 TITLE: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance: How to Get Aid From FEMA CONTENT: Other Steps to Take When a Loved One Dies\n-----------------------------------------\nIn addition to coping with the costs of a funeral, you'll likely need to take other steps when a loved one dies. It may be helpful to have a checklist you can refer to to ensure their estate is secure. Here are eight actions you can take:\n1.  Make sure your loved one's valuables are safe and secure so that they're not stolen by burglars.\n2.  Forward your loved one's mail to your home or the home of the person overseeing the estate.\n3.  Obtain 10 to 20 certified copies of the person's death certificate. These will be used for communication with banks, investment firms, insurance companies and other institutions that hold your loved one's assets.\n4.  Contact the Social Security Administration to report your loved one's death.\n5.  Reach out to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if your loved one was a military veteran.\n6.  Contact banks and other financial institutions where the loved one maintained accounts.\n7.  Notify the person's credit card companies of the death so the accounts can be canceled or transferred to the surviving spouse.\n8.  Contact the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) to obtain your loved one's credit reports. This will give you an overview of creditors you may need to contact in regard to credit card and loan accounts. The deceased person's credit files will eventually no longer exist once all the credit accounts have been deleted over time. END