What happens to credit card debt when you die? You might be worried about a lot of things that might happen after you pass away. However, one thing is certain and that is you won’t have to worry about paying any bills anymore. Now, even with this stated and the outstanding debt that you worry about, you might ask yourself what happens to it after you pass away.
Who will take over the responsibilities when that happens? In most instances, no. When you die, any credit card debt you owe is usually paid off using valuables from your estate. Here’s a detailed analysis of what happens to credit card debt after death. And also what families should do to ensure it’s appropriately managed.
Does Your Debt Cancel When You Die?
Unfortunately, No. Your debt doesn’t just magically vanish once the deceased pass away. Moreover, what happens is that the deceased’s debt is shifted to the deceased’s Estate to be handled. In other words, the deceased’s estate will be responsible for paying any outstanding debt the deceased leaves behind.
All the finances of the estate are going to be handled by the personal; administrator or representative who is in charge of all its dealings. The estate administrator will pay the debt from the money in the estate but they will not do so with their own money.
Are Families Going To Be Responsible For Debt After Death?
With all honesty, debts aren’t something that can be inherited in the UK. This is because it is of no major concern to them, unless otherwise. This means that your friends, your families, and no one else is responsible for any debts relating to the deceased.
However, in the case that you had a joint loan or agreement with the deceased or you provided a loan guarantee, it would be different. If you did any of the above, then you are responsible for the deceased’s debts
Who Pays Your Debts When You Die?
No one is actually eligible to pay the debts of the deceased when they pass away. The only thing to take on the responsibilities of your debt will be your Estate. The executing personnel of your estate is the person that deals with your will as well as the estate you pass away. However, there are some known exceptions that oppose the notion.
Now, a family member or partner might have to pay your debts if he or she does any of the following:
- Owned property or a business with the diseased as a joint account
- Is eventually required by state law to pay a debt such as health care expenses or resolve the estate
- Cosigned for a credit card or a loan
- Lives in one out of the nine property states such as Arizona, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Washington, and Idaho.
If the family member or friends do not apply to any one of the conditions above, then they cannot pay off the deceased’s debts.
What Should I Do If A Credit Cardholder Dies?
If you are asking this question, then you most likely are a family member or friend of the deceased. There are easy steps that you can follow if the situation ever arises. What you can do is to:
Stop using any credit card that you have been authorized as a user of
This doesn’t mean don’t use any credit card at all. What this means is that you are not to use a card that you have been authorized as a joint user with the deceased. Using a joint credit card after the primary owner is deceased will be considered fraud. This is regardless of the fact you are an authorized user.
Write out a list of the deceased credit card accounts
This is because this information might be requested by the family or relatives if they are unsure of the accounts the deceased possessed.
Alert the credit card companies of the deceased’s death.
In addition to this, you can ask the credit card company to close the account if the credit card was solely registered in the deceased’s name.
Notify the three consumer credit bureaus after the deceased passes away
Without reservation, credit card companies will report a death to the three major consumer bureaus. However, this is not an immediate sequence and it might take time to happen. If you do not want to wait, you can do this yourself. Although, keep in mind that the reporting process will vary for each credit bureau.
Never make a Payment on the deceased credit card
Finally, if you are an authorized user on a credit card that is held by the deceased. You are not to make any payment on that card. If you do this, the credit company may likely put up an argument that you have to take responsibility for the outstanding balance. Furthermore, they can do this legally.
What Happens To The Credit Card Debt When You Die If You Have No Insurance?
You might often times wonder what happens to your credit card debt when you die. But what happens to those debts when you have no insurance? Well, the person executing your will should be ready to contact the creditors. The executor will do so in order to make the necessary arrangements that are needed to pay off the debts.
However, this is a step to take if the creditors haven’t staked a claim on the estate yet. Furthermore, if you have no life policy that will cover the mortgage as well as the beneficiaries you named in the will, the property may eventually be sold to cover the debt.