Arrange care for any pets or dependents
If your loved one was responsible for the care of children, dependent adults…
Secure major property
If your loved one lived on their own, make sure the home and any vehicles ar…
Notify close family and friends
Most people have a few close family members and friends who should be told a…
Select a funeral home or other provider
First, check to see if your loved one had existing arrangements with a …
Notify the person's employer
If the person had a job (paid or volunteer), you should let the company or o…
Notify the broader community
As soon as close friends and family members have been notified, it's gene…
Start going through the mail
Mail is an easy way to start making a list of accounts and bills that you…
Sign up for the DDNC list
Adding your loved one to the Deceased Do Not Contact (DDNC) will prevent you…
Perform a more thorough home check
Toss out any food that has or will expire, water any plants, and look for an…
Decide on a method of disposition
If you haven't already, decide whether you'd like to bury or cremate your…
Decide on a final resting place
If your loved one is being cremated, you have several options for what yo…
Order a casket or urn
You can choose to purchase a casket or urn directly through your funeral hom…
Write an obituary
Writing someone's obituary may feel daunting, but templates can help you get…
Order death certificates
Death certificates are necessary for many different things after someone …
Give direction on memorial donations
Many people like to make donations in memory of someone after they pass. You…
Notify life insurance companies
You'll need to fill out claim forms for any life insurance policies that …
Settle any trusts
If your loved one had any trusts that were transferable upon death, follow t…
Apply for social security survivor benefits
If you were a surviving spouse (or other close family member), you may be…
Apply for veterans benefits
If your loved one was a veteran, there's a good chance they're eligible f…
Ask about employer benefits
If your loved one was working at the time of their death, contact his or her…
Get additional support
Many families find that they still need to pay thousands of dollars in funer…
Decide what type of funeral or memorial event(s) you would like to have
There's no one right way to hold an event for someone you've lost. Some f…
Choose a venue
A memorial event can be held almost anywhere. Common locations include:
…Set the date and time
Work with close friends and family, as well as the venue, to determine the d…
Decide whether to livestream events
There will likely be people who are unable to attend in person due to person…
Choose participants
If you'd like people to welcome people, give eulogies, serve as pallbearers …
Write your eulogy
If you are tasked with giving a eulogy, it's a good idea to prepare and…
Determine the order of events
It's helpful to plan out who will speak when, as well as any other formal ac…
Order printed programs
Many families like to have printed programs, prayer cards or other materials…
Create any desired videos
It's common to put together a memorial slideshow or video to show at th…
Order flowers and other decor
If you'd like to decorate with flowers or any other meaningful decor (photos…
Coordinate food and drinks
People often choose to serve food either at the memorial event (with more in…
Start the probate process
Most estates will need to go through probate. To get started, contact a loca…
Hire a tax accountant
You'll need to file a tax return on behalf of both the individual and the es…
Notify the mortgage company or landlord
It's important to make sure the mortgage company or landlord is aware o…
Notify any car lenders
If your loved one had a car loan, you'll need to notify the lender and ensur…
Notify cable and internet provider(s)
If your loved one was paying for cable and/or internet, you should make sure…
Notify the cell service provider
In most cases, you'll be able to see your loved one's cell phone carrier fro…
Notify utility companies
If your loved one was paying for electricity, power and/or trash service, yo…
Cancel online subscriptions
If your loved one subscribed to any online services, such as Amazon Prime or…
Cancel physical subscriptions
Check your loved one's home and mail to see if they had any physical su…
Find and close bank accounts
Identify any bank accounts that your loved one had (mail can help with this)…
Find and transfer ownership of investment accounts
Identify any investment accounts that your loved one had and transfer them t…
Memorialize their Facebook page
To memorialize (or close) your loved one's Facebook page, you'll need to sub…
Cancel their driver's license
Canceling your loved one's driver's license will help prevent identify theft…
Close credit cards
Closing credit cards will help prevent fraud and unexpected automatic charge…
Cancel or transfer insurance policies
Cancel insurance policies that are no longer needed to avoid unnecessary pay…
Close other online accounts
Identify any other online accounts that your loved one had, so you can close…
Close any email accounts
Closing email accounts should generally be the last accounts that you close,…
Cancel and transfer money from online payment accounts
If your loved one used online payment accounts like Venmo or Paypal, you sho…
Transfer unused airline miles and close accounts
If your loved one traveled, they may have airline miles that can be transfer…
Transfer unused hotel rewards and close accounts
Similar to airline miles, your loved one may have hotel rewards points that …
Notify the social security office
Your funeral home will likely notify the social security office for you, but…
Notify major credit reporting agencies
Notifying credit reporting agencies of the death will help minimize the c…
Notify any additional creditors
Once you've notified major credit reporting agencies, request a copy of…
Distribute items mentioned in the will
Anything mentioned in your loved one's will or covered in probate needs to b…
Sell any unwanted valuables
If your loved one had valuables that you or others don't want to keep, you c…
Offer other items to friends and family
If there are items that you don't want and have permission to give away…
Donate other useful items
If there are useful items that no one in your community is interested in, co…
Throw away anything that's remaining
Finally, throw away anything else that hasn't been claimed or donated. If th…
Order a headstone
While some cultures prefer to have a headstone unveiling at the one-year ann…
Send thank you notes
If people sent sympathy gifts or flowers, contributed to a memorial fund or …
Consider future memorial events
Having a single (or no) memorial event is perfectly fine, but some families …
Create your will
Having a legal will can reduce stress and conflict for your family when you …
Record your own information
Help your family by recording your funeral preferences, open accounts and mo…
Consider life insurance
If your death could cause financial troubles for your family, life insurance…