Digital Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians
Use this checklist to create a useful map for the people who may one day need to help. Store the completed plan securely and review it regularly.
Your printable planning checklist
Work through the categories that apply to you. A useful entry records what exists, why it matters, your intended outcome and who may need to deal with it—without copying the secret used to access it.
- Primary and recovery email
- Phones, computers and tablets
- Cloud files and photo libraries
- Subscriptions and memberships
- Domains and websites
- Online business systems
- Social and messaging accounts
- Sentimental photos and creative work
- Rewards and financial portals
- External drives and backups
Trusted representatives and provider settings
Record the executor or estate trustee named in your legal documents, any attorney acting under a valid power of attorney, a technical helper and relevant professional advisers. Configure provider-native legacy or inactive-account tools directly, then note that the setting exists.
Password-manager emergency arrangements
Document where an authorized person can find the password manager’s emergency-access instructions. Do not put the master password, recovery key, device PIN or wallet seed phrase in the checklist itself.
What not to include
- Plaintext passwords or authentication codes
- Banking credentials or full card details
- Wallet seed phrases or private keys
- Unnecessary identity-document copies
- Instructions that ask someone to bypass provider security
Review annually and after major changes
Date each review. Update the checklist after acquiring a device, opening or closing a business, changing a trusted representative, moving, or changing important accounts. Remove obsolete entries rather than allowing the plan to become misleading.
Frequently asked questions
Should passwords be included?
No. Keep passwords, recovery codes, PINs and wallet seed phrases out of the checklist. Use a reputable password manager and leave instructions for an authorized person to request emergency access.
How often should the checklist be reviewed?
Review it at least once a year and after a move, relationship change, new device, business change or change of executor.
Where should the checklist be stored?
Store it in a secure location that your legally authorized representative knows how to find. Avoid unencrypted email and broadly shared folders.
Does a checklist replace a will?
No. A checklist provides operational detail but does not replace a will, power of attorney or qualified legal advice.
Get planning information
Tell us what you are planning for and we will share relevant information as the service develops. Do not submit passwords, legal documents or other sensitive records.
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