 TITLE: What Happens to Your Credit File When You Die? CONTENT: How to Report a Death to the Credit Bureaus\n-------------------------------------------\nThe sooner your death is reported to the credit bureaus, the sooner they can flag your credit report, which helps to prevent fraud. Rather than waiting for the credit bureau to receive notice from the SSA or be notified when creditors send their account updates, your family may want to report the death to credit bureaus themselves.\nOnly your spouse or another person with legal authority, such as the executor of your estate, can notify credit bureaus of your death. They will need a copy of your death certificate; anyone other than your spouse will also need to show proof that they're legally authorized to act on your behalf, such as with a copy of a legal document with a court seal showing that they are the executor of your estate.\nWhen one credit bureau is notified of a death, they will notify the others, so there's no need to alert all three. Here's how to report a death to each credit reporting agency:\n*   **Experian**: Mail a copy of the death certificate to Experian's Consumer Assistance Center, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 7501, or upload it online.\n*   **TransUnion**: Mail a copy of the death certificate to TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016.\n*   **Equifax**: Mail a copy of the death certificate to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139.\nIn addition to notifying the credit reporting agencies of your death, it's a good idea for your family to request a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. Not all creditors report to all three of the credit bureaus, so getting this information will provide a list of accounts that your survivors can use to notify each creditor that you have passed away. END