Who to notify when someone dies.

These first. Benefits keep paying until you stop them — and Social Security will claw back payments made after death.

• Social Security Administration
  The funeral director usually reports the death to SSA as part of filing the certificate. Confirm they did. Then call 1-800-772-1213 to stop benefits and ask about the survivor benefit and $255 lump-sum death payment.
• Department of Veterans Affairs
  If the person served, call 1-800-827-1000. This unlocks burial benefits, a flag, a grave marker, and possible survivor pensions. Have the DD-214 ready.
• Medicare / Medicaid
  Reported automatically through SSA, but confirm. If the person was on Medicaid, the state may have a claim on the estate (Medicaid Estate Recovery) — ask an estate attorney.
• IRS
  No immediate notification needed. A final personal tax return (Form 1040) is filed by the executor for the year of death.
• State revenue / tax department
  Some states require notification. Check your state's department of revenue.
• DMV
  Transfer or cancel the driver's license and vehicle titles. Rules vary by state. A certified death certificate is usually required.
• Voter registration
  Handled automatically in most states via SSA death records, but if you get a ballot addressed to the deceased later, contact your county registrar.

Time-sensitive because final paychecks, accrued PTO, and employer-provided life insurance all flow from here.

• Current employer or former employer
  Notify HR. Ask about: final paycheck, accrued vacation, employer-sponsored life insurance, 401(k) or pension, COBRA for surviving dependents, any unused flex-spending account.
• Retirement accounts
  401(k), IRA, 403(b), pension plans. Each institution requires a certified death certificate and a claim form from the named beneficiary.
• Union or professional associations
  Some unions and professional groups have death benefits or life insurance policies members don't remember enrolling in. Worth a call.

Freeze accounts to prevent fraud, but expect delays. Joint accounts usually pass to the surviving owner automatically. Sole accounts go through probate or transfer-on-death (TOD) instructions.

• Every bank and credit union
  Bring a certified death certificate and proof you're the executor. If there's no will, the bank may freeze the account until probate appoints someone.
• Brokerage and investment accounts
  If the account has a transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary, the transfer is straightforward. Otherwise, it goes through the estate.
• Credit cards
  Call each issuer. Cards held solely in the deceased's name get closed; authorized users lose access; joint cardholders are still liable. Do not use a deceased person's credit card, even for funeral expenses.
• Mortgage company
  The mortgage doesn't go away on death. Who's responsible for it depends on how the deed is titled and the estate plan. Contact the lender and an estate attorney.
• Student loans
  Federal student loans are discharged on death with a certified death certificate. Private loans vary — check the terms.
• Auto loan
  Payments are still owed. If the car will be kept in the family, someone needs to keep paying until title is transferred.
• Life insurance companies
  File a claim for each policy. Employer-provided life insurance, mortgage insurance, credit card life insurance, and AAA memberships sometimes include accidental-death coverage people forget about.

Less urgent, but easy to miss. These will keep charging monthly until someone cancels them.

• Utilities — electric, gas, water
  Transfer to the surviving household member or cancel if the home is being sold. Have the last bill handy.
• Internet, cable, cell phone
  Most providers will waive early-termination fees with a death certificate. Cell phone numbers can be ported to a family member if needed.
• Landlord or HOA
  If the person rented, most leases terminate on death of the sole tenant (check state law). HOAs need a certificate to update the owner of record.
• Homeowner's and auto insurance
  Don't cancel until you're sure the property is sold or retitled — you don't want the house uninsured during probate.
• Health insurance
  Cancel the deceased's coverage effective the date of death. Surviving spouses may be eligible for COBRA or ACA special-enrollment.
• Subscriptions and memberships
  Netflix, Amazon Prime, gym, streaming music, magazines, boxes, Costco, AAA, roadside service. Look at the last two months of bank and credit card statements to find them all.
• Post office
  File a mail-forwarding request to the executor's address so nothing important gets missed.

Easy to forget, but meaningful. These are the things that prevent fraud, close loose ends, and protect the person's memory online.

• Credit bureaus
  Send a certified death certificate to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to put a 'deceased' flag on the credit file. This prevents identity theft — stolen identities of the recently deceased are a common fraud target.
• Email providers
  Gmail, Apple ID, Yahoo, Microsoft. Each has a deceased-account policy. Google's Inactive Account Manager and Apple's Legacy Contact are the cleanest routes, but only if the person set them up in advance.
• Social media
  Facebook offers memorialization or account deletion. Instagram has similar options. LinkedIn, X, TikTok each have their own process. You'll need a death certificate and proof of relationship.
• Professional licenses
  Medical, legal, real estate, cosmetology, teaching — state licensing boards need to be notified, especially if the license was active.
• Safe deposit box
  Some states restrict access to safe deposit boxes after death until probate authorizes it. Don't assume you can walk in with a key.
• Pets
  If the deceased lived alone with a pet, make sure the pet has a new home. If the will named a caretaker, start that conversation.