5 Ways a Password Manager Helps Elderly Parents

June 1, 2021   -   ,

mother daughter tech conversation

These days, just about everything we do has an online account associated with it. Banking, grocery shopping, email, social media — the list is nearly endless, and so is the list of login credentials for all of these accounts. One of the best ways to securely store this information is with a password manager. If you have elderly parents who use online services, this is essential information you should share with them to help boost their online security.

What is a Password Manager?

A password manager is a program that stores the login information for all of your accounts in one convenient location. No more trying to remember everything, no more storing passwords in unsecured documents or writing them down and taping them to the desk. Everything is encrypted and can only be accessed with the main password that will need to be recorded and stored in a safe place (but we’ll get into that later).

5 Ways a Password Manager Can Help Your Elderly Parents

While everyone can benefit from protecting their account information with a password manager, it can be especially helpful for elderly internet users and provide a lot of peace of mind.

1. Eliminates the Need to Remember Passwords

One of the most common and frustrating complaints that older adults experience when using the internet is losing or misplacing their login credentials. Simply checking email or bank statements quickly becomes a hassle and source of frustration when you lose a password and can’t access what should be right in front of you. A password manager records everything in one consistent, easily accessible location so there’s never any question.

2. Ensures Password Integrity

Using the same password for every account or using easily identifiable passwords are not problems specific to the elderly, but using a password manager can help them avoid those common mistakes just the same. Not only do password managers securely store login information, but many of them can generate strong, unique passwords that you can use when creating accounts or routinely changing your passwords (which should also be done).

3. Protects From Scammers

Rarely a day passes that we don’t hear about someone who lost everything to a scam, swindle, or theft. It’s not pleasant to think about, and the thought of it happening to your parents is unimaginable, but the reality is that there are many of these bad actors at work and they actively seek out elderly targets. 

We all know of phishing emails or text messages trying to make you click on a malicious link. The elderly can fall victims by clicking on a suspicious link, going to the wrong website, and giving up their login information. A password manager can help your parents by having all the login information, including the URLs of the websites, in one place. So, any time they receive a suspicious message, they can use the password manager platform to ensure they launch the correct site instead of clicking on the suspicious link. As they say, the best defense is a strong offense.

4. Simplifies Everything

Sometimes people are slow to adopt new technology because they’re worried it’ll be complex. That’s really not the case with password managers. In fact, they’re quite the opposite. They’re easy to set up and take almost no effort to use. Think about it like this, is it easier to keep all of your physical keys together on one keyring or scattered throughout the house?

5. It’s Smart Planning

It may not be fun to think about the end, but it is wise to make all the proper arrangements ahead of time. After all, that’s the whole essence of estate planning. The login information for your accounts is simply another piece of personal data that should be responsibly stored. And when it’s time for someone else to take the reins, they can do so seamlessly and without worrying if you meant to write a zero or an O. 

The Chicken or the Egg: The Issue of the Main Password

Although password managers are intended to store all of your account information, there is the issue that they themselves require a password. This main password should be written down legibly or, better yet, printed with a very clear font and stored in a safe location with your other important documents.

Make Account Credential Management Part of Your Estate Plan

Keep your sensitive personal information safe and protected with The Postage’s password manager. It’s a helpful and easy-to-use feature that’s integrated into our broader estate planning services. You can feel confident knowing that we used advanced encryption protocols like 256-bit AES encryption and zero-knowledge to ensure that your information is secure.

Setting up an account is easy and free. Once you set up your profile and use the platform, you’ll be on your way to planning for the future.