Credit Report of Deceased

[Anonymous]

My wife passed away about 7 months ago.  We're young so we had online accounts for just about everything.  All of her stuff is closed (or should be).  Should I worry about pulling a credit report at some point to check that no one is trying to get credit with her identity?  While I know I won't be liable if her identity is stolen the resulting paperwork I'm sure would not be fun so the paranoid person in me thinks I should watch it.

[Anonymous]

HI and welcome to the forums.

I am sorry for your loss.

I would notify each CRA in writing and advise them of your wifes passing.  They will probably ask for documentation and will update the files.

You also might check into putting a permanent security freeze on her reports.  That way no one will be able to apply for new credit in her name without

consent.

[AndySoCal]

 My condolances on your loss. Each of the creditors whom you have reported  that will report that to the bureau(s) they report to. Also, the social security administration will report that social security number as deceased as well.  A person who has been reported as deceased will not have a FICO score.  Plus there will be several warnings any to a potential creditor about the information being used. The bottom line should not worry about that all.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response.  That's kind of what I expected to have happened.  Several credit accounts were notified and closed and federal school loans were canceled.  I collected the pitiful payment from social security so figured they have to know by now.

[RobertEG]

Your only peril that I can see is with any account where you two were joint account holders, and is still open.

I would not rely on CRA notification.  CRAs dont control use of accounts. 

Go back to each creditor and get a new account number.

If you had, or still have, any accounts under your name in which she was a joint-holder, just notify the credtior and request that the entire account history, absent her as an account holder, be transferred to a new account that names you as the single holder of the account.  The old joint acounts are gone, and you have a new account number with all prior account history that only you can access.

Until that is done, there is still the threat of identity theft, as you have feared.

That should dispell any FICO and credit fraud issues.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

My wife passed away about 7 months ago.  We're young so we had online accounts for just about everything.  All of her stuff is closed (or should be).  Should I worry about pulling a credit report at some point to check that no one is trying to get credit with her identity?  While I know I won't be liable if her identity is stolen the resulting paperwork I'm sure would not be fun so the paranoid person in me thinks I should watch it.

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CRAs subscribe to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).  Updated weekly, the CRAs cross-match the data in the SSDI and subsequently will indicate to any creditor pulling a certain individual's credit file that they are deceased.