Transfer of income from Adsense after death

1. 78

   TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years ago

   Has anybody had experience with transferring Adsense accounts to a beneficiary after the writer's death?  I am getting mixed messages about what to do in the event that I pass away and want my husband to be able to continue collecting income from my hubs.  Has anybody here had any experience with this?  I know what to do for the HP portion, but Adsense is more complicated.  Please share if you have actual knowledge of this.  Thanks.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Jolly good question and one which needs a very clear answer from HubPages as to the right thing to do
      
      Google AdSense Help Q&A suggest that you cannot transfer an account - but that you can close down the account and transfer the money in it - presumably to the Executors - see https://support.google.com/adsense/foru … gWTM?hl=en
      
      I don't know if this is the right answer - but what you might try doing is giving him knowledge of how to control your account and set up and use a joint account for all monies paid to you re. the account.
      
      Alternatively see if HubPages will allow him to take over the hubs - and then he can apply for an AdSense account in his own right and change the settings on your old account that he has taken over.

      replyreport
   2. 78

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Here is the info I just received from the team.  I advise all hubbers to keep the link to Google Support at the bottom for future use.
      
      If you would like to pass your HubPages account on to someone else you will need the following:
      
      Access to the account email associated with the HubPages profile
      Knowledge of the username and password
      Knowledge of the answers to the account security questions.
      
      We don't have any control or special access to AdSense accounts, but According to AdSense, a rightful heir to a deceased person can have the deceased persons AdSense balance redirected. For more information, please visit AdSense customer support: https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/165678?hl=en

      replyreport
      1. 85

         Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Just to clarify:
         
         What this means is that if you want an heir to take over your HubPages account, you need to give them your login and password for your email account and for your HubPages account, and the answers to your security questions.  You could either tell them now, or put that information in a sealed envelope to be passed on in the event of your death.
         
         The heir would then need to notify Paypal and Adsense of your demise so those accounts can be closed and the balance paid out.
         
         The heir would need to log in to the HubPages account to change the account information and provide HubPages with their own Social Security/tax details.
         
         If the heir wants to continue earning from HubPages, they will need to apply for their own Adsense account and open their own Paypal account in the normal way, just like any new Hubber.

         replyreport
      2. 70

         makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I'm actually very surprised that Google AdSense says "heir".
         
         The only person with a right to conduct matters relating to an estate of a deceased person is the legal representative eg Executor.
         
         This might also be an heir but also is often not.
         
         The legal situation is that an heir cannot touch any estate proceeds until an estate has passed probate or whatever the equivalent is in other countries.

         replyreport
         1. 85

            Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            MaM, I feel you're just splitting hairs for the sake of it.  I think the important message - i.e. that the Adsense account can't be transferred - is perfectly clear.   The bottom line is that the deceased's
            Adsense account will be closed and the balance paid out.  The precise legal process will no doubt vary from country to country.

            replyreport
            1. 70

               makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               An Executor and an heir are two completely different people in terms of the law. They can be the same.
               
               However to suggest an heir alone can decide what happens to money related to the estate of a deceased person etc is IMO irresponsible. That NEVER EVER happens.
               
               Of course people can and should make suitable arrangements prior to death - and one of those should be to ensure that the person who will administer the Estate also knows what those arrangements are.
               
               Maybe you have a very relaxed attitude to how the law works?
               I don't. It's my belief that if you give people advice then you should endeavour to be accurate as to the actual reality.

               replyreport
               1. 85

                  Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  No one is suggesting that the heir alone decides what happens to the money.  The point is, the heir receives the money.  Of course it is up to the executor (who often is the heir, in some countries) to arrange that.  But that is not relevant.   We are not interested in the detail of how that happens in this question.  If you are curious about the exact legal process of that transaction, perhaps you should start your own question.
                  
                      The OP was not asking about the mechanism of how the balance is paid to her heirs. The question was, can the Adsense account be transferred to the heir.  The question has been answered.  The answer is no.

                  replyreport
                  1. 70

                     makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     The question may have been asked and answered but various points have been made in the course of the thread which might be confusing to the uninitiated.
                     
                     The question was also part of a bigger objective
                     "I am getting mixed messages about what to do in the event that I pass away and want my husband to be able to continue collecting income from my hubs." which doesn't start and finish with what happens to the AdSense account
                     
                     Thus, as I saw it, the point of this thread is to find out how to put in place arrangements which will comprehensively deal with the matter of "inheritance" of both the account and the money to be generated in the future.
                     
                     An Estate does not just concern itself with income in the bank (wherever that might be) but also with the future income streams which can be derived from the assets of the deceased. (Thus in art - who gets the copyright and gets to deal with licensing and other rights is a big deal; the same principles should also be applicable to hubs which automatically generate a passive income stream)
                     
                     The point is that although the heir might be the end receiver, the only person who can ask for it is the Executor (not the heir).
                     
                     Indeed IMO HubPages should be making it clear that the only person they can deal with in relation to assets including money is the legal representative of the deceased. (Unless they want to get involved in lawsuits down the line! Let's not forget that some accounts generate significant sums of money)  Saying
                     "If you are concerned about succession, make sure to share that information with whomever you would like to have control of your account upon your passing." actually isn't correct, it should say "make sure your legal representative after your death has that information.
                     
                     "We are not interested" - I didn't realise you spoke for everybody reading this thread! I know you know very well that there are lots of people who are readers who never ever comment - hence my nit-picking for those who are maybe less well acquainted with what happens after death.

                     replyreport
                     1. 78

                        TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

                        I believe Marisa was responding in terms of  her and me...not the entire readership of forums.  She has been emailing back and forth privately with me over this issue.

                        replyreport
                        1. 70

                           makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                           Well that explains it...However, the thing is the rest of us don't know that
                           
                           Like I said the information shared in these forums is always read by far more people than those participating in the thread.  That's just the nature of forums.

                           replyreport
         2. 78

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            You are correct. The Executor of an estate is the person who can legally handle the affairs of the deceased.  I would remind you that this is not legal advice and should not be construed as such.  The team is only stating its procedures.  They have theirs, and Adsense has theirs.  None of us here are attorneys, and the original question was very basic.
            
            I was just trying to "think ahead" and needed answers to do that. Now that I have them, I can see that whether you make arrangements early or leave them to others, changing over can be a mess and may not work in some circumstances.
            
            This whole thing has made me realize how temporary writing online really is.  It's great while you're alive, but, generally speaking, all of your work can disappear overnight once you pass away.  Makes me kind of feel that all of my hard work will be, in the end, for nothing.

            replyreport
            1. 70

               makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Thing is whereas you and I have no obligation to be correct, legal entities like Google AdSense and Hubpages do have that obligation to behave in accordance with all relevant laws.  There is no opt out clause for them.
               
               I do sympathise with what you say. One of the reasons I'm putting all my stuff gradually (sometimes feels like snails pace!) into my own websites is that I think it will make it easier if I leave access to them to those who might be interested in maintaining it in the longer term.
               
               Besides which, I regularly get offers to buy my blog - so the domain URL alone can be worth something in due course and be an asset in your estate!
               
               I feel host website sites are rather more problematic because of the endless changes that get made which can make sites look pretty silly if they are not maintained.
               
               Different options suit different folks - the important thing is to have a think about it. It may be that somebody younger than your husband might be more interested in taking over your content sites - and even buying them off your estate - in which case you might want to give some  thought as to what might be the best option in the longer term.

               replyreport
               1. 78

                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  Because you still get paid via Adsense, Amazon and the like, no matter where you post, it still can be complicated legally to have someone take over your accounts because there are other entities involved outside of those sites.  Google is still king!
                  
                  I like the idea of perhaps selling the website and am also considering taking some of my articles and creating short Kindle books out of them.  Whether they would sell or not would be anybody's guess, but I know that at least one writer has done that and receives a decent monthly income from his "little books".  Just don't know if, at my age, I have the energy to do this!
                  
                  Lots to think about here.

                  replyreport
                  1. 85

                     Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     As I said in my earlier thread, TT2, the situation wouldn't be complicated if your heir was someone confident with computers. 
                     
                     What has to happen is:
                     
                     (a)  Adsense and Paypal have to be notified to close down the deceased person's account, and the HubPages account has to be transferred (by the correct person, following the correct processes, as MaM points out).
                     
                     (b) Once the heir has ownership of the HubPages account, he/she has to set up their own Adsense and Paypal accounts just like ANY new Hubber does.  It's exactly the same process, nothing special about it.
                     
                     That's all there is to it.  Where we both get stymied is having husbands who are so computer illiterate, they wouldn't even be able to do that.  But if we had a young relative who was interested in taking it over, they could easily cope with part (b), couldn't they?   And so could someone who bought your account. After all, thousands of new Hubbers join every year and they manage it.
                     
                     The problem would be, you don't have a site - you have an account.  There are marketplaces where you can sell websites and people are used to buying and selling them, but because your HubPages account is not a website, there isn't an established place where they are bought and sold.  And who would handle the sale?   I suspect you wouldn't get much for it.

                     replyreport
            2. 85

               Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               If you think about it, TT2, just because it doesn't last forever doesn't mean it's worthless.  Just imagine if you'd been writing for clients instead of writing for yourself.   You would write each article, hand it over, and probably never see it again.  You've been well paid for those articles, they have already earned their keep in a way.
               
               If leaving something published is important to you, then all your husband needs to do is notify HubPages and ask them to delete your Adsense and Paypal information.   That way there will be no problems with paying someone who doesn't exist, and your Hubs can remain published.  But as MaM says, with no one to maintain it, how long would  they continue to look good?

               replyreport
2. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   There are several Hubbers who have passed away, and their heirs have taken over their HubPages account.   There is no problem with that, it's just a case of contacting HubPages and proving that you know the following information:
   
   http://hubpages.com/faq/#deceasedusers
   
   Of course, what that does is transfer the HubPages account to the heir.  It does nothing to address the Adsense account.
   
   Unfortunately Adsense is more complicated - Adsense will pay out the balance to the heirs (subject to proof), but that's not what TT2 wants. She wants her heirs to be able to continue earning.   
   
   What Adsense says is that the heirs must apply for their own Adsense account, something which someone who isn't computer-savvy might struggle with. Also, of course, there's no guarantee they'd get one. 
   
   On balance, I'm inclined to think the easiest option is simply to pass all login details to the heirs and not notify anybody. I know it's not the right thing to do, but who's going to know? 
   
   Alternatively, perhaps the heir could get an Adsense account ahead of time so they know they have it ready.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      last para - that was very much what I concluded!

      replyreport
      1. 78

         TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         To get an adsense account you must
         
         have a google account
         have your own address
         have your own email address and
         earnings have to be sent to your own bank account.
         
         For someone who has no website, this means there's a lot to do to get an Adsense account, and people may not need or want a google account or even know what to do with one.

         replyreport
         1. 85

            Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, you are right.  It's not so easy to get Adsense for your own blog any more.  That's why I say, he should take over your smaller HubPages account and apply that way.   He's going to get that faster and more easily because it's established, it's got good content, and he's only applying for a limited account (valid on HubPages only), which they're a lot less strict about.

            replyreport
   2. 78

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      How can a potential heir get an adsense account if he is not an online writer?
      
      Another alternative might be to just use the HP program and forego the adsense earnings.  Right now I'm using the Adsense only plan because it pays well, but in the long run the answer might just be to go back to the HP plan...however, adsense is part of that plan, so I'm not sure you can exclude them.
      
      This is pretty complicated I think.

      replyreport
      1. 70

         makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Well one way to do it would be to take one good hub offline, delete it and put the content on a free Weebly or Wordpress site in his name and then get your husband to apply for an AdSense account in his own name on the basis of that site.
         
         However note that it needs to be a site with good content and needs to comply with all the AdSense requirements for an independent website

         replyreport
         1. 78

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            I'm wondering if there isn't just a way to add his name to my Adsense account now.

            replyreport
            1. 85

               Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               No, you can't.

               replyreport
               1. 78

                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  I saw something on the Adsense site that says you can add other users to your account, but I think you can only do this if they have their own Google account.  Not sure.

                  replyreport
                  1. 85

                     Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     Yes you can, but that's just adding them.  That doesn't give them the right to take over the account from you. 
                     The more I think about it, the more I feel that relying on a system which depends on pretending you're still alive is risky.   Transferring your second HubPages account to your husband is the best approach.  That way, HubPages will have both of you on file and it will be easier for them to transfer one account to the other.   
                     
                     I'm lucky that I'm not worried about it.  If something happens to me, suddenly my husband will be twice as well off, because our investments only have to support one person, not two.  He'll have a comfortable old age! So while my online earnings are handy extra income right now, he won't really need them.

                     replyreport
                     1. 78

                        TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

                        This is what I found on the Adsense site.  From what I've seen, the other person must have his own Google account.  According to this, though, all payments must be made to the person who owns the joint account...I'm guessing that this could be changed after death but am not certain.  Might resolve the issue.  What think you?
                        
                        How to share a joint AdSense account
                        
                        You can share your account with other people, such as business partners, employees, friends and family, and give them either of two levels of access. Users with access to your account can help you run your account and manage other users, depending on the level of access you want to give them. You can also remove access at any time.
                        
                        However, AdSense accounts aren't permitted to have multiple payee names. Currently, the payee name on an AdSense account must be either an individual or a company name, and all account earnings will be paid to that name.
                        
                        Publishers are allowed to place ad code from more than one AdSense account on a page that complies with our program policies. Alternatively, publishers may choose to rotate ad codes from more than one publisher across a website.
                        
                        Was this article helpful?

                        replyreport
         2. 78

            CatherineGiordanoposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            When I started a new blogging site it took me 6 months to get Ad SEnse for that ite even though my other blogging sites were already in the program. Also, I I understand it, Ad Sense want to see consistent posting and that is why it took six months.
            
            My conclusion is that having you husband set up a blogging site and then apply for Ad Sense is a good one. The blog s can be short--they don't have to meet HP standards. Also Ad Sense wil want to see some reasonable amount of traffic on this blog site
            
            Maybe you could write about something that is not part of your HP brand.  Maybe there is a topic that is of interest to your husband so he could actually do the writing. .

            replyreport
         3. 85

            Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            In TT2's  case there is a much easier way because she has a second HubPages account. 
            
            I've suggested to her that she transfers her smaller HubPages account to her husband and then he can use that to apply for an Adsense account in his name.   He won't need to use the ID anywhere else so the hosted account will be fine for him.
            
            The big snag is that Adsense insists that every Adsense account must have a unique postal address.  I know this because we've had flatmates wanting to run their own Adsense accounts, and one of them has to use their parents' address because Adsense won't accept two Adsense accounts at the same address.

            replyreport
3. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   http://hubpages.com/community/forum/113 … ost2421288

   replyreport
4. 86

   Jesse Drzalposted 7 years ago

   Pretty sure payments can go into any valid pay pal that would not be a big deal. Just give whoever the login and password information and continue it as is. Life is already complicated enough.

   replyreport
   1. 78

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      It isn't quite that easy with Adsense.  With HP, just a few hoops to jump through...but HP program does not work without Adsense, so am wondering what the answer is.  Net isn't much help with this!

      replyreport
   2. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      But Jesse, remember that you must have an Adsense account to participate in the HP Earnings Program.  If her Adsense account got closed down, that would make the link invalid and all earnings would stop.

      replyreport
5. 77

   lobobrandonposted 7 years ago

   I'm assuming you can set up paypal payments with adsense in your country of residence? If yes, do what Jesse suggests?

   replyreport
   1. 78

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Google sends a check directly to our checking account.  I'm in the US.

      replyreport
      1. 77

         lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I don't think there is a way to transfer an account. I cannot even change my adsense automatic bank transfer to my current country from India. I need to create a new adsense account if I want to do this. If I can't change a small thing such as that, I doubt it's possible to change ownership.

         replyreport