It’s A Matter of Life and Death: End-of-Life Identity Protection Tips

End-of-life planning doesn’t begin and end with purchasing life insurance. To ensure that your family isn’t victimized by identity theft after you or a loved one dies, experts recommend that everyone take the following the precautions:

1. Secure documents. Make sure identity documents are secure. Keep your birth certificate, passport and the like in a bank safe deposit box. Keep all important records in a locked file cabinet, and make sure that your spouse or someone else you trust has a spare key. These basic precautions will help protect you while you’re living and protect your family’s financial well-being after you’ve passed away.
2. Store a legal will in a safe, locked location in your home, in a safe-deposit box, and on file with an attorney. Alert heirs as to where and how to access the will.
3. Secure relatives’ personal information before illness or diminished capacity occurs. Mentally impaired relatives should not have unchecked access to their own information.
4. Beware of scam artists who may attempt identity theft years after the estate has been dispersed.