Losing a spouse is a terrible experience, and yet it’s important to still keep an eye on your finances and credit situation as you navigate the tumultuous waters of the transition from married to single. If you are older, in tremendous emotional distress, or are feeling overwhelmed, enlist the help of a trusted relative or friend as you sort through your finances.

1. If your spouse handled all the finances, you’ll need to take the time to discover the status of your accounts. Are they current or past due? Paid monthly or biannually or annually? Set up for automatic pay online or do you need to make a payment through the mail? Hopefully you have a list of the account numbers and passwords, but if you don’t you’ll have to call the lenders and service providers and get that information.
2. Xerox several copies of the death certificate (you’ll want at least a dozen, maybe more) and put them in a file where you can get to them easily. Alert your creditors of your spouse’s death, and send copies of the certificate.
3. Determine which debts are held in your name and which are in your spouse’s name. In many states you will not be held responsible for any debts held only in your spouse’s name, but you will be responsible for debts held in joint accounts (under both your names) and any accounts in your name. Creditors will want to bill the estate for any debts held in your spouse’s name, so be sure to send them copies of the death certificate and refer them to the executor of the estate. If you live in a state where property is considered communal if purchased during the marriage (Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, Wisconsin, and Texas are all community-property states), you will still be held responsible for all accounts opened by your spouse during the course of the marriage.
4. Open individual accounts and close any joint accounts. You may not be able to access the same amount of credit if you did not build a substantial credit record during the marriage. If your spouse opened everything in his or her name, and you did not carry major credit cards or have your name on loans, you may be starting out from scratch as far as credit opportunities are concerned.
5. Contact all three credit bureaus and alert them of the death of your spouse. The following websites provide contact information:
www.transunion.com
www.experian.com
www.equifax.com
6. Find out what your independent credit score is by ordering your personal credit record from all three credit bureaus. Make sure there are not any inaccuracies reported.
7. Purchase your credit score (your FICO score.)
8. Open bank accounts in your name.
9. If you do not have a major credit card in your name already, open a credit card with a major company, such as MasterCard or Visa.
10. Figure out what your budget needs will be now that you are handling your finances on your own. Now is the time to consider your options.

Hopefully this primer will help you get through the necessary steps to protecting your credit and establishing new credit. Don’t hesitate to get help from a friend, relative, or professional.