24 guides
After a Death
The first days after a death bring urgent calls and a long list of paperwork. These guides put the tasks in order: getting a pronouncement of death, ordering death certificates, notifying Social Security, banks and employers, and closing accounts.
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Notifying Banks After a Death: Steps, Documents and TimingHow to notify a bank when someone dies: who can do it, the documents banks ask for, what happens to joint, POD and sole accounts, and how to avoid fraud. 7 min readPost-Mortem Examination (Autopsy) Explained: Types, Consent, Cost and ResultsWhat a post-mortem (autopsy) is, who can order one, whether you can refuse, what happens, how long results take and who pays for it. 8 min readCredit Cards After a Death: Notify the Issuer and Who PaysHow to notify a credit card company of a death, what documents to send, who is responsible for the balance, and what happens to authorized users and rewards. 5 min read
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What Happens NextThe first calls and decisions in the hours after a death, in order.Open tool Popular
After-Death ChecklistA personal checklist of every task, from day one to month three.Open tool Documents Needed When Someone DiesWhich documents you need, how many copies, and where to get them.Open tool
Digital Legacy ChecklistPlan for passwords, email, social media and online accounts.Open tool
Every after a death guide
- 401(k) and IRA After Death: How Beneficiaries Claim Them and the 10-Year RuleHow to claim a 401(k) or IRA after a death: who gets it, what to send, spouse and non-spouse rules, the 10-year deadline, required withdrawals and taxes.
- Contesting a Cause of Death: How to Challenge a Coroner's or Medical Examiner's RulingHow to challenge the cause or manner of death on a death certificate: who can change it, what evidence helps, second autopsies, court options and deadlines.
- Coroner Investigations Explained: When They Happen, What to Expect and Your OptionsWhen a coroner or medical examiner investigates a death, what happens step by step, how long it takes, what it costs and what to do about the funeral.
- Credit Cards After a Death: Notify the Issuer and Who PaysHow to notify a credit card company of a death, what documents to send, who is responsible for the balance, and what happens to authorized users and rewards.
- Document Locator Checklist: Papers to Find After a DeathA checklist of the documents to find after a death, from the will and death certificates to account statements, deeds, tax records and digital logins.
- Employer Death Notification: Steps and Templates for Families and HRHow to tell an employer about a death, what to ask about final pay and benefits, and what HR must do, including OSHA's 8-hour rule. Templates included.
- First Week After a Death: A Day-by-Day ChecklistWhat to do in the first week after a death in the US: who to call, securing the home, finding the will, death certificates, Social Security and what can wait.
- How to Access a Deceased Person's Bank Account and Pay for the FuneralWho can get into a deceased person's bank account, whether a bank will pay the funeral home, what to bring, and how to be repaid if you pay first.
- How to Cancel Subscriptions After Someone Dies: Streaming, Gym, Apps and MembershipsHow to find and cancel a deceased person's subscriptions, from streaming and app store charges to gym memberships, and what proof companies ask for.
- How to Get a Death Certificate: Who Can Order, Where, Cost and How Many CopiesHow to get a certified death certificate in the US: where to order, who can order, what it costs, how many copies to get and how to fix a mistake.
- Joint Bank Account After a Death: Who Gets the Money and What to DoWhat happens to a joint bank account when one owner dies: survivorship, wills, Social Security deposits, taxes, FDIC cover and the survivor's first steps.
- Notifying Banks After a Death: Steps, Documents and TimingHow to notify a bank when someone dies: who can do it, the documents banks ask for, what happens to joint, POD and sole accounts, and how to avoid fraud.
- Notifying Pension Providers After a Death: Who to Tell, What They Need and the Tax DeadlinesHow to tell pension providers about a death: what Tell Us Once covers, how to trace lost pensions, the two-year tax rule, and US steps.
- Notifying the Government After a Death: Who to Tell and HowWhich government agencies to notify after a death in the US: Social Security, IRS, VA, DMV and passport, with phone numbers and deadlines.
- Post-Mortem Examination (Autopsy) Explained: Types, Consent, Cost and ResultsWhat a post-mortem (autopsy) is, who can order one, whether you can refuse, what happens, how long results take and who pays for it.
- Selling a Car After Someone Dies: Who Can Sell and the StepsWho has the legal right to sell a car after the owner dies, how to handle a loan, title and odometer paperwork, insurance, release of liability and tax.
- Stopping Junk Mail After a Death: How to Remove a Deceased Person From Mailing ListsHow to stop junk mail for someone who has died: the Deceased Do Not Contact list, USPS forwarding rules, credit offers and direct opt-outs.
- Streaming Services After Death: How to Cancel Netflix, Spotify and Other SubscriptionsHow to find and cancel a deceased person's streaming subscriptions, what happens to purchased movies and playlists, and what companies ask for.
- UK Pension After Death: What Happens and What to DoWhat happens to a State Pension and private pensions after a death in the UK: reporting it, inheriting State Pension, tax at age 75 and the 2027 IHT change.
- Utilities After a Death: Who to Notify and What to Keep OnHow to notify electric, gas, water, internet and phone companies after a death, who pays the final bills, and which services to keep running in an empty home.
- Vehicle Registration and Title After a Death: How to Transfer a CarHow to transfer a car title and registration after the owner dies: co-owners, executors, heir affidavits, loans and odometer forms, with state examples.
- What Happens to a Mortgage After Someone Dies? Steps for Heirs and ExecutorsWhat happens to a mortgage when the borrower dies, whether heirs must pay it off, how to keep or sell the home, and the papers the lender will ask for.
- What to Do When Someone Dies at Home: A Step-by-Step GuideWho to call when someone dies at home, whether it was expected or sudden: hospice, 911, the coroner, funeral homes, medication, paperwork and UK steps.
- What to Do When Someone Dies in Hospital: Steps and PaperworkWhat happens when someone dies in hospital: seeing the body, organ donation and autopsy questions, coroner referrals, choosing a funeral home and paperwork.