Why You Need a Password Manager

Some of my blog posts contain affiliate links to software that I personally use and enjoy. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may get a small commission.

Managing passwords is one of the most annoying things about the digital age. Everyone knows that long, complex passwords are the most secure, but who’s got time to memorize hundreds of unique passwords for every online account? Instead, most people default to short, weak passwords that are easy to remember (and then use them for every login). In fact, 65% of people use the same password for most or all of their accounts!

I’m going to tell you exactly how I use a password manager to make my life so much easier. But first, here’s a list of some of the most common password mistakes. How many are you guilty of?

Common Password Mistakes

🔑 Using the same password over and over

🔑 Using passwords that vary by one character

🔑 Using personal information in your passwords

🔑 Creating passwords that are too short

🔑 Storing passwords in insecure places (spreadsheets, emails, etc.)

🔑 Never changing your password

Using a password manager was one of the best things I did for my business and personal life. It helps me avoid all of those problems and makes my life so much easier!

What is a password manager?

A password manager is a software that helps you create, store, autofill, and share strong passwords using data encryption. Think of a password manager like a safe for all of your passwords. You store passwords in the safe, and use the code to open the safe and access the passwords inside.

DashLane is the password manager I use. Here’s what it looks like to use a password manager and why I love it.

9 reasons I love using a password manager

1. I don’t know what any of my passwords are.

And it’s okay, because I don’t need to! The only password I need to remember is the one that unlocks my password manager. This “master password” is as long and secure as I can trust myself to remember.

The data you save in a password manager is encrypted and safely stored. Saving password in your email, on Excel spreadsheets, or handwritten in spiral-bound notebooks is not secure.

2. I use super secure 16+ character alpha-numeric passwords.

It’s important to use a complex mix of characters to make your passwords more secure. With DashLane, I can choose whether to use letters, numbers, symbols, or similar characters (eg: number 1 and letter L).

The length of your password is actually even more crucial for security than the diversity of characters (it’s a math thing). Experts recommend passwords be at least 12 characters long. I like to use 16-20 characters – because why not?. If I don’t have to remember it or manually type it in, I might as well make it as secure as I can!

4. My most secure passwords have an extra layer of security.

As an added layer of protection for my most sensitive accounts (think banking, investments, etc), I set DashLane to require my master password again before I can use or see the password.

5. Passwords are quickly created and stored as I browse the web.

If you’re new to the idea of password managers, it might feel daunting to start fresh with a new system. It’s actually really simple to set up and use! Dashlane recognizes when I log in to a new website and asks if I want to save the password. With a single click, the credentials are saved in my vault.

6. I can access all of my passwords from desktop and mobile.

Best of all, I can access all of my passwords from desktop and mobile for a seamless experience. All it takes is the DashLane browser extension on desktop and the mobile app for your phone. I like to allow facial recognition on mobile to make it easy for me to access my vault.

7. I use it for way more than just passwords.

There’s lots of other sensitive information that I like to have easily (but safely) accessible, wherever I am. Think credit card numbers, bank PINs, wifi passwords, garage codes, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, etc. I love having access to all of it in one safe place.

8. I use it to share passwords for business and personal.

I never send plain-text passwords over email. It’s not secure because email is not encrypted. Password managers, on the other hand, allow you to share passwords using data encryption so that your password is concealed if it’s intercepted between you and your recipient. The best part is, with DashLane, you can share passwords without actually sharing your password. Meaning, you can choose whether to give Limited Rights (the recipient can autofill a password through DashLane app but can only see the password as a series of dots), or Full Rights (the recipient can view and change the password).

9. It’s an inexpensive solution to avoid a really huge problem

I know at least 3 people who have had accounts hacked in the past month alone. Getting locked out of your own account is at best an inconvenience, and at worst, devastating. Knowing I have a system to generate and store secure passwords provides a peace of mind that is well worth the price of a few dollars per month. It’s a no brainer for me!

Cons of DashLane for business use

In my business, I have access to a lot of my client’s accounts. I keep these credentials in DashLane so that they have the same level of protection as my own passwords.

The only con that I’ve found about DashLane so far is that there’s not an easy way to separate my client accounts from my personal accounts (for example, with tags). However, when I submitted a feature request, I was told this capability is already in the works!

In the meantime, my workaround is that the nomenclature for all of my client passwords start with “Z Clients | (client name)” so that they automatically sort to the bottom of my password list.

You should use a password manager too!

Now that you know how great passwords managers are, it’s time to get one for yourself! Using a password manager means you can easily create and store strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Not only will you be way less vulnerable to hacking, but you’ll also have just one password to remember, making your life easier.

If you’d like to try the one I use, subscribe to DashLane for FREE on 1 device. Then upgrade to unlimited devices for just $33 per year! (You’ll definitely want to upgrade to have access from desktop and mobile.)