Updating credit reports for deceased?

[RetMD21]

I saw this recommended on a website. I looked at Experian. They explain how. I am not sure about the why part. Advice?

 

[Souschef]

IMO, it is to prevent identity theft.

 

[Sunset]

Dead people don't pay their debts and family are not responsible for debts made after death, so why would anyone bother

If a creditor came and told me they just sold a car on credit to my dead grandparents or parents, I might die laughing at their stupidity.

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah, I‘m not sure I’ll bother. Govt knows DF is deceased, so tax shenanigans will be limited.

 

[athena53]

Dead people don't pay their debts and family are not responsible for debts made after death, so why would anyone bother

If a creditor came and told me they just sold a car on credit to my dead grandparents or parents, I might die laughing at their stupidity.

I did just because it felt like the right thing to do. We all pay for the fraud through higher prices.

One of the credit bureaus sent me an acknowledgement of my notice and enclosed a copy of late DH's credit report. I appreciated that- nothing amiss but they did have my cell phone number in it, which was interesting (nd annoying). My guess is that DH provided my phone number as an emergency contact to one of his medical providers and that's what got into the system- he didn't have a cell phone of his own.

 

[RetMD21]

Dead people don't pay their debts and family are not responsible for debts made after death, so why would anyone bother

If a creditor came and told me they just sold a car on credit to my dead grandparents or parents, I might die laughing at their stupidity.

That was my thought. The dead don't care. The living aren't responsible. The credit agency wants me to send them a death certificate and proof that I am related or qualified. Screw 'em. The can look in the SS death index.

 

[Souschef]

I agree; a credit company called my DW some years ago, demanding her late aunt's address. She gave them the address of the cemetery

 

[Bamaman]

Every time we've had a relative pass on, our local Social Security office has called to verify the obituary in the newspaper. They're wanting their records to be right--and not pay out one penny more on social security than they owe.

An estate is not liable for any debts after death. We did nothing other than close out the assets and pay the current liabilities--including what was owed on income taxes.

 

[Sunset]

Every time we've had a relative pass on, our local Social Security office has called to verify the obituary in the newspaper. They're wanting their records to be right--and not pay out one penny more on social security than they owe.

An estate is not liable for any debts after death. We did nothing other than close out the assets and pay the current liabilities--including what was owed on income taxes.

Sounds so funny...
So if you don't put an obituary in the paper, the checks keep flowing

Surely the SS office has a better more official way, like a law requiring funeral homes or the doctor that pronounces death (somebody has to certify a person is dead don't they?) notify SS of the death.

 

[RetireeRobert]

If one sends a death certificate to one of the three main credit bureaus, that bureau notifies the other two, When DW died, I did that so they would freeze her credit files.

Since it was spouse, I figured if fraud credit cards did get issued, any collectors would be contacting our address and phone to collect any fraudulently incurred charges on such cards. Was easy to implement the freeze, and I considered it cheap insurance against potential lots of annoying collection attempts. I also considered since it was spouse, I might potentially actually be liable for debts. The freeze process was too easy to not do it.

 

[RetMD21]

Sounds so funny...
So if you don't put an obituary in the paper, the checks keep flowing

Surely the SS office has a better more official way, like a law requiring funeral homes or the doctor that pronounces death (somebody has to certify a person is dead don't they?) notify SS of the death.

There is a form for funeral directors to report death to SSA. I was told that they were required to do so but I don't know if that is law, corporate policy, or something else.

 

[ncbill]

There is a form for funeral directors to report death to SSA. I was told that they were required to do so but I don't know if that is law, corporate policy, or something else.

Ditto...I asked because I dreaded dealing with the local SS office.

My recently-deceased relative's family didn't bother paying for an obituary in the local newspaper...the free one on the funeral home's website was good enough for them.