Most of us could not name half our online accounts from memory. That is fine day to day, and a real problem the moment someone else has to step in. A short, sensible list, kept somewhere safe, is one of the kindest things you can leave. You do not need to record everything, just the accounts that matter.
What counts as “worth recording”
Aim for the accounts that hold money, hold memories or would cause hassle if missed. In practice that means:
- Email, especially your main address, because it resets almost everything else.
- Banking, savings, investments and any payment apps.
- Photos and cloud storage.
- Social media and anything with a public presence.
- Subscriptions and shopping accounts that bill you.
- Utilities and anything with an online login tied to the home.
You can safely skip the one-off shop logins and the newsletters. If losing it would not matter, leave it off.
How to build the list without a big project
Do it in two passes rather than one long slog:
- Sit with a recent bank and card statement and write down every recurring payment. That surfaces the paid accounts fast.
- Open your email and search for “welcome”, “your account” and “receipt”. That surfaces the free accounts you have forgotten.
Twenty minutes on each pass will capture the vast majority of what matters.
What to record, and what not to
For each account, note the service and the username or email used. Note whether it holds money or memories. Do not write passwords into a plain document or spreadsheet; that turns a helpful list into a security risk. Keep the logins themselves in a password manager, and use the list to point to them. Our guide on password managers and emergency access explains how.
Keep it somewhere the right person can reach
A perfect list nobody can find is no use. Store it securely and make sure one trusted person knows it exists and how to reach it. This is the core of what FamilySafe does: the accounts, the documents and the people who need them, in one place, shared on your terms.
Frequently asked questions
Should I write down passwords too?
No. Keep passwords in a password manager, and use the list to record which accounts exist and where. A plain list of passwords is a security risk.
How often should I update it?
Once a year is plenty, plus a quick add whenever you open something important like a new bank or investment account.
Isn’t this a lot of effort?
Two short sessions with a bank statement and your email inbox will capture almost everything that matters. You are not cataloguing every login, just the ones worth finding.
Sources
- National Cyber Security Centre: password manager guidance
- Information Commissioner’s Office: looking after personal data
Reviewed by the FamilySafe editorial team. Last reviewed: [set on publish]. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
