How to Make a Master List of Your Accounts and Passwords for Your Family

If something happened to you tonight, could your spouse pay the mortgage from your account, access your email, or cancel your subscriptions? For most households the honest answer is no — the information lives in one person's head. Here's how to fix it in an afternoon, without compromising your security.

Rule #1: never write passwords in plain text

A master list should record where things are and how to get access — not the passwords themselves. The safe pattern: use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, Apple Passwords), set up its emergency access feature, and document that in your list. One master password in a sealed envelope in a safe beats a hundred passwords on paper.

What the list should contain

The 5 categories people forget

• Two-factor backups — if your phone is locked, 2FA codes die with it. Store backup codes.
• Cloud photos — set Apple Digital Legacy / Google Inactive Account Manager so memories aren't lost.
• Crypto — seed phrase location (never digital, never emailed).
• Recurring payments — the subscriptions that quietly drain an estate for months.
• Loyalty & miles — airline miles and points are often transferable, if claimed.

Keep it findable, keep it current

One document, one known location, reviewed once a year. That's the whole system. The Legacy Book gives you the complete structure — accounts, digital access, wishes and messages — in one 110-page fillable PDF, and the free Digital Legacy Quick-Start bonus walks you through every platform's legacy tool, step by step.