Enrichment · Life Skills

One list for the
paperwork after a loss.

After someone dies, the family faces a long list of calls and forms: banks, insurers, Social Security, credit cards, the car title, utilities. This checklist keeps each one in its own record, with what the institution asked for, the death certificates you have sent, where it stands and the next step, and explains the general rules that trip families up.

Add the first itemWhat you get

Items to settle

The worked example is made up, including the companies: a bank account, a life insurance policy, Social Security and a credit card. Saved on this device only.

Loading the item form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Life SkillsFree

What you finish with
A record per account, asset or agency: what it is, the kind, the institution, whether a beneficiary or joint owner is named, what they asked for, certified copies sent, first contact and reference, status, next step and date. Counts items by status, certified copies used and overdue steps; explains beneficiary transfers, Social Security’s month-of-death rule, credit bureau notices and debts, and flags overdue and stalled items.
Who it is for
Adult children, spouses, executors and family members handling a loved one’s affairs; also teachers covering life milestones in personal finance.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per item. Prints one item, the whole list in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv) to share with family; exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Life Skills space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Gather the mail and statements of the past few months to find accounts.
  2. Add each account, agency and bill as its own item.
  3. Call each one, ask what they need, and note the reference number.
  4. Count the certified copies you need before ordering more.
  5. Work through the next steps by date.

Add the first item

How things pass after a death

Two paths for what someone leavesPasses directlyAccounts with a named beneficiaryPayable-on-death and jointaccountsLife insurance and retirementaccountsClaimed with a certificate and aformGoes through the estateThings in the person’s name aloneWith no beneficiary namedHandled by the executor oradministratorDebts are paid from here firstTwo paths for what someone leavesPasses directlyAccounts with a named beneficiaryPayable-on-death and joint accountsLife insurance and retirement accountsClaimed with a certificate and a formGoes through the estateThings in the person’s name aloneWith no beneficiary namedHandled by the executor or administratorDebts are paid from here first
Sorting each item into one of these two columns first tells the family who can act on it and what paperwork it needs. State rules decide the details.

Certified copies

Many institutions want a certified copy of the death certificate, and some keep it. Families often order several from the funeral home or the vital records office. Counting what each item needs, as this list does, avoids ordering too few or far too many.

Debts and collectors

Under federal rules, debt collectors may talk with the executor or administrator about a deceased person’s debts, and they may not say or imply that a family member must pay from their own money if they do not owe it. Ask for anything in writing.

When to get help

Probate, small estate rules, taxes and property transfers depend on your state and the size of the estate. The county probate court’s self-help page, a legal aid office or an estate attorney can explain what applies to you.

Sources

  1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Am I responsible for the debts of a deceased relative? and Help for managing someone else’s money (consumerfinance.gov).
  2. Social Security Administration, What to do when someone dies, and benefits for the month of death (ssa.gov).
  3. Federal Trade Commission, Debts and deceased relatives; and identity theft and the deceased (consumer.ftc.gov).
  4. Internal Revenue Service, Deceased taxpayers: filing the final return and getting an estate EIN (irs.gov).

The worked example is made up; the companies and numbers are invented. This checklist keeps your records and explains general rules; it is not legal, tax or financial advice, and state law decides the details. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.