How to report a death to Equifax

Not for the deceased notice. Equifax states that when one bureau adds a deceased notice to the credit file, it notifies the other two, which removes the need to contact all three. That is only true of the notice itself. If you want copies of the credit reports, you have to request one from each bureau individually, and doing so is worthwhile because not every lender and creditor reports to all three.

It flags the credit report so that a creditor who pulls it sees the person has died. Equifax describes the flag as marking the file "deceased - do not issue credit." Its guidance on reporting a death to the Social Security Administration puts it more strongly, saying the notice prevents lenders from issuing new credit in the deceased person's name. The purpose is to block identity theft — sometimes called "ghosting" — where someone uses a dead person's information to open accounts or file fraudulent tax returns.

No. Equifax asks for a copy of the death certificate, not a certified copy. For a request for the deceased person's credit report, Equifax accepts either a copy of the death certificate or letters testamentary, the court document authorizing an executor to take control of the estate. Equifax suggests keeping copies of everything sent and mailing the documents by certified mail.

The surviving spouse or the executor of the estate may request it by mail. Send a letter with the deceased person's legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, and last known address, together with a copy of the death certificate or letters testamentary. Include your own full name, the address where confirmation should be sent, and — as an executor — the court order or other document showing your appointment. Mail it to Equifax at P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139.

Because it is the most complete list of what the estate owes. The report shows the open accounts the person held with creditors and lenders, and the contact information for each one, which is what an executor needs to notify creditors and settle the estate's debts. Equifax recommends requesting a report from all three nationwide bureaus, since not every lender and creditor reports to all three, so a single report can miss accounts.

No. A credit file holds information, not money, so there is nothing to claim from Equifax and nothing owed to it. There is no beneficiary designation on a credit file and nothing to retitle into a trust. Equifax is a notification stop in settling an estate: the executor reports the death to protect the deceased person's identity, and pulls the report to find the accounts that do have to be dealt with.

No. Equifax reports information supplied by lenders and creditors; it does not hold or close the accounts. Equifax states that lenders and creditors may need to be contacted directly to be told the person has died and that the accounts need to be closed, even where an account has a zero balance, and that a copy of the death certificate and other legal documents may be required. A joint account may remain open after one of the account holders dies.

Often, yes. Equifax states that the nationwide credit bureaus are typically notified of a death by the Social Security Administration, and that if they are not, someone will need to contact at least one bureau directly. Because the timing of that automatic notification is not guaranteed, Equifax encourages estate executors and court-appointed designees to contact a bureau themselves so the credit report is flagged promptly.