It used to be that Long Islanders and people all over the country utilized a filing cabinet and a safe-deposit box to hold their wills and the other important documents making up their estate plan. Heirs would know where to find paperwork at home or share access to the box at the bank.

But with the advent of digital recordkeeping, it isn't that easy anymore. People might hold assets in different banks or online accounts, scattering their holdings across the Internet with different passwords for each account. Insurance policies, wills and trust documents could be stored online. If people have not left detailed instructions for their heirs -- including passwords -- finding all of the necessary paperwork could be daunting.

Financial planners have shared advice as to how people can be sure the online components of their estate plans are accessible to their most trusted parties if the account holders are not around to provide guidance. Consulting with an estate planning attorney or financial planner could make implementing these tips easier.

· Assign someone trusted with a durable power of attorney to handle financial affairs in case of incapacitation. That person must have a list of e-mail and account passwords to handle affairs. The durable power of attorney expires when the person dies or regains abilities to handle affairs.

· Name an executor of a will and record, on paper, a list of all accounts. Start by jotting down all monthly household bills including bills that pay automatically. Make sure the executor knows everything that is stored online and how to access them.

· Leave a binder summarizing all accounts in the estate plan and all passwords. Make sure the executor or person designated as durable power of attorney knows where to find it.

· Investigate transferring documents to a digital safe-deposit box. While it might not be right for all people, there are services that will store crucial documents and release them only to the person the account owner has designated.

Source: Bankrate.com, "Figure online accounts into estate planning," Judy Martel, Feb. 1, 2012