what happens to online stuff if you die? especially residual income

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   princess gposted 15 years ago

   I just thought about this, after reading an article about a woman who her racked up credit card bill because of an ad campaign theat didn't get shut off after she was in an accident.
   
   This got me to wondering about the residual income I make online. Would my kids(or beneficiaries, whatever) be able to keep getting my google adsense, or other residual payments, like from Ehow etc., if I died?
   
   I did a little bit of research, but couldn't find anything satisfactory, and now it's starting to bug me.
   
   Does anyone have any clue about this issue?

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      alternate poetposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      It obviously goes to digital heaven.  Seriously, anyone can pick up the handling of accounts as long as they know where they are and have the passwords etc (I would think) the issue would be where payments go. The way to get around that might be to make everything with a 'pen' name and also open the bank account in that name, then all the 'other' has to do is to have access to everything ???   Only my thoughts on how to get around it all - if we put it in the hands of a lawyer for advice and help we would lose it to them anyway

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      Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Yes they would, IF you keep a record of all the sites with your username and password for each one. 
      
      The site doesn't know if it's you or your kid or your husband logging on, all they care about is that it's the correct username and password.
      
      If you don't prepare a list, then your beneficiaries can contact the sites with evidence of your death and request payment of existing funds - but it would depend on the TOS what happens after that.
      
      Of course, if your beneficiaries don't know all the sites you're a member of, they won't be able to claim it.  Some sites have rules that say if you're not active for a certain length of time, you forfeit your earnings - but not all.

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   Justine76posted 15 years ago

   I swear this was in a thread a while back, I just cant find it, I forgot what it was called...something like...do you have a plan? or ..grr..its bugging me!!

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      Justine76posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I know it said you need to have stuff in order or no one gets it.

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3. 68

   Ivorwenposted 15 years ago

   I think you would have to make it part of your estate planning, and to that end have someone who can access your accounts (including checking, savings, etc.). 
   
   Thinking of this, I should put a copy of my sites and pass words in our safe with other important papers.

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   tamronposted 15 years ago

   I asked the same question over at ehow If I remember correctly after a period of time if your account has not been active for a period of time then ehow owns your articles.  I don't no what is legal but I have a folder that I have all my login and account info. and directions to be able to get into my account.

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   Urbane Chaosposted 15 years ago

   ...and here I always thought the cyborgs ate it for lunch. Remind me not to kick the bucket anytime soon.

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   Lisa HWposted 15 years ago

   What's in PayPal is one thing, but people would have to ask their survivors to go to Helium and rate a few times a month if they want the money from Helium.    (I don't think too many of my relatives would be willing.  )

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      Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Lisa, that's exactly why I gave up on Helium.  Not that I'm thinking ahead to when I pop my clogs - but unlike HP or some other sites, if I went away on a long holiday, my Helium articles would stop earning because I'm not rating. So it's not passive income.

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         Lisa HWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I try to keep it as passive as possible, but one day it just hit me - "Hey, I'm stuck with rating for the rest of all time if I want my $30!        Since I do plan to live to be 110 that's one heck of lot of time rating, even at 20 or so a month.    I keep saying I'm going to let it all go and forget that $30 or so a month - and yet, somehow I want what's mine. 

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         1. 87

            Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Me too.  I tend to do a big rating session every couple of months.  I have a system - I open the Helium site in another window and leave each rating screen open for about 5 minutes while I do other things, before submitting it.  I do the minimum number of rates.
            
            Someone claimed years ago that time spent on each screen was part of the algorithm, and it seems to be true - because I don't spend much time choosing my preferred article, yet I have no trouble keeping at least one star virtually all the time.  Whereas I know people who rate every week and can't keep one.

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            1. 66

               Lisa HWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

               I can't believe I've come around to this particular approach, but I'm finding that rating poems is the quickest and easiest - less reading involved.      Sometimes I just skip and skip until I hit poems.   (I feel bad saying too much about Helium because I've been treated very well there - but it's that rating that wears thin after the first - oh, say - three years.    I think I may kill myself if I have to read too many more Helium articles.    )

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