Reporting Death of a Relative

Reporting Death of a Relative article image.
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,

To notify Experian of your relative's death and request a copy of the deceased's credit report write to:

Experian
P.O. Box 9701
Allen, TX 75013

You will need to include 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.

You can also submit the death certificate and any necessary documents online along with your request for report.

Updating Credit Report to Show Deceased

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.

The same indicator will be added in response to your request.

If someone tries to apply for credit or other services using the deceased's information, the lender will see the deceased statement and know that the application is the result of identity theft.

Experian will also remove the deceased's name from future preapproved offer mailing lists.

Experian also 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. The individual accounts then will be identified as belonging to a deceased individual as they are updated.

How Long Do the Deceased's Accounts Remain?

Accounts that show deceased remain on the credit report for seven years. Eventually, all of the accounts will be deleted and the credit report will no longer exist.

Thanks for asking.
Jennifer White, Consumer Education Specialist