In my previous post about AI-filtered news, some readers noticed a phone automation: “Send location to wife if I miss her call.” The comments were funny, but the idea is serious. While getting kidnapped is unlikely, unexpected things happen. It’s rational to prepare. We can record crucial information our families would need and ensure they receive it.
As an average office worker, I’m not managing a family business or company shares. I just need to list my assets and debts, leaving clues for recovery.
This boils down to three questions:
- Where to store the info?
- When and how to send it?
- How to keep it secure?
Tackling these in order proved difficult. Existing solutions lacked either automation or security. I even checked dedicated apps, but their data security was dubious. Rethinking the order (2, 1, 3), I realized a calendar app is ideal.
I created a recurring monthly event with email reminders.
It’s set to email me. I then configured a filter in my email to forward it to my wife’s primary email if the body contains a specific keyword, like one at the start of my message.
The message itself is in the event notes. I list my assets: investments, savings, insurance, and usernames. For security, I omit passwords, only including the ID or phone number needed for a reset. I also list debts, primarily the mortgage, including the payment card, amount, and a reminder to keep it current.
But this would email my wife monthly – not exactly “last words.” So, I set up a second recurring event a day earlier, reminding me to delete the “last words” event – just that occurrence, not the series. This “negative trigger,” inspired by the Swordholder in The Three-Body Problem, is activated by inaction.
This prevents monthly emails and keeps the information out of my wife’s inbox, reducing the risk of leaks. Her data security habits aren’t as strong as mine. For added security, I created a separate, dedicated calendar account just for this, never used for sign-ups or other emails.
Naturally, I’ll inform my wife about this, if only to ensure she doesn’t change her main email.