The Library

Identity Theft Prevention

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Identity theft after death: A widespread problem

Identity theft is a real and imminent threat after someone you love has passed away. It’s important to be aware of and informed about this common issue. There are proactive steps you can take now to avoid stress later.

Protecting your loved one’s sensitive information

When going through all of the paperwork your loved one left behind, you will have to hold on to some documents and dispose of many others. In either case, it's important to make sure that no personal information is left vulnerable.

First steps to protecting your loved one’s identity

Because people who have recently passed away are particularly vulnerable to identify theft, protecting them against it is important. There are several proactive measures you can take to ensure your loved one’s identity is not stolen.

Unfortunately this is a common problem: When a loved one dies, their identity can become a target for thieves. Luckily, there are a few preventative actions that you can take to minimize these risks, protect your loved one’s identity, and save you and your family a world of headache later on.

Loss is hard. Its vocabulary shouldn’t be.

We speak the specialized language of estates and funerals so you don’t have to.

Administrator

The person appointed by the court to handle the estate of someone who dies without a will.

The duties of an administrator are similar to those of an executor, but as there is no will to execute, he or she is named administrator and distributes assets according to a procedure dictated by state law.

Estate

The sum total of someone’s net worth, including all assets. From a legal standpoint, an estate is not simply everything the person owns, but the value of all of these assets minus any debts or other liabilities. Estates are calculated differently depending on their purpose.
For example, the taxable estate may include assets that are not in the probate estate.

Memorial

A service held to commemorate someone’s life. Memorials are generally considered distinct from funerals in that they are held without the body present and are not focused on the burial, although services where the urn with the loved one’s ashes is present are also called memorials. Traditionally, a funeral is a more formal service while memorials are often more unstructured.

To see the full glossary