Does your little one have a digital trust fund?

December 22nd, 2011, Posted by Emily

Hmmm. A digital trust fund. Is that like Monopoly money? Didn’t we get better checks and balances on our financial systems recently, you ask?

A digital trust fund is not monetary. To the contrary, it takes little more than your time to set up. It’s a way to claim and safeguard certain accounts for your child; for instance their name as a Gmail address, domain, Twitter handle and personalized Facebook url.

I first heard this idea from Tess Vigeland on Marketplace Money. Here’s a link to the podcast if you’re interested.

When I mentioned the idea to our very own Amy Kramer, she confirmed that she had her childrens’ names as urls. Being the president of a digital marketing company, this came as no surprise. But then I started thinking about all the ways this made sense. It would be helpful to have these digital addresses in place to:

  • beat out any other kids who could possibly have the same name as your child
  • prevent anyone from posing as your child and ruining their reputation – especially if they want to be a politician when they grow up
  • could potentially boost their SEO rankings due to their longstanding accounts

Will all this really matter in 12-15 years when your little bundle of joy is taking their first steps into the digital world? Here is where I start to think this could be a time waster. I love Facebook, but will it really be around for that long? I’m dubious. But I’ve also been wrong before. What do you think?

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2 Responses to “Does your little one have a digital trust fund?”

  1. Excellent subject to discuss. Now I have to get busy registering for my 8 year old…lol.

  2. Faith says:

    Taken. building company in Alabama. Glad it seems to be a reputable company.

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