Organizing Passwords and Other Secret Codes

This is the second post of my ongoing Organizing My Life project

Do you have any idea how many passwords you have? I didn’t, and when I counted them, I was shocked. Some of them are rarely used, but many are important gateways into my medical portal, insurance policies, and financial information, as well as into services, retail websites, and other business accounts I access regularly.    

I had what I thought was a fairly clever system for recalling each password. For each of my 100+ passwords, I wrote a memory prompt in my password book that meant something to me but would be indecipherable to anyone else. Unfortunately, that “anyone else” included my husband. If something were to happen to me, he wouldn’t know what accounts are out there, how to access them, and what to do with them.

How secure are your passwords?

After some research, I decided that the best solution was to sign up for a password manager (PM) service. There are several good ones available, ranging in price from free to a few dollars a month. After narrowing my top choices down to three, I selected the one that had the combination of services and support that was right for us.  Our “family Plan” allows my husband and me to set up our individual accounts and also share access to any accounts – such as joint banking accounts – we both use.  

There was a bit of a learning curve to set the PM service up, but after watching a few YouTube tutorials (Ask Leo has some great how-to tech videos), I found the process to be fairly simple. Once complete, all you need to do is remember one long “master password” and the service does the rest. This was especially handy on our recent road trip when I had to access a few of our accounts. My one master password was all I needed.   

Of course, passwords are just part of the puzzle. For instance, you also might have PIN codes for ATMs, home security systems, garage and front door locks, combinations for safes and lockers, safe words or phrases for alarm companies, authenticator apps, and answers to secret questions. And, don’t forget your phone’s unlock code, your computer’s access code, and your Wi-Fi password. If something happens to you, the person managing your affairs will need many of these codes to move forward.  

A robust PM provides an encrypted vault to store not only passwords and secret codes but also digital copies of your driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, social security card, marriage license, etc. If these documents were destroyed in a fire or natural disaster, by storing copies in your PM you’d be able to access them online. Even if you opt not to store these items in a PM, you might want to share them with a trusted family member or friend.

After I get all my passwords and other information into my PM, my next project is to organize my contact information. Spoiler alert: Like organizing my passwords and codes, listing my important contacts won’t be as simple as typing a column of names and phone numbers.

If you’d like to follow my ongoing project to organize my important information, please start with the link below. I will post updates now and then as I complete each task.   

Organizing My Life  

Discover more from Retirementally Challenged

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Unknown's avatar

Author: Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com

My blog is about travel, relationships, photography, and whatever else pops into my head (even, sometimes, issues surrounding retirement and aging).

97 thoughts on “Organizing Passwords and Other Secret Codes”

  1. Good advice. I use google password manager, but I’m pretty sure my husband has no idea how to use it, so perhaps I’ll start there, if the horse is willing.

    1. I had toyed with the idea of a password manager for a long time before I took the plunge. The more I read about the positives of using one (ease, security, etc.), the more I felt that I should take the plunge. I love how they automatically create strong passwords.

  2. My husband and I use password managers, but, sadly, different ones since his preferred manager is Windows-based and mine is Apple-based 🙄 Still, we know how to unlock each other’s phone and we periodically revisit our codes for accessing the PMs. Still again, passwords change and aren’t always updated in the PMs. Sigh. I do dread the day I might have to access my husband’s laptops (he has more than one because of his photography activities). I haven’t been on a Windows-based environment since I retired a few years ago. Just the thought of trying to navigate my husband’s laptops gives me the heebie-jeebies.

    1. Yikes! Good thing my husband and I are both Windows users. Both my phone and tablet are Apple, though, and my PM works the same on them.

      I know that password managers aren’t the perfect solution, but I feel better knowing that they are more secure than my old system and I love that I just need to remember one master password.

  3. Great post. I use Last Pass. I keep reading that 1Pass is “preferred” but I found it didn’t always do what I expected it to do, but I no longer remember the specifics of what wasn’t working for me. I have some issues with Last Pass as well and so have never ended up sharing it with Matt because I was waiting until it was working well for me. Three years later, I’m still waiting. Maybe Ask Leo can help. Thanks for the tip.

    1. I was a bit worried that I’d run into problems when we were traveling but — thank goodness — my diminished brain cells remembered my master password and things continued on just fine. Last Pass was one of the services I looked into. They got good ratings… I can’t remember why I picked another one, but I imagine they are all pretty much the same.

  4. I have a huge spreadsheet with passwords and other secret information. The key is to keep everything up to date which is probably easier with an on-line service. Google manages some, I manage some but if something happens to me my husband is clueless. (Generally speaking he’s clueless about technology.)

    1. The thing I like the most about our password manager is that I no longer need to keep a record of multiple passwords. As long as I can remember the master password (it’s long!), I’m good to go. Now I need to make sure my husband has access to all the accounts he’d need to manage if something happened to me.

  5. I don’t use a password manager (yet!) but I have a list. I use the same 8 letter secret word for every password, then I add a unique letter and two numbers to the secret word for each account. The unique letter and numbers is on the list next to the name of the account. The secret word is inside our safe with important documents.

    1. That sounds similar to what I did, and it worked pretty well. I was a little worried, though that if someone could find my secret word (in my case, it was a short phrase), they might be able to figure out the pattern for the unique letter and numbers. Probably not, but I feel safer using the password manager.

  6. This is one of those “biggie” items in the planning for the end program! I tried giving my husband a small digital password device, but that never went anywhere. All his are on paper and mine in a Word document (NOT called “Passwords,” of course). But that is wholly inadequate in the event of my death. Good for you in getting all that done!

    1. Life would be so much easier if everyone was honest, and we didn’t have to worry about someone trying to take what isn’t theirs, wouldn’t it? It got to the point where I just had too many passwords and I needed to corral them. It also seemed like the best way to be able to share access to important accounts just in case.

  7. What a job! I keep my passwords and PIN info in a safe. I still don’t trust password managers enough to put all mine in one basket.

    I should probably try it with non essential accounts that I don’t have a lot of personal information about me tied to them. I will be following your experience with organizing to see what else you’re doing.

    1. I didn’t completely trust them at first either, but the more I researched, the more I felt comfortable. Nothing is 100%, but along with two-factor authentication, it would be pretty hard to gain access. I think it’s a good idea to try it with non-essential accounts. Most PMs will give you a short, free trial period to check them out.

      1. I don’t know why I came up anonymous…maybe something in the way I’m logged in on my phone.

        I’ll start with non-essential sites. I like the two-factor authentication option now but, at first not so much. 😊

  10. Due to years of travelling fulltime Les organised a password security system, where his are stored online and on paper. As I do social media, all personal accounts aren’t on my laptop just on our main computer in the office. For obvious reasons I need to familiarise myself with them all more regularly especially the sharemarket accounts, I feel a headache coming on ;-).

  12. Oh my gaaaaaarrrssshhh! Reading all the different things we have pws and other codes for was frightening! What happened to the simple life? We have ours written down in a notebook, which, I now realize is not very secure at all, but it does make life easier. :/

    1. It’s crazy how many passwords I had… many which I don’t use anymore. When we were settling my parents estate, we didn’t have to deal with any of it (I don’t think that even used an ATM). Life has definitely become more complicated. Having a PM not only makes me feel more secure, i think it makes my online activity easier. No more password books.

  13. Very interesting Janis. I don’t know anyone who uses a password manager, so now I know how it works. I have a master document where I keep all my passwords and contact info for banks, insurance, etc. I keep a flashdrive in my laptop at all times, so the document is there and I just go into it if I need to order something (credit card info) or go onto a site I don’t always access. I don’t have the need for a printer, (even when I worked), so I can’t print that long password list out, so I was toying with the idea of getting an address book to keep a hard copy of the passwords, so now I’ll consider the PM. I have no family and no one uses my computer, so I am the only person accessing these sites.

    I was part of one of the two recent AT&T data breaches, so I changed many of my passwords – AT&T, unlike other large companies who have a data breach, did not provide credit monitoring. I can remember using the same password for everything when first using the internet and not thinking twice about doing that. I have had Malwarebytes Premium for about 15 years, so that gives me confidence about thwarting hackers as well.

    1. I was part of that AT&T breach too. And then they had the nerve to offer me a discount if I set up automatic payments with them! They are not a company I would trust with my banking info.

      I have not heard of Malwarebytes. I’ll check it out. Since online transactions are a fact of life now, I’m willing to set up as many roadblocks as I can to keep my info safe.

      1. I despise AT&T to be honest. I want to keep my landline and I do not want a digital landline; I could do that through Comcast, my internet provider if I wanted. Last week I got my bill – it went up almost $5.00 to $82.00. I dropped long distance and interzone calls years ago as I can use my cellphone if need be for those. I called and asked why this is the third increase in one year’s time, the same amount each time, plus dealing with a data breach with no credit monitoring. I got the answer “copper wire for your landline phone is expensive and one day it will be obsolete.” I like the security of a landline that will work in an emergency if needed.

        Malwarebytes is very good – I have had it for years and I just got a new Windows 11 laptop, so I’m going to pay a little extra and upgrade my subscription for their VPN and identity protection plan. I have a legacy subscription so pay about $37.00/year for three devices. They also have a free version, but it is not as comprehensive.

  14. Okay, so this post sent me down a huge rabbit hole to triple check how secure my current password system is or isn’t.

    I have an independent, handmade system that I have literally used for years and years.

    When I took a course about Online Security, it highly recommended the type of password system that you are using. But despite that reassurance, I have still been too afraid to use that kind of a servicee. Luddite, I know!

    Thank you for this great series. It is incredibly helpful and highly thought-provoking.

    1. I did a lot of rabbit hole research too before taking the plunge. After hearing again and again that PM systems were the way to go… I did more research. I felt pretty good about my handmade system too but I could see that it made sharing passwords with my husband more difficult.

  15. Thank you for this post. I’m glad to hear how well the PM is working for you. I’ve been thinking about doing getting one but still feel uneasy about it.

  16. I’ve always wondered how one of these systems worked so thanks for the info. I use an address book that my husband and I share. Various secure platforms that we were included in have been hacked, and I’m hesitant to put this information online. Our traveling days are behind us for several reasons so a book works okay. With your travels, I can see where an online system would work much better. Congrats on another organizational accomplishment for your year.

  17. I’ve never tried a password manager app, but know they’re popular. I’ve spent most of this last week organizing stuff [junk?] and paper documents in my life. Among the paper documents were many passwords, some I discovered were from over 10 years ago and I have changed them many times since then… yet I held onto the password just in case. Passwords make me nutty, I guess.

  18. I know I should do this, but like you have been putting it off. Apple saves all my passwords in its settings and I know John could get into that if need be, but I don’t think I could do the same with his iPad. *Note to self to find out his passcode when he comes home*. A password manager is obviously better for security though. Though as things seem to be moving to facial recognition the need might pass before I get round to it!

    1. Facial recognition is a great second part of a two-factor authentication, but we’ll probably be dealing with passwords for a while. It seems that as soon as a security wall is put up, hackers find their way around it.

      Good idea to make sure you and your husband know how to access any important accounts.

    1. That’s what I did too. In my address book, l had written my memory prompts for each password. It worked fairly well although my husband wouldn’t have been able to figure my secret code out if something happened to me. The important thing is to have robust, unique passwords and do whatever works for you to keep them organized and safe.

  20. This is incredibly helpful, Janis, because getting a password manager has been on my To-Do list all year. Other things keep getting pushed ahead of it, but I really want to get one before the year is finished in December. You’re inspiring me to get it done already. Thanks! – Marty

    1. I had been putting it off also. I actually started this series just to keep me moving forward 🙂

      Now that it’s (almost) done, I feel a lot better. Next, I need to make sure I have two-factor authentication set up whenever possible.

      Good luck, Marty!

  23. After doing a bunch of research I feel confident that my password manager on my Mac is sufficient. It notifies me if any passwords have been compromised, and I’ve updated all of my passwords to the complex passwords it suggests. I only have to remember one password, and Eric and I know each others’ passwords. But as you mentioned, there’s other stuff to think about. Maybe I’ll take photos of our driver’s licenses, etc. etc. and send them to myself? I am on a mission to keep my life as simple as possible.

    1. Simplify… that’s my goal too. It sounds like your password manager works a lot like the one I use.

      Isn’t it amazing – overwhelming, really – how many passwords and secret codes we have to deal with? As far as some things, like driver’s licenses, Apple wallet works well too. Some states accept a digital copy, and others are slowly going that way.

      I see a lot of young women walking around with a purse of any kind. I think many of them have made the transition to all-digital. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.

  25. This is such a good idea, Janis, and I’m glad you and Paul are tackling it. Another big but important project! And, the easier and simpler one’s life, the easier and simpler the backing up and collecting of codes.

    Mark has all this figured out for his passwords, but I’m less organized, having collected everything (I think) in a Word Document. We have the codes to each other’s computer, but that’s about it. having digital copies of passports and important documents is important as well!

    1. I really liked my “secret” prompts for remembering passwords, but I like it a lot better now that I don’t even have to remember those.

      I’m curious, with all your traveling, have you been able to use digital copies of your important documents, or do you just have them for back-up, just in case?

      1. We’ve used digital copies for requesting visas, vehicle insurance policies, and other online formalities. In person, we have been able to use paper copies of our passports and driver’s licenses at police checkpoints. At the borders, we always need originals and in some Latin American countries, copies don’t cut it at police or military checkpoints either.

  26. The trick is remembering your master password! I suppose you could always sign up for a second password manager that only has that one master password…but then you’d need a master password for that one too, huh? My head hurts just thinking about this.

    Kinda wish I could go back in time to 1994…

    1. Haha! I never thought of setting up a second PM. I created my master password from an easy to remember (for me) quote. Some people use song lyrics or parts of poems. As long as I have most of my marbles and can remember it, I should be okay.

      Life was easier in 1994, for sure, but we didn’t have YouTube to watch cat videos on.

  27. It’s a minefield, isn’t it? When did life get so complicated? I can’t believe you had so many passwords though, Janis. I fluctuate between the same half dozen. I’m an innocent abroad.

    1. I was shocked too. Many were created for a one-time access to something, so I didn’t bother adding them to my PM. I think it’s important for all of us to take a moment and consider what accounts we have that someone might need to gain access to if/when we can’t. I’ve read too many tales of warning. Good for you for having so few to wrangle!

  28. I like the idea of a password manager, but I live with a man who would look at me like I was mad if I submitted my everything to a third party provider – in case they were hacked. But then having a paper organizer also has its failings, so I’m currently at an impasse. But I’m of an age when this is important, so… I need to figure out a resolution.

    1. I was worried about hacking too, but then I kept reading that often the passwords we come up with ourselves can be even easier to hack. Since you still use two-party authentication with a PM, and they will alert you if a company that stores your data has been compromised (like AT&T recently), I feel a lot safer.

      1. Yes, I read an interesting article on Medium about it which is why this subject has been taking up much of my headspace. I hadn’t thought about about the fact that two-part authentication would still being in place…. hmm. That does add to the picture, so thank you Janis, this is all helping me.

  29. Don’t even get me started about my deep and abiding hatred of all the passwords, pins, etc. we need to keep track of these days! Wasn’t technology supposed to make our lives easier? I haven’t tried a password manager yet, but I may. My son suggested a general password with whatever you’re using it for attached after, but that seems a bit too easy to crack for my comfort level. Good for you for tackling this issue!

    1. I think a lot of people use the system your son suggested (how else are we expected to remember so many passwords?), which, of course, means it can be easily hacked. Guess the system for one account, and you now have access to all accounts. We just can’t be cleverer than the computers that the bad actors use.

    2. It’s funny how when (just a century or so ago) phones gained popularity, they used letters in conjunction with numbers for the phone “numbers” because no sane person was expected to remember a random sequence of 7 digits, let alone several of them.

      How much have expectations changed…? 🙂

      1. Expectations have changed, but our brains are pretty much the same. Not only is it impossible to remember so many random passwords and secret codes, but I don’t want my brain cells to be filled with that info. I need the room for happier, more important items to remember.

  30. This is a great reminder to everyone about how important it is to make it easy for a partner to access your accounts should anything happen to them, Janis.

    I’ve been using Last Pass for the last few years and find it helpful when only one master password is needed. I occasionally housekeep Last Pass and delete accounts I no longer have, so I keep everything in order. Last Pass also allows you a password hint, which is handy sometimes.

    1. I feel so much better now that I’ve put all of my passwords for frequently accessed accounts into my PM. It was one of those tasks that sat on my to-do list for way too long.

      Last Pass was one of the PMs I looked at. They were mentioned often in my research. I like the idea of a password hint… I’ll have to check if my PM offers that too.

  31. I recently was made aware of a service that gathers in one place all personal info, profiles, financials, contact, vendors, doctors, vehicles, contracts, medical conditions, passwords, and, and, and… in one place. mydatadiary.com It seems like a very thorough and safe option. It is so important to gather all this critical info for that time down the road …

  32. I finally got a print book called “WTF is my Password.” Old school tech here, Janis, but what a lifesaver to someone who used to write everything down on scraps of paper. Your password manager sounds like the next generation plus plus! I’m not quite ready to make that leap, but its good to know it’s there.

    I also have a book called “Sh*t I Can’t Remember” that comes in very handy. 🙂

    1. I used to use an address book for my passwords (or, more precisely, my password memory prompts) and that worked pretty well. The PM makes things so much easier since I only need to remember one password… and it’s a long one.

      I’d need “Sh*t I Can’t Remember” to come in multiple volumes.

  34. Wow – over 100 passwords! I don’t think I want to add mine up. They are the bane of our modern world. I wish we could have just one password that was our key to all digital information. I like the idea of an online system, but it is pretty scary to put all of your information into one spot. I currently have all of mine on a couple of sheets of paper in my file drawer…. old school. Thanks for the info. It is probably time to update my system!

    1. The beauty of a password manager system is that you just have one password that you need to remember. It does the rest. You can still have two-factor authentication for any accounts that allow it. I was a little hesitant at first, but the more I looked into it, the more I was comfortable with the security. I’m happy that I made the change, but I know it’s not for everyone.

  35. I’m very impressed with “how organized” you are with organizing your life. You have thought of so many things that I’ve not given much attention too. Thanks again for sharing it all with us.

  36. Hi Janis, we have been off the grid camping. I bookmarked your posts to read when I returned. I don’t want to miss any ‘Janis Gems.’ 😀 Your post resonates with me and the whole password conundrum. Your door photo made me smile.

    How complex. Gone are the simple days of my mother’s maiden name. Thank you for sharing an important and comprehensive post – even posing the questions. 💕 Erica

    1. Yes, it’s so much more complicated now… and especially challenging because of us are focusing on simplifying our lives. Just think of all the time, effort, and money we’d save if everyone was honest, and we didn’t need to be concerned about people with bad intent.

      I hope you had a great time camping!

  37. Wow, passwords are the bane of my existence, and if one of us goes right now, it will be a pain. Mine are in a file, but I leave out letters and sometimes even I have a hard time remembering which letters go in those places. I will check this out thoroughly because now I am also managing my brother’s passwords.Thanks for sharing! xxxx

    1. Hi Marsha… somehow, I missed your comment. I really recommend looking into setting up a password manager. It can seem a little complicated at first, but it makes remembering a bunch of passwords a thing of the past. All you need to do is come up with a phrase, song lyric, or anything that you can easily remember as your master password. I used something from my childhood so I’ll still remember it even when my short-term memory fades away. :O

Comments are closed.