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Which Passwords Should I Save for My Family?

If you're just getting started with Paige's Passwords, Pins, and Codes feature, you might be wondering: where do I even begin? That is what Paige is here to solve.

When someone passes away, the accounts that seem the most "obvious" to us are often the ones that become the hardest for family members to locate and access. A best practice is to think about what the people you love would need to find urgently in your absence whether they’re trying to pay a utility bill on your property, or need to access your laptop.

This article walks you through the account categories that tend to matter most, and helps you feel confident about where to start.

Table of Contents

Start Here: The Accounts That Matter Most
A Note on Digital Accounts and Social Media
What If You Don't Know Your Own Password?
How Paige Organizes Your Passwords
Common Questions

Start Here: The Accounts That Matter Most

You don't need to add everything at once. Even saving just a few of the most important accounts today is a meaningful step. Think of it as a gift to your family, one entry at a time.

Financial Accounts

These tend to be the most urgent for families to access and understand after a passing, and the hardest to track down without the right info.

A best practice is to save login information for accounts like:

  • Online banking (checking and savings accounts)
  • Investment or brokerage accounts
  • Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension portals)
  • Credit card accounts
  • PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, or any other payment apps where money may be held
  • Cryptocurrency wallets or exchange accounts

It's worth noting that some financial institutions have their own processes for releasing access to a deceased person's accounts. Storing login credentials in Paige can help your family locate accounts quickly, even if they ultimately need to work with the institution directly. Every bit of context helps.

Email Accounts

Your email address can be viewed as a master key, because so many other accounts use it for password resets and verification. If your family can access your primary email, it can open doors to other accounts they'd otherwise be locked out of.

You may want to include:

  • Your primary personal email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, etc.)
  • Any secondary email addresses you use for financial or business purposes
Device Access

Before your family can access anything on your devices, they need to be able to get into them. You may want to include:

  • iPhone or Android lock screen PIN or passcode
  • Computer login password (Windows Hello, Mac login)
  • iPad or tablet passcode
  • Home computer or laptop PIN
Home and Utility Services

These accounts may not feel urgent at first, but families often need them sooner than expected to pause services, make payments, manage autopay, or retrieve billing records.

You may want to include:

  • Internet/WiFi provider (router admin login and account login are different — it's worth saving both)
  • Security system and home alarm (including any monitoring service accounts)
  • Smart home devices (Ring doorbell, Nest, etc.)
  • Utility accounts (electric, gas, water — especially if they're managed online)
  • Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, etc.) — these often have autopay and may need to be canceled
Health and Insurance

These accounts may hold records that are valuable for family members navigating medical history, insurance claims, or benefits.

You may want to include:

  • Health insurance member portal
  • Medicare or Medicaid account (if applicable)
  • Life insurance company login
  • Patient portals (MyChart, hospital-specific portals)
  • Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) account
Government and Identity Accounts

These are often overlooked, but can be important for estate and benefits purposes.

  • Social Security online account (ssa.gov)
  • IRS online account (irs.gov)
  • State DMV or motor vehicle portal (especially if titles are managed online)
Business Accounts (If Applicable)

If you own a business or have a side hustle, its a good idea to treat those accounts as essential, not optional. Unplanned business access issues can become complicated quickly.

  • Business banking login
  • Accounting software (QuickBooks, Wave, FreshBooks, etc.)
  • Payroll platforms
  • Business-specific email addresses
  • Domain registrar or website hosting account

"Learn more about managing your business information in Paige" 

A Note on Digital Accounts and Social Media

Social media and other personal digital accounts — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google — can feel less "official," but they're worth adding. Families sometimes want to memorialize accounts, download photos, or simply understand what was active.

"What about accounts I don't use anymore?"

If you haven't logged into an account in years, it's still worth noting it exists, especially if money, subscriptions, or important files might be stored there. Adding a note in the Notes field within Paige is a great way to capture context like "I think I still have an old Yahoo account with old emails" without needing an exact password.

What If You Don't Know Your Own Password?

That's more common than you'd think! Here's what a best practice looks like in that situation:

  1. Try logging in first — your browser may have it saved
  2. Use your email's password manager (Google Password Manager, iCloud Keychain, or a third-party app) to retrieve the saved credentials
  3. Reset the password, then save the new one in Paige
  4. If you have a written note or document with your passwords, you can snap a photo of it and upload it directly in Paige

Paige even has a place for the pen-and-paper crowd. When adding a password, you can upload a photo of any handwritten notes or lists — so nothing gets left behind.

How Paige Organizes Your Passwords

In Paige, passwords can be organized into four account types:

Account Type

Best For

Financial Account

Banks, investment accounts, credit cards, payment apps

Home Service

Internet, utilities, security systems, smart home

Device Account

Phones, computers, tablets

Digital Account

Email, social media, streaming, government portals

Not sure which category to pick? Go with your best guess. The most important thing is that the account is saved. You can always update it later.

"How to add a password in Paige"

Common Questions

"Who can see the passwords I save in Paige?"

Only you and, after your passing is verified, your designated delegate. Your passwords are protected with bank-level encryption and are never visible to Paige staff.

"Do I need to save every single account I have?"

Not necessarily. A best practice is to focus on the accounts where money is held, important records are stored, or action would need to be taken if you weren’t around. You can always add more over time. 

"What if I share accounts with a spouse or partner?"

That's worth noting in the Notes field when you add the password. A note like "This is a joint account — [Name] also has access" gives your family helpful context.