After a death, guard against ID theft

This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.

Reader Kim e-mailed me a few weeks ago with a question I've, thankfully, never had to deal with. Following the death of her mother, Kim was wondering if she should report the death to the credit bureaus.

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She has already paid off and closed all credit accounts and by all accounts things are settled. Her lawyer didn't know the answer so she thought maybe I did.

My gut reaction was that you should notify them, and any other similar organizations, to prevent identity theft and fraud.By placing a "deceased alert" on the credit report, any potential creditors or lenders will learn, upon pulling the report, that the person is deceased and should not be extended credit.

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Only relatives of the deceased can request this. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't want to do this.

How to submit a deceased alert

According to the credit bureaus, you will need to write a letter that includes:

• Language notifying the bureau that the person referenced is deceased and that a deceased alert should be placed on the report.
• Decedent's full name.
• Social Security number.
• Recent address.
• Date of birth.
• Date of death.
• Copy of the death certificate.

Mail this request by certified mail with return receipt requested to each of the addresses below:

Equifax Information Services LLC
Office of Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 150139
Atlanta, GA 30348

Experian
P.O. Box 9701
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834

It's a difficult time to begin with. Don't make it harder by allowing identity theft to occur.

More from Bargaineering and MSN Money:

• Best 0% balance transfers
• 5 ways to know that investment scam stinks
• 2011 Kiplinger's best online brokers
• Secrets of a former identity thief
• 10 ways to guard against ID theft
• How I'd hack your passwords