Money & accounts
Cancel credit cards and recurring subscriptions
Credit cards and subscriptions don't stop on their own. Cancel them with documentation so future charges don't reopen the estate.
- When to do it
- First 30 days.
- Estimated time
- A few hours of phone calls
What you’ll need
- Certified death certificate
- Last few months of statements to identify recurring charges
Steps
- List every active credit card and subscription.
- Call each company's deceased-cardholder line.
- Provide a death certificate; ask for written confirmation that the account is closed.
- Watch the next two billing cycles for stragglers.
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Related tasks
- Notify the Social Security AdministrationIf the decedent was receiving Social Security, the funeral home usually reports the death. Confirm — and stop benefits to avoid clawbacks.
- Notify banks, brokerages, and retirement accountsEach financial institution has its own death notification process. Some assets pass to a beneficiary directly; others must go through probate.
- Open an estate bank accountYou'll need a dedicated account in the estate's name to receive incoming funds and pay debts. Don't commingle with personal money.