It’s the stuff no one likes to think about: contingency plans. But for anyone who earns money online and whose day consists of a lot of human interaction - albeit digital - there’s something to consider: a contingency plan in case something happens to you and you cannot continue working - or worse, pass away.

If you’re earning residual revenue that pays out even if you are not doing anything, then it’s doubly important. The more you’re earning, obviously, the more important it is that either trusted friends or family have a list of your web properties and your passwords.

What’s the best way to handle this? Obviously, it’ll be different for everyone. You can always print this information and provide it in a sealed envelope to a family member who is web-savvy. Or put it in a safe deposit box as part of your assets, to be passed down as dictated in your will.

In my case, my brother has registered all of my web domains and hosting plans, so he knows what I have, as well as all of my site passwords - excluding some emails, Wordpress/ Typepad/ Movable Type/ Blogger accounts and any web services accounts. While I do have a file with all this information, he wouldn’t know where to look for it.

I don’t yet make enough residual income for it to matter. However, I currently write for pay for several websites/ weblogs. If something happens to me, knock wood, my instructions should be for my brother to send out emails. Or at the very least, announce it at Performancing.com.

If you think I’m being morbid or extreme, consider a blogger’s recent post about losing his friend, and how her parents do not know how to access her Yahoo email. (The page is no longer live, so I haven’t provided a link.)

My condolences, A.