Sadly, a reader’s husband passed away last month. Over the weekend she asked us what steps she needs to take in regards to reporting his death to the credit bureaus. It saddens me to hear of anyone’s death, and that’s why we decided to get right to work and help her figure out EXACTLY what she needs to do in regards to contacting the credit reporting agencies.
Talking about death is never a fun discussion. Especially if it’s because someone close to you has recently died. However, it’s crucial to determine who’s responsible for handling the relative’s estate and reporting their death to all the necessary parties, including the 3 credit bureaus.
So we scoured the three national credit bureau websites to see what they had to say. They suggest reporting the death – even though the social security administration and creditors are supposed to notify them the person has died – too. That way you can ensure the credit bureaus receive the information in a timely fashion and cancel any credit monitoring or other products the deceased might have with them.
To do this, you will need to acquire a copy of the person’s death certificate and mail it along with a cover letter to each major credit bureau.
Credit Bureau Mailing Addresses
Experian
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
Equifax Information Services, LLC.
Office of Consumer Affairs
PO Box 105139
Atlanta, GA 30348-5139
TransUnion LLC
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
Then follow up within a week or two with a phone call to confirm they received your letter.
Additionally, it can be helpful to request a copy of the deceased’s credit report to ensure you have all the names and phone numbers of their creditors.
Of course, you’ll want to report the death to all companies the person has accounts with, including but not limited to, credit cards, banks, investment accounts, mortgage lenders, etc. If it was your spouse who passed away, you may have joint accounts with them, and should still notify them, while continuing to making any payments.
Here’s an extremely helpful checklist you can print out and follow to make sure you’ve taken care of all the important tasks involved with a family member’s passing.
Final Thoughts on Reporting Someone’s Death to the Credit Bureaus
If you’re reading this article, there’s probably a good chance that someone close to you has recently died. If so, we want you to know we are very sorry for your loss and hope that we have provided enough information here to help you during this difficult time.
Also, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below to let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with.
Hi Vanessa, I’m sorry to hear that someone has stolen your son’s identity. If dealing with death wasn’t hard enough already. Here are the steps for getting through to an actual human at each of the three major credit bureaus.
i need to speak to someone . my son passed in 1998 recently his ID has been stolen which i have kept with me . I have no ssi number for him can it be looked at with my ssi number . vanessa chambers
Hi Roger, yes, you should include the deceased’s SSN. I is on the death certificate. The coverletter doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Just include the who, what, when, and why. Here’s a simple sample:
Dear [Credit Bureau Name],
This letter is to inform you of the death of [Name]. I request that a formal death notice be added to [his/her] file. [Name’s] full name was [Full Name] and [he/she] resided at [address]. [His/her] birthday was [date], and [his/her] Social Security Number was [Number].
[Name] died on [date]. I have enclosed the death certificate with this request.
My name is [Your Full Name] and I am the deceased’s [relationship to relative]. I am [his/her] [executor/administrator]. I have included documents proving our relationship.
Thank you for your assistance. My phone number is [number] and my email address is [email]. Please let me know if you require further information.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
What should the cover letter say. Should I put in the deceased’s social security number?
Hi Julie, there is nothing I can do. What type of mailing was it? What company was it from?
I received a mailing in the mail for my deceased husband. Called and they stated they got his information from purchasing mailing list information from credit bureaus. WHAT??? I thought our information was protected. I am sending information to you. But telling us to follow up with a call is NOT NICE. We are dealing with grief not to be put on hold forever or be told to go online especially after your website here states to make a follow up call.
BAD Service!! No compassion.
Hi Mayoline, I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Hopefully, no one will be able to steal his identity that quicky, but you might consider using an identity theft protections services that offers a family plan such as that offered by a company such as Identity Guard to keep a close eye on his and your credit.
I am the spouse of Ernst Louis. He passed away on May 7, 2019. What procedures do I need to follow to prevent identity theft as I am waiting for the death certificate.
Mayoline S. Louis
No problem, Estella. I’m very sorry to hear about your loss.
I just lost my husband 6 months ago and there seems to be different addresses that I have on the internet in regards to mailing information to the 3 credit bureaus. Thanks for the information.
Hi Monika,
I’m glad we were able to help you find what you need, especially during this time in your life. Our deepest condolences go out to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Wes
Thank you for posting this! My husband also recently passed and I was told to notify the credit bureaus, but didn’t know how . . . now I do. Again, thanks!
I haven’t heard from her since, but I hope so! Thanks, Felix.
My deepest condolences to your reader. This post surely helps her a lot in taking care of what was left by her husband.