Accessing Family Accounts in Cases of Emergency
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-01-23 08:54:00-05:00
With as much data as we now generate, use, and store electronically, being prepared for an emergency now requires that we ensure that those whom we deem necessary can access our personal online accounts in the event that we cannot. This access may also need to extend to the electronic information stored in our computers, cell phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), and pocket PCs, depending on one's personal use of such equipment.
Recent news stories highlight some of today's challenges and risks regarding this latest twist of technology. A soldier in Iraq used e-mail and a Web site to communicate with the world. When he was killed, his parents wanted to preserve what he had created. But his Internet Service Provider, citing privacy concerns, refused to allow the parents access to the account or provide the data. Similarly, a Texas man cancelled his wife's cell phone account after she died. However, the company also disconnected his cell phone, which had been on the same account, and wouldn't allow him to reactivate it, leaving him isolated during a difficult time.
This sort of tech-access preparation is merely the addition of our electronic lives to what should already be a familiar readiness checklist. It's no more exotic or worrisome than opening joint bank accounts or giving a house key to a trusted neighbor. This sort of preparation is especially important because laws and business practices don't necessarily account for today's technologies, but it does require that one replace the common mindset of independence with one of readiness and collaboration. Additionally, those of us in the baby boomer "sandwich generation" may have both parents and children with whom we may choose to share this access information. And it's worth noting that an estate attorney can be a valuable resource, providing legal documents, objective advice, and what-if scenarios.
Many legal and logistical problems can be avoided by simply including two or more names on those accounts that allow you to do so. This way, others can deal with the account on the one's behalf, although you may want to check that all parties aren't required for routine actions. Then you should make a list of account names, passwords, Web addresses (if applicable), and other pertinent information for use by family members, trusted friends, or a lawyer, accountant, or executor if access to your accounts becomes necessary. They needn't have the list until it's necessary, so you can keep the information current and make sure that they know where to find it.
Emergency responders encourage the use of the prefix ICE (In Case of Emergency) in cell phones or PDAs to identify your important personal contacts. Such information offers a simple high-tech replacement for the traditional contact list kept in a wallet. Emergency responders commonly check victims' cell phones or PDA directories for entries filed under ICE to determine whom they should call.
Whether at home or at work, the largest challenge to tech-access preparation in the event of an emergency is extracting the wealth of undocumented information maintained in our memory. You may want to begin simply with an inventory of your online accounts, then augment that list with Web site addresses, user IDs and passwords. If any of these accounts have particular activity histories or pending actions, it could be worth taking the time to capture that information to document what's been done to date. Then share this list and information with someone who may need to follow in your electronic footsteps. And while employees' work-place information is usually managed by the organization, supervisors and individuals may want to inventory what they use on the job and how others may need to access it in the event of personal emergency situations.
Remember to safeguard this information by making paper or electronic copies, but you may want to avoid protecting it behind a secret password!
Additional Resources
ICE Number from Macmillan English Dictionary Resource Site
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