Today I did something that I’ve been putting off for awhile. I wrote down all my passwords, and put it in a safe place. It feels morbid to do, so I decided to write an article vindicating why I did it… and why you should to.

Obviously, the first reason comes to mind: you die. Not something you want to think about at any age, and self-denial sets in when you are young (like me). But, in the 21st century, managing someone’s death is going to become more and more painful as walls of security set in. Giving your family your passwords will save them months, if not years of headaches later.

But enough about death. There are plenty of good reasons to write down your passwords (and notice I’m saying passwords, you shouldn’t ever use just one for everything).

First off, what happens if you become incapacitated… access to your email could reveal vital information… like what crazy pharmaceuticals you ordered online (everyone can fall prey to something like that, you’re thick skull won’t help you in a coma).  What happens if you vanish? Your email could reveal where you were headed, helping people find you.

And, let’s not forget… the all-important point of what happens if you forget one of your own passwords. You know, that obscure one for that moronic web site that has seventeen requirements for what your password should conform to.

It’s just a good idea, write them down, put them somewhere not exactly easy to find, but findable. Safety deposit boxes work great for this.