Estate Planning
A “death binder” is a collection of critical information your family would need if something happened to you. But paper binders get lost, outdated, and aren't accessible in emergencies. Here's how to create a digital version that's always current and securely accessible when it matters most.
Nobody wants to think about this. But if you were suddenly incapacitated or worse—would your family know where to find your bank accounts? Your insurance policies? The login to pay the mortgage?
An estate lawyer on Reddit put it bluntly: “I cannot tell you how many estates come across my desk where something simple could have saved people years of wasted time.” The people who suffer most aren't you—it's the family members left scrambling during the worst moment of their lives.
A death binder (also called an “in case of emergency” binder or “legacy binder”) is a single location containing everything your family needs to manage your affairs if you can't. Traditionally, this is a physical binder with printed documents.
Paper death binders are better than nothing. But they have serious limitations:
You opened a new account, changed insurance providers, or got a new credit card. Did you update the binder? Probably not.
The binder is in your home office, but you're in the hospital in another state. Your spouse can't access it.
House fire, flood, or just misplaced during a move. If the binder is gone, so is the information.
Anyone who finds the binder has access to everything. There's no way to share some information with your spouse and different information with your executor.
If something happens to you, someone has to know the binder exists and where to find it. There's no way for it to surface on its own.
A digital death binder solves these problems. It's always current (because you're using it day-to-day), accessible from anywhere, backed up automatically, and can be configured to share with the right people at the right time.
Your digital death binder isn't a separate project—it's how you organize your life. Add a new account? It's in the binder. Change insurance? Updated automatically.
Access your information from any device, anywhere. In an emergency, your family isn't limited to what's physically at home.
Share different information with different people. Your spouse sees everything. Your adult child sees legal documents. Your executor sees account details.
End-to-end encryption means only you (and those you authorize) can access your data. Not even the service provider can read it.
Configure a 'dead man's switch' that releases information to designated beneficiaries after a period of inactivity—with safeguards to prevent premature release.
Here's everything that should be in your digital death binder. Don't try to do it all at once—start with the essentials and add over time.
EstateHelm is designed to be your digital death binder—and much more. Because it's also your household management app, your information stays current as part of daily life, not as a separate project you'll never finish.
Properties, vehicles, pets, subscriptions, documents—everything in one secure place. Your family sees how your life is organized.
Forward receipts and bills to EstateHelm. AI extracts the details and organizes them. No manual data entry.
Designate beneficiaries who can request access after a period of inactivity. Built-in safeguards prevent premature release.
Your data is encrypted so only you and your designated beneficiaries can read it. Even we can't access your information.
You don't need to complete everything at once. Start with these steps:
Location of your will, life insurance info, primary bank account, and healthcare directive. This alone puts you ahead of most people.
Every time you deal with an account or document, add it to your digital binder. Over a few months, you'll have comprehensive coverage.
Your digital death binder is useless if nobody knows about it. Tell your spouse, your executor, or a trusted family member.
Configure beneficiaries who can access your information if something happens. Choose timing and permissions that feel right.
The best time to create a death binder was ten years ago. The second best time is today. It's not about being morbid—it's about being responsible. The people you love will thank you for it, even if they never have to use it.
Organize your household, protect your family, and gain peace of mind.
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