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Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by hendler on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @03:44PM (#16531955)
The value isn't in the items themselves, but in their perceived value.

Especially valuable is the optionality. How would you feel if you could not have reviewed your father's files? What if you couldn't access critical financial accounts or didn't know they exist?

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by Sangermaine on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @04:16PM (#16532179)
>What if you couldn't access critical financial accounts or didn't know they exist?

There are already procedures for an executor or heir to assume control of a deceased's financial accounts and assets, and part of that process is determining what accounts the deceased had.. You don't need to dig through Dad's Gmail for that.

Like the first poster said, anything actually important either already has procedures in place or will be figured out in the probate process or otherwise.

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by davidbanham on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @06:48PM (#16533206)
Don't you? Many people aren't great at record keeping, especially as they get older. It can often be difficult to figure out exactly what accounts and investments exist, let alone how to access them to clean them up.

Trawling through browser histories and correspondence is often the only way to get a reliable picture of what's going on.

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by ams6110 on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @10:23PM (#16534038)
Equifax, for as much as they are maligned, will tell you what open credit accounts the deceased person had.

Last year's tax return will probably identify any significant investments, at least those that are producing income.

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by davidbanham on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @10:40PM (#16534090)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:World_population_percen...

I, along with 95% of the world's population, do not live in a place where Equifax exists.

Tax returns capture some things. They also don't get filed for several years sometimes. They don't capture assets like cryptocurrency or off market shares.

Life is messy and death more so.

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by Sangermaine on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @11:36PM (#16534271)
>I, along with 95% of the world's population, do not live in a place where Equifax exists.

But you probably do live in a place with probate laws. This isn't a new problem, and there are processes to deal with it.

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by rtx on Wednesday March 07, 2018 @02:28AM (#16534842)
You are wrong about the 95% number. They entered India few years ago.
Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by saurik on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @03:50PM (#16532000)
> What if you ... didn't know they exist?

FWIW, if I really don't know that they exist, I would probably not feel anything about them ;P.

Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by mattnewton on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @04:45PM (#16532369)
He means you would be wondering about them, causing angst.
Re:Ask HN: How will you manage your digital assets when you ... by saurik on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @07:46PM (#16533493)
In which case you might as well be wondering about them already: your father might very well have a bank account in another country, or a chest of gold dubloons buried in the back yard, or a bunch of stock certificates for some company he invested in fifty years ago... you really never know!