Checklist for What to Do When a Loved One Passes

The days that follow a loved one’s passing can feel surreal. While you struggle with the emotions the loss brings, there are also legal and personal matters to tend to, such as closing the deceased person's bank account and planning a funeral service.

You don’t have to do it alone. Lean on family, friends, and experts for support and guidance as you take care of your loved one’s affairs. The guide below lays out some of the tasks to complete immediately after, and in the days and weeks following their passing.

Immediate needs

Alert the proper authorities

If your loved one passes away in a hospital, nursing home, or other medical facility, the staff will produce a declaration of death, which is necessary to secure a death certificate.

If your loved one passes away at home, you will need to contact 911. They will be transported to an emergency room where medical personnel can pronounce them deceased.

The exception is if your loved one received in-home hospice care, in which case the hospice nurse can make the declaration.

Notify those necessary

When you’re ready, you can share the news of your loved one’s passing with friends, family members, and the attorney and employer of the deceased. If doing so feels overwhelming to you in the moment, delegate the task to another loved one. Review your loved one’s phone or email contacts to ensure you aren’t missing anyone. 

Monitor the home and care for dependents or pets

Keep an eye on your loved one’s home, as criminals sometimes target the homes of deceased people to burglarize it. Listen to any incoming phone messages, discard any food in the fridge, and collect your loved one’s mail. The latter can help ensure their identity isn’t a target for ghosting – a type of identity fraud in which a scammer steals the identity of a deceased person. It can be time-consuming to complete this list every day, so work out a rotating schedule with friends and family.

Handle the care of any dependents. If the deceased had a pet, find a home for them whether it is temporary or not. Keep records of any costs related to their care, as the deceased’s estate can pay expenses related to dependents – including pets.

Within the first week

Arrange funeral or burial services

Often, funeral services are held within one week of a loved one’s passing. There is no hard and fast rule for timing – if waiting longer works better for your family, you can move the date out.

Sometimes, a loved one may have pre-planned their funeral or supplied you with their wishes in personal documents, such as a will. Search these documents to confirm any prepaid funeral or burial plans.

If they did not leave behind their wishes, those details will need to be decided by you and anyone else involved with the funeral planning.

Order death certificates

Order 5-10 certified copies of the death certificate depending on the investment depth of the deceased. Original death certificates are needed in some cases, such as in probate court and investment ownership changes.

You can typically order certificates through the funeral home.

Notify (continued)

Contact any financial institutions your loved one belonged to. The bank or credit union will need a copy of their death certificate. Account access may differ.

• If a joint owner is listed on any of the deceased’s accounts, the funds will pass into their name once the financial institution is notified.
• If there are accounts where there is no joint owner or beneficiary, the executor named in the will typically takes steps to close the account.

For more information about your loved one’s General Electric Credit Union (GECU) account(s), please refer to our guide for settling GECU accounts.

The credit report belonging to a recently deceased individual is not automatically closed and sealed. Call the three major credit bureaus, Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion®, to notify them of someone’s death. The bureaus will flag your loved one’s credit file to indicate they are deceased. 

Some thieves attempt to steal the identity of deceased individuals to apply for credit, so completing the above tasks is crucial.

Contact the appropriate government agencies, including the Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs, if your loved one served. You may be eligible for survivors benefits from both.

• Tip: When you notify an individual or organization about a death, make sure you understand what to do next. For example, letting the Social Security Administration (SSA) know your spouse has died is not the same thing as applying for survivors benefits.

You must file for survivors benefits within two years of your loved one’s passing. If you don’t, you may lose benefits to which you are entitled.

Within the first month

Pay bills

Don’t ignore letters or phone calls from creditors. Let them know where you are in the process of settling your loved one’s affairs and discuss options.

It may be difficult to keep track of your loved one’s bills on top of your own – to address this, set up a log to record bills received and bills paid. This will keep things organized and more manageable.

• If you have your own GECU account, consider using Bill Pay to stay on top of reoccurring monthly payments. This tool allows you to consolidate all of your eBills under one login, allowing you to check off this to-do list item with ease. 

Notify (continued)

Within the first month, you should notify the following:

• Financial planner
• Accountant/tax advisor
• Investment broker
• Social and professional organizations
• Creditors
• Utility companies
• Department of motor vehicles

Find important documents

If you have not done so already, now is the time to locate important documents. This includes your loved one’s: will, deeds, insurance policies, bank account and investment statements, birth certificates, divorce papers, Social Security information, recent tax returns, and keys to safe deposit boxes.

GECU understands this is a challenging time for you and your family. We take pride in providing our members and their families with a warm, personalized experience; and we hope to help you navigate this loss in whatever ways we can.

For more information about your deceased loved one’s bank accounts, contact GECU’s Relationship Banking team at: 513.204.4899 or by emailing: [email protected].

Watch our webinar What to do When a Loved One Passes whenever is most convenient for you! If you are a GECU member interested in updating or preparing estate planning documents, enlist the trusted legal services at Wood + Lamping LLP.

Learn more about their areas of practice and how to utilize their 90 years of experience. GECU members are entitled to an initial consultation with a Wood + Lamping attorney at no cost.*