What to do when a OneMain account holder dies

Call OneMain Customer Care at 833-390-2055 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET), or contact the borrower's local OneMain branch, and provide a copy of the death certificate along with the loan account number. Written notice with the death certificate can be mailed to OneMain Customer Care, P.O. Box 1170, Evansville, IN 47706-1170. OneMain will note the account and, in most cases, hold collection activity while the estate is settled.

Not automatically. The loan becomes an obligation of the estate, which pays it from estate assets. For an unsecured loan, if the estate does not have enough assets to cover the balance, the unpaid portion generally remains unpaid rather than passing to the heirs personally. Exceptions apply where someone else is legally responsible: a co-borrower or cosigner remains liable, and a surviving spouse in a community-property state may share responsibility. If the borrower bought optional credit life insurance, that coverage may pay off the balance.

A secured loan is backed by collateral, often a vehicle, and OneMain holds a security interest until the balance is paid. On the borrower's death the debt passes to the estate. If the balance is not repaid, OneMain can claim the pledged collateral. An heir who wants to keep the collateral typically pays off or refinances the loan so OneMain releases its lien, after which the asset can be retitled through the estate or sold.

It can, if the borrower enrolled. OneMain offers optional credit insurance, including credit life insurance, at loan signing. Where it is in force, the coverage is designed to pay the outstanding loan balance to OneMain when the covered borrower dies, which can reduce or eliminate what the estate owes on the loan. Whether it applies to a specific loan depends on enrollment, so the estate should check the original loan documents or ask OneMain whether credit life coverage is in force.

Yes. A co-borrower or cosigner on a OneMain loan remains liable for the balance after the other borrower dies. Separately, in the community-property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin) a surviving spouse may share responsibility for a debt incurred during the marriage even without cosigning. Anyone in this position can contact OneMain at 833-390-2055 to confirm the balance and discuss repayment.

OneMain asks for a copy of the death certificate and the loan account number to note the account. To establish authority to discuss or resolve the account, OneMain may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (certified court-issued documents naming the executor or administrator) or a small estate affidavit, which is used when the estate's total assets fall under the dollar limit set by state statute.

Written notice of the death, with the death certificate and loan account number, can be mailed to OneMain Customer Care, P.O. Box 1170, Evansville, IN 47706-1170. For a loan payoff, request the exact payoff amount and the correct remittance address first by calling Customer Care at 833-390-2055 or contacting the local branch — the pay-by-mail address is shown on the borrower's billing statement, and OneMain routes payments differently from general correspondence.