Tips for Notifying Institutions after Death

There is a long list one much accomplish after someone dies, from dealing with tricky finances to planning a service at a funeral home in Garyville, LA. This to-do list also includes notifying organizations, people, and businesses of the death, as credit cards, utilities, government programs and other institutions needs to know when someone passes away. Make sure you don’t miss any important institutions or people on this list of who to notify after a death:

1. Insurance – Notify all the insurance companies with which the deceased had policies. Each company will have specific steps you will need to follow.
2. Social Security Administration – Luckily, Social Security will be notified automatically when you file the death certificate.
3. Employer – Contact the deceased’s employer to notify them of the death and to learn about any applicable death benefits, retirement funds, or life insurance. Have a copy of the death certificate ready when you call.
4. Taxes – Death doesn’t mean the deceased doesn’t have to pay taxes for that year. A survivor will have to file the deceased’s taxes or will have to hire an accountant to do it for them.
5. Credit Reporting Agencies – These agencies are usually notified of a death by the estate executor or the Social Security Administration. It’s important that credit reporting agencies are notified so they can put a lock on the deceased’s credit report file in order to prevent someone from using it fraudulently.
6. Medicare and Medicaid – Similar to the SSA, these organizations will be notified automatically.
7. Loans and Credit Cards – The Credit Card Act of 2009 mandates that all credit card companies respond to final bill requests in a timely manner and prohibits them from charging late fees during the processing time. Pay back loans from the deceased’s estate.
8. Banks – Most banks will need a copy of the death certificate to close accounts. However, it takes a lot longer than you would think to close bank accounts after a death, so don’t rely on money from a closed account to pay for a funeral or cremation.
9. Retirement Fund or Pension – Be ready with the deceased’s Social Security number, identification number, date of birth and date of death, along with a death certificate when you call to notify the fund. Don’t forget to ask if a surviving spouse is eligible for continued benefits.

Don’t forget to cancel subscriptions like gym, magazines, clubs, online content, and others. This is especially true if the subscription payments are paid automatically every month as you don’t want the deceased’s bank account to be overdrawn. This also applies to all utilities and bills. Cancel or  change the name on all utility accounts, depending on if the deceased lived alone or not. Call the electricity, gas, telephone, and internet providers to make the necessary account changes. You will need a death certificate as proof.

Millet Guidry Funeral Home is here to help however we can in your time of loss. We can offer more information on our Garyville, LA funeral home services and more, so call today.