or they mistyped their username/password when they originally signed up for their Entrustet account. You should try to reset the password on the third party website, and if that does not work, you should contact the company directly. Entrustet cannot be responsible for usernames and passwords that have not been updated. It is up to the user to keep their usernames and passwords up to date so that their heirs can easily access their digital assets after they have passed away. |
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Digital Executors |
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I've been named as someone's Digital Executor...what's next?
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As Digital Executor, you agree to carry out the wishes of the account holder to the best of your ability. First, sign up for your free Entrustet account; this will allow you to perform your duties when the person who nominated you passes away. Next, print a reminder to contact Entrustet when the person passes away.
At that time, you will log-in to your Entrustet account and notify us that the person has passed away by clicking the "report a passing" button in your Executor Dashboard. We will verify this death via the local records office while also requiring that you send Entrustet a copy of the death certificate. When verification is complete, we will release the person's Entrustet account information so you can distribute and manage the digital property according to his or her wishes.
With the Executor Dashboard in your account, you will be able to release accounts and assets to specified heirs or delete them based on the departed's wishes. You can do this on your own or sign up for the Executor's Assistant service, which lets you delegate account deletion to Entrustet. Once you have completed this process, you have fulfilled your duties as a Digital Executor. |
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What if I don't want the responsibility of being a Digital Executor?
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| Ideally, you and your loved one have discussed the requirements and you agreed (or declined) prior to his or her death. If circumstances have changed and that person is still alive, it is important that you discuss the need to update arrangements as soon as possible to avoid any potential issues due to an unexpected death or incapacitation. |
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| You can report a death by logging into your free Entrustet account and clicking the button that says "report a passing." Follow the simple instructions that follow. |
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Lawyers |
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Do my clients really need to protect their digital assets?
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| Yes! Digital assets have significant economic and sentimental value and are an integral part of a complete estate plan. With over 75% of the US population online, your clients are most likely creating digital assets every day. |
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How do I incorporate digital assets into new or existing estate planning documents?
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| Depending on your state, you may incorporate digital assets into existing estate planning documents in many different ways. For more information, please read How to Incorporate Digital Assets into Wills and Trusts by Joseph Boucher and Nathan Dosch, experts in this area of the law. |
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My practice is fine and my clients seem happy. Adding digital asset protection seems like a whole new, difficult set of requirements. Why should I start now?
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| Your clients are doing more and more things online every day, and many of those activities include creating or sharing increasing numbers of digital assets that have significant economic and sentimental value. Even if clients aren't asking for this yet, incorporating digital assets into their estate plans extends the care and service your firm provides. Since digital asset protection is becoming increasingly mainstream (and thus ultimately will compel attorneys to provide such services), taking a proactive approach will help set you apart and enhance your reputation as forward-thinking and comprehensive. |
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Can digital assets legally be transferred to heirs?
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| Yes. Digital assets are real property and can be treated in the same manner as physical assets. For more information about how to incorporate digital assets into your existing practice, please see the information provided by Neider & Boucher SC. |
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Is there any case law surrounding this topic?
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| Yes, the case law originates from the 2004 Justin Ellsworth case. Ellsworth was a US Marine who was killed in action in Iraq. His parents sued Yahoo! to gain access to his email account after he died, and a judge ruled that Yahoo! be compelled to grant his parents access. While not a legal precedent, many other Internet companies have followed this ruling and grant access to account information. |
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Some clients already maintain a Microsoft Word document or pen-and-paper list of their various online accounts and passwords. Why should they change?
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| Practically every method involving paper- or computer-based systems or even bank security deposit boxes are only partially safe and secure and lack confidentiality as well. Computer documents can be accessed by any number of people with access to that machine, either in its physical location or via the Internet by a skilled, malevolent hacker; the machine may also be susceptible to viruses or other damage. A paper document can be stolen in the event of a home invasion, lost in the clutter of a home office, destroyed in a fire or flood, and seen by anyone who finds it. Even a safe deposit box cannot is not sufficient since it is time consuming to update. Online services like Entrustet are the only safe, secure and private way to fully protect your clients' digital accounts and assets. |
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How do I know that Entrustet is secure so that I am comfortable recommending it to my clients?
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| Security is Entrustet's number one priority. Our security is more comprehensive than online banks, with 256-bit encryption and all personal data sent via secure Internet protocols (also known as SSL). All Entrustet employees are required to pass a background check as a condition of employment, and our data is stored in a secure location with highly limited access. |
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Lawyer Directory |
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What are the benefits of being Entrustet Certified and listed on the website?
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| Entrustet certifies estate planning attorneys who pass Entrustet's certification process and demonstrate knowledge in estate planning for digital assets. Certified attorneys learn how to incorporate digital assets into traditional estate planning documents, how to fit digital assets into a traditional practice and earn a site seal to show that they've completed the process. Entrustet certified attorneys are also listed in our directory, where Entrustet users who do not already have attorney can contact estate planners who can incorporate digital assets into wills and trusts. |
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Who can see Entrustet Certified Attorney listings?
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| Everyone who visits the Entrustet website may view the certified law firms by clicking on the Lawyer Directory tab. |
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What is the cost for Entrustet certification?
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| Certification costs $500 and comes with a 6 month listing on the Entrustet directory. Sign up and get started today! |
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What does the listing contain?
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| Your Lawyer Directory listing presents the firm's information, and an individual lawyer's contact information can be included. Look at the Entrustet Lawyer Directory to see how attorneys like you are displayed on the website. |
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Corporate Partners |
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What is the Entrustet corporate partner program?
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Entrustet partners with companies to notify them when users pass away and notify the company of each user's last wishes.
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How does the corporate partner program work?
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Partners refer their users to Entrustet, who sign up for a free Entrustet account. When a mutual user dies, Entrustet verifies the death and then notifies the partner company via email and via the partner dashboard.
The company can view a list of deceased users and their last wishes at any time via the partner dashboard.
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Why should a company, organization or website join the Entrustet Partner Program?
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Roughly 800 out of 100,000 people in the U.S. die every year. If you are a website owner, you probably have no idea which of your users are dying.
This lack of information leads to poor customer service and potential legal issues. You are still emailing deceased users every month with your newsletter and feature updates, which can be extremely hurtful to survivors. Additionally, you may risk legal action from survivors if they try to gain access to a deceased user's account.
Entrustet allows your organization to be more operationally efficient, which can easily equate to dollars saved (and earned!). Partnering with Entrustet allows you to delegate most of the complexities and hassles associated with the death of your users.
Entrustet fills in the chasm between companies unaware of a user's death and the loved ones or executor trying to vault over privacy and security gates to prove the need to close, maintain or transfer the deceased user's account. This means lower marketing and promotion costs, less waste and lower legal liability, as well as your ability to deliver excellent customer service.
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How many of my users pass away each year?
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| Entrustet used census and CDC data to calculate figures about how many Internet users pass away each year. For example, 1.5m Facebook users pass away each year, or 3 every single minute. To get an estimate, please contact us. |
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Why would a company want to recommend Entrustet to its users?
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| You learn more about your users by referring them to Entrustet and limit your potential legal liability. You can offload the responsibility for verifying user deaths and storing their last wishes to a trusted third party. |
