The funny thing about running a service for safe and secure data storage with military-grade encryption is … all the documents you store are encrypted. So if you want to get data on how and why people are using your service, you can’t. Because … encryption.
That said, you can poll people both formally and informally. Which is what CEO Chris Wong has done at LifeSite, the data storage service that comes at no cost with the Haven Life Plus rider. This work has given him invaluable insights into the myriad ways that his customers make use of his offerings.
So while we can’t tell you, say, the top five types of documents LifeSite customers store online, we did speak with Wong to get a window into how people are using the service, and what their experience might mean for you. To put it another way, this is how to get the most out of LifeSite’s secure online vault for storing, sharing and managing your family’s most important data.
Any essential documents you want to share with loved ones
Discovery, Wong says, is the most vital use for LifeSite. So what does that mean? Think of discovery as a sort of treasure map, but instead of Blackbeard’s buried chest of gold bullion, the treasure is your most important documents and how to find them.
Let’s say you have a life insurance policy. Using LifeSite, you can upload not just your policy, but your carrier, the names of all beneficiaries, your premium (and its due date(s)) and how much coverage you have. You can also list the URL and login — all so that, in the event the worst should happen, your loved ones can quickly and easily find this critical data.
Doing this takes only a few minutes, and better yet, it will benefit you while you’re alive, because you can easily access it through LifeSite’s mobile app. You can also share such information easily with up to five loved ones. Other types of information you might want to store securely include ID (driver’s license, passport, your Social Security Number). Also, consider saving anything related to your estate planning. (Which reminds us: Trust & Will, online service that creates a customized, state-specific, legally valid will at no cost, is also included with the Haven Life Plus rider.)
Medical records
Anything that might save your life in an emergency where you’re incapacitated belongs here. Medications. Allergies. Vaccination records. Doctors. Appointments.
Again, this is information that might prove useful if you’re not around anymore—your direct relations will benefit from your detailed medical history. But more importantly, this is information that’s useful while you’re still alive. If you go to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, you’ll have any necessary medical information at your fingertips. Or if you’re seeing a specialist or just a new doctor. Or if you experience a medical emergency while traveling. And again, it’s shareable, in case something happens where you’re unable to get this information yourself (or get it quickly).
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Life insurance is a smart move when you have people in your life who depend on you financially.
Read moreYour passwords
Yep, passwords. Turns out storing them on a Post-It note next to your computer isn’t the most secure option available (or the one easiest for your relatives to discover if and when they need them). It is, in a sense, the paradox of passwords that the more secure they are, the harder they are to remember, necessitating an ever-widening system of storage for them.
LifeSite simplifies things by offering one-stop for all of your passwords. And again, thanks to the mobile app, access is just a few taps away.
Pet information
It turns out this is one of the most popular uses for LifeSite, according to focus groups. And it makes sense — a pet is basically a member of your family. And pets have many of the same concerns we humans do … medical records, identification and so forth.
This kind of information is useful in case Fido outlives you. But it also makes for an easy way to share this information with someone who is petsitting while you’re away. (If your cat needs to go to the vet, for example, your petsitter can access their medical records easily.)
Memories
This isn’t a top use case, based on LifeSite’s focus groups, but it’s one people say they use more as they get older. Given LifeSite can be used to store not just documents but data, it makes for a safe and secure place to store, say, home movies or personal remembrances. Maybe there’s a memorable letter your father wrote to you. Scan it by taking a photo with your phone, upload it to LifeSite, and your children will one day be able to read it themselves. Any information that might be fleeting or ephemeral might also fit under this umbrella. A family photo that’s already in a fragile condition, for example.
All told, Wong says these use cases embody the 80-20 rule: You use 20% of your stored info 80% of the time. For LifeSite customers, this means storing the information they might need quickly in an emergency, as well as info that might require regular updating.
And again, it’s not just about sharing this information with your family after you’re gone — it’s so you can store old memories, and share new ones, in real time, while you’re still here.
Louis Wilson is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in a wide array of publications, both online and in print. He often writes about travel, sports, popular culture, men’s fashion and grooming, and more. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he has developed an unbridled passion for breakfast tacos, with his wife and two children. This article is sponsored by Haven Life Insurance Agency. Opinions are his own.
Haven Life Plus is the marketing name for the Plus Rider, a rider to the Haven Term insurance policy that is available to Haven Term policyholders (except in NY, FL, SD, WA and ND). The Plus Rider is included as part of your policy, and offers access to “Plus Benefits”, which are additional products, services and benefits. Although the Plus Rider is not available in California, California residents may still be able to opt in to certain benefits and services available under this rider. Participation in the services and benefits provided are optional.
The Plus rider provides access to additional services and benefits either at a discount or at no charge for certain products and services (“Plus Benefits”). Not all Plus Benefits are available in every state. Plus Benefits are provided by third party vendors (“Partners”). Neither Haven Life nor MassMutual are responsible for the provision of Plus Benefit services or benefits. By activating a Plus Benefit, you are entering into a customer agreement with the Partner. Please review all Partner terms and conditions carefully. Plus Benefits are non-transferable, have no cash value, and are subject to change at any time.
Haven Life and MassMutual will not share your personal information with Partners, and Partners will not share personal information with Haven Life or MassMutual. Haven Term policyholders may opt out of Haven Life Plus by contacting help@havenlife.com at any time.
