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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on February 29, 2012:
Reporting death of a relative
Dear Experian,
How do we notify you of the death of a relative, and how do we obtain a credit report for this relative so we can file probate papers?
- DHR
Dear DHR,
You can obtain a copy of the deceased’s credit report by mailing a request in writing along with a copy of the death certificate. Unless you are the surviving spouse, you will also need to send proof that you are authorized to act on behalf of the individual, such as a copy of a legal document with a court seal indicating you are the executor of the estate.
Experian typically receives notice that a person is deceased from that person’s lenders. Once lenders are notified, they submit the information to Experian along with their account updates. Experian also periodically receives notice from the Social Security Administration of individuals who have been reported to it as deceased.
Once we receive notification that an individual is deceased, we will add an indicator to their file that creditors and others requesting the report will see. This helps prevent any fraudulent activity using the deceased’s identity.
Accounts with the deceased indicator will be deleted after one year. At some point, all of the accounts will be deleted and the credit report will no longer exist.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team