Past Due Bills of the Deceased

The death of a loved one is tough enough. But hearing from debt collectors just weeks after the funeral makes it much worse.

Before you make any promises to “settle” your relative’s accounts, whether a cellphone bill or credit card debt, know this: You probably don’t have to pay a dime out of your own pocket. The debt can be paid with the deceased’s estate and whatever you have inherited from it. But, although laws vary from state to state, heirs are not usually required to pay off the deceased’s bills with their own money.

That doesn’t stop collection agencies from asking you to do just that by using carefully worded language. Some even position themselves as helping you with payment plans.But if you ask them directly, they should admit that you do not have to pay.(Source: The New York Times)[Ed. Note: How to deal with unsavory creditors is just one of the dozens of tricks and techniques to improve your life at work, at home, and everywhere in between that you'll learn with ETR's Unscrew Your Life newsletter. Sign up today and get a valuable free guide to getting past hundreds of life's little irritations.]

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