The notification list, and the order to work through it

Why it exists

Every institution that held a relationship with the person needs to end it in its own way, and none of them talk to each other. There is no central switch. USAGov maintains an index of which federal agencies must be told, which is the closest thing to a master list that exists.

The order matters because some notifications generate documents that others require, and because the accounts most exposed to loss are financial. Working alphabetically through a list of companies is how families spend three months on this and still miss the bank.

There is also a reason to be unhurried about the long tail. Subscriptions, memberships and loyalty programs cost money slowly and can be dealt with over weeks. Nothing in that category rewards being handled at 2am.

How it actually works

Start with the federal layer. The Social Security Administration is usually notified by the funeral home, so confirm rather than duplicate. Medicare follows from Social Security. The Internal Revenue Service is dealt with through the final tax return rather than by a separate notification. The Department of Veterans Affairs must be told separately if the person served. USAGov's page on reporting a death lists the agencies and what each one needs.

Then the money. Banks, credit unions, brokerages, pension administrators and insurers each need to be told, and each will ask for a certified death certificate. Where an account was jointly held, the survivor's position is usually straightforward. Where it was in the person's sole name, the institution will generally freeze it until someone with letters from the court presents them.

Then one credit bureau. Equifax states that when one bureau adds a deceased notice to a credit file, it notifies the other two, which removes the need to contact all three. That single letter is one of the highest value tasks on the entire list, and it belongs in the first two weeks.

Then everything else, at whatever pace is sustainable. Employer and former employers, professional bodies, unions, motor vehicle agency, passport agency, voter registration, libraries, gyms, streaming services, loyalty programs. Bank and card statements for the last twelve months are the most efficient way to find the recurring ones, because anything that charges will appear there.

What to do

1. 1Confirm the Social Security Administration has been told, rather than assuming or duplicating. If no funeral home was involved, call 1-800-772-1213.
2. 2Order more certified death certificates than you expect to need before starting the calls.
3. 3Write one letter to a single credit bureau requesting a deceased notice, which will propagate to the other two.
4. 4Pull twelve months of bank and credit card statements and highlight every recurring charge. That list is your subscription cancellation list.
5. 5Keep a written log with four columns: who, date contacted, what they asked for, and what happened. It will save you hours.
6. 6Hand the long tail of the list to someone who has offered to help, along with the log.

Words you will meet

deceased notice

A flag added to a credit file recording that the person has died, which helps prevent new credit being opened in their name.

certified death certificate

A copy issued by a vital records office with an official seal, which many institutions require in place of a photocopy.

letters testamentary

The court document proving an executor's authority, which financial institutions often require before releasing sole name accounts.

joint account

An account held by two or more people, which usually passes to the survivor without probate.

recurring charge

A subscription or membership that renews automatically and continues billing until someone cancels it.

What this does not cover

This module does not cover claiming benefits or insurance, which are in the Money, Benefits and Insurance discipline, or transferring title to property, which is in Law and the Estate.