Just getting started with Trustworthy? Using the Family Operating System® is a secure and easy way to organize and share important information with your trusted inner circle.

While there's no singular way to approach it, taking these steps will help you get the most out of your experience, so you’ll feel relaxed and in control.

How to optimize your digital assets

Step 1: Take advantage of your onboarding and expert service

Every new Trustworthy plan comes with a minimum of 30 minutes of onboarding with your expert. This is personalized, 1:1 time you can use to get help with your digital asset management. Want more help? Members of the platinum plan also get three additional hours of 1:1 expert service.

To get started:

• Gather important items from your purse and wallet

• Find your “important documents” folder

• Rustle up any other easy documents you can get started with

If you’re also on the platinum plan, think about setting up time to work with the expert to:

• Get a new will, trust, or other estate documents

• Set up life insurance or other policies

• Tackle emergency planning and preparation

The expert service adds value, structure, and suggestions for Trustworthy members. Whatever you're looking to put in order, your expert will be there to help and answer any questions.

Step 2: Download the free Trustworthy app for easy scanning and upload

Trustworthy has a free mobile app for iOS devices, and downloading it will help you get the most out of your experience. Create a family archive or inventory your assets in minutes. Take pictures with your phone and upload and store immediately to your secure dashboard. The scanning feature makes it easy to upload documents and auto-populate information, so you don't have to fill out things again and again.

Use this feature on mobile to scan information such as:

Family IDs

• Drivers' licenses

• Social Security cards

• Passports

• Birth certificates

• Marriage license

• Vaccine cards

• Medical insurance cards

Property

• House deed and mortgage

• Driver registration

• License plate and tag information

Step 3: Inventory your digital life

Chances are your digital life is spread out across many different platforms and services. Prior to using Trustworthy, many members used a mix of Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, desktop folders, and mobile Notes to cobble together their important family information.

This is the perfect time to take stock of what you have and where. Once you upload information onto Trustworthy's secure platform, you can start thinking about unsubscribing from or deleting information that was previously stored in less secure locations.

Step 4: Add your digital accounts

Digital accounts include all your online accounts and passwords, including important items like savings accounts and insurance. Adding this information to your dashboard makes it easy to find things like bank routing numbers when needed. It keeps your information secure, and ensures that your family is prepared in case of events like identity fraud.

Money

• Checking

• Savings

• 529 college savings

• 401(k) and retirement savings

• Brokerage accounts

• Stocks and bonds

• Digital and crypto assets

Insurance

• Term life insurance

• Medical insurance

• Homeowners insurance

• Umbrella insurance

• Auto insurance

Passwords/Password manager

• Social media accounts

• Smartphone-related accounts

• Photo storage

• Loyalty/reward programs

• Digital entertainment subscriptions

• Digital entertainment assets

• Healthcare portals

Step 5: Get a password manager

If your family doesn't have a password manager yet, now is a good time to make it happen! There are plenty of high-quality password managers out there at a low cost, and Trustworthy seamlessly integrates with many of them.

Setting up a password manager significantly increases your family's information security. It makes it easy to diversify and lengthen your passwords and prevent future breaches. 

It also ties in very well with your estate planning. For example, if you are incapacitated and need a designated individual to access these accounts on your behalf (a digital power of attorney), it's easy and safe to share your password manager information through Trustworthy. With your family on Trustworthy as well, they'll have access to this information when it matters most.

Related article: Why you should consider a family password manager

Step 6: Securely destroy select paper records 

Many paper documents don't need to take up space or float around the house. This is especially true when they have sensitive information such as your Social Security number or banking numbers.

After you scan and upload certain documents, consider which actually require a hard copy. We recommend keeping hard copies of the following documents for a year, unless you need them for tax purposes (keep those for three years):

• Bank statements

• Credit card receipts

• Paycheck stubs

• Utility bills

• Canceled checks

Once you no longer need these documents on paper, it’s a good idea to invest in a shredder so that people can't rummage through your paper documents in the trash.

Step 7: Delete or cancel redundant information and accounts

Delete redundant information and close down digital accounts you aren't using after you've uploaded your information into Trustworthy. This benefits you in several ways:

• Keeps your information more secure because it’s not floating around in vulnerable environments without bank-level security

• Saves money on excessive storage and subscription fees

• Creates a more organized system for you and your family

Some examples of redundant information you may have on Google Drive, OneDrive, Notes, or Dropbox may include:

• Family IDs

• Medical information

• Tax information older than three years

• Banking or routing information

• Password and login information

Next, cancel any subscription fees you were paying to store this information. This will help you consolidate your family information in one easy place.

Step 8: Add collaborators to the platform

Decide who should be part of your trusted inner circle. Many Trustworthy members choose to add close family members to the platform, so they can add their own information (such as family IDs). Choose collaborators for specific sections as well. 

For example, invite your estate planner to the Property section, or share specific documents with permissions and time limits depending on the situation. This allows you to grow your team and add collaborators to help get important tasks done. You'll be able to securely and easily share important information with the people you trust most — and you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting alone.

Step 9: Create custom reminders

Now that all your information is securely stored in Trustworthy’s dashboard, this is the perfect opportunity to create custom reminders to stay on top of your life’s important details.

Set reminders to:

• Renew your passport or driver’s license

• Refinance your mortgage

• Change important account passwords

• Schedule biannual dentist appointments

• Reassess your life insurance policy

With custom reminders, the possibilities are endless. Once they’re set up, it’s one less thing you have to keep track of.

Step 10: Fill in the missing blanks

What’s missing in your Family Operating System? Review and make sure you’re covered for long-term and short-term emergencies, or long-term milestones. For example, maybe you’ve been putting off getting life insurance, creating your estate plan, or opening up a 529 college plan. Now that you can easily view your family's important information, it's easier than ever to start filling in the blanks. Depending on the service, you may also decide to reach out to your expert for tips on the best businesses and service providers out there.

Congrats, you did it!

Organizing your family’s information and planning for the future is a gift to everyone you care about. By getting your house in order, you can rest easy that your family is more than prepared for life’s moments, both big and small.