After a death: guidance for the United States
Use the country guidance in SecureKeep to work through what usually needs doing in the United States, with the official page behind each point.
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Open the guidance
Open Settings and tap Guidance for your executor. The page is built into the app, so it opens without an internet connection until you tap a source link.
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Check the country
The top of the page says Guidance for: and a country. SecureKeep guesses it from your phone's region, which can differ from where the person who died lived. If it's wrong, tap Change and pick United States.
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Tell the government
Open Tell the government. The funeral home usually tells Social Security. If there isn't one, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. The section also lists the other agencies that may need to know, and says certified copies of the death certificate come from the state where the death happened.
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Find money
Open Find money. It points to the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator, which is free, and to unclaimed.org, which links to each state's unclaimed property program.
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Protect against identity theft
Open Protect against identity theft. Ask the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, to flag the person's record as deceased. The section gives the mailing details for Equifax and Experian.
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Look at debts and taxes
Open Debts and Taxes. Family usually aren't personally responsible for the debts of someone who died, with exceptions the page lists. The final income tax return is due as usual, and you may need Form 1310 to claim a refund.
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Find your state's probate court
Open Probate. Rules vary by state, so the page links to the Justice Department's list of state court websites. Each statement in the guidance has a Source link to the official page behind it.
Good to know
- General guidance, not legal advice. Check with the organisation or a lawyer.
If it doesn't work
- The page says We don't have guidance for this country yet
- That's what Other country shows. Tap Change and pick United States. The general checklist still applies either way.
- It shows a different country from where the person lived
- Tap Change at the top and pick the right one. SecureKeep only guesses from your phone's region.
- A source link doesn't open
- Government pages move and sometimes block automated tools. Try the link again later, or search the publisher's name and the page title. Tell us if a link has gone stale.
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