Organizing Passwords and Other Secret Codes – Retirementally Challenged

This is the second post of my ongoing Organizing My Life project

Do you have any idea how many passwords you have? I didn’t, and when I counted them, I was shocked. Some of them are rarely used, but many are important gateways into my medical portal, insurance policies, and financial information, as well as into services, retail websites, and other business accounts I access regularly.    

I had what I thought was a fairly clever system for recalling each password. For each of my 100+ passwords, I wrote a memory prompt in my password book that meant something to me but would be indecipherable to anyone else. Unfortunately, that “anyone else” included my husband. If something were to happen to me, he wouldn’t know what accounts are out there, how to access them, and what to do with them.

After some research, I decided that the best solution was to sign up for a password manager (PM) service. There are several good ones available, ranging in price from free to a few dollars a month. After narrowing my top choices down to three, I selected the one that had the combination of services and support that was right for us.  Our “family Plan” allows my husband and me to set up our individual accounts and also share access to any accounts – such as joint banking accounts – we both use.  

There was a bit of a learning curve to set the PM service up, but after watching a few YouTube tutorials (Ask Leo has some great how-to tech videos), I found the process to be fairly simple. Once complete, all you need to do is remember one long “master password” and the service does the rest. This was especially handy on our recent road trip when I had to access a few of our accounts. My one master password was all I needed.   

Of course, passwords are just part of the puzzle. For instance, you also might have PIN codes for ATMs, home security systems, garage and front door locks, combinations for safes and lockers, safe words or phrases for alarm companies, authenticator apps, and answers to secret questions. And, don’t forget your phone’s unlock code, your computer’s access code, and your Wi-Fi password. If something happens to you, the person managing your affairs will need many of these codes to move forward.  

A robust PM provides an encrypted vault to store not only passwords and secret codes but also digital copies of your driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, social security card, marriage license, etc. If these documents were destroyed in a fire or natural disaster, by storing copies in your PM you’d be able to access them online. Even if you opt not to store these items in a PM, you might want to share them with a trusted family member or friend.

After I get all my passwords and other information into my PM, my next project is to organize my contact information. Spoiler alert: Like organizing my passwords and codes, listing my important contacts won’t be as simple as typing a column of names and phone numbers.

If you’d like to follow my ongoing project to organize my important information, please start with the link below. I will post updates now and then as I complete each task.   

Organizing My Life