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After a Loss · Executor's Companion

Someone you love has died. Here is what to do first.

We're sorry. You don't have to figure it all out today. Here are the first three things, free, and a calm step-by-step guide for the rest of the year, if you'd like it.

A cup of tea and an open notebook by a window

The first three things

  1. 1

    Care for people and pets

    Before any paperwork, think of anyone who depended on the person: a spouse who doesn't drive, a relative in their care, a pet home alone.

  2. 2

    Secure the home

    Lock doors and windows, put away cash and valuables, check the heating, and ask someone to collect the mail.

  3. 3

    Leave their accounts alone, and don't pay their debts from your own money

    The Federal Trade Commission explains that family members usually don't have to pay a relative's debts from their own money, with some exceptions such as co-signers and joint account holders. And if the person received Social Security, the payment for the month of death must be returned: don't spend it.

The rest of the year, one step at a time

The Executor's Companion is a plain-English plan for the person who handles things: what to do in the first 7 days, the first 30 days and the first year, which offices to tell, which letters to send, what changes in your state, and which taxes to file.

  • After a Loss · Start Here
  • The First 7 Days checklist (large print included)
  • The 7-30-365 Roadmap, with the master list of who to notify
  • State Guides for California, Florida, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia
  • 15 Ready-to-Send Letters and 2 phone scripts (Word included)
  • The Executor's Handbook: 12 costly mistakes and how to avoid them
  • The 12-Month Calendar & Tax Organizer

$47 · one payment · 30-day refund

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This guide is not legal or tax advice. If the estate includes real estate in the person's name alone, a business, or a dispute, a first meeting with a probate attorney is often the fastest way forward; the guide shows you what to bring.

Sources: Federal Trade Commission, Debts and deceased relatives; Social Security Administration, Pub. 05-10008 (checked November 13, 2026).