Armas Borg1945

Practical matters of the estate: bank, insurance, post and subscriptions

In short

The doctor's notification puts the death in the population register, which informs Kela, banks and pension providers. Relatives notify insurers, the employer and the housing manager or landlord, and cancel subscriptions, phone and memberships. The deceased's bank codes and cards stop being valid; the bank pays funeral invoices from the account against the invoice. Keep every receipt for the deed.

Kirjekuoria, avaimet ja lompakko eteisen puisella lipastolla

What is handled automatically

The doctor who confirms the death reports it to the population register. From there the information goes to Kela, the banks and the pension providers without any action from relatives. So there is no need to call these to announce the death, but to deal with matters you will still need to contact them, for example to request a balance certificate from the bank. Insurance companies do not get the information automatically. Note here which notifications are already done.

  • Population register: informed by the doctor's notification, no action needed
  • Kela: informed from the population register
  • Banks: informed from the population register
  • Pension providers: informed from the population register
  • Insurance companies: not informed automatically, relatives notify them

The bank: codes, cards and the estate's account

Once the bank learns of the death, the deceased's online banking codes and cards stop being valid. Using them after that is unlawful, even with good intentions such as paying a bill. The accounts pass into the estate's name and are managed first with a population register extract and later with the deed. The bank issues a balance certificate for the date of death once told of the death; it is needed for the deed. Agree among yourselves which party deals with the bank, and take the register extract along.

  • The deceased's online banking codes and cards are not used after the death
  • Register extract obtained for the bank (we handle it when the inventory is with us)
  • The bank told which party handles the estate's account matters
  • Balance certificate for the date of death requested from every bank (we handle it)
  • Direct debits and e-invoices reviewed: which continue, which are stopped
  • Safe deposit box: contents listed for the deed

Paying the funeral invoices and keeping receipts

Funeral invoices need not be paid from your own money. The bank usually pays them from the deceased's account against the invoice when it is presented at the bank. Our invoice comes after the funeral, and the parish union's invoice arrives separately after the blessing. Funeral costs are deductible in the deed, so keep every invoice and receipt: funeral home, parish, flowers, memorial gathering, death notice, gravestone and the fees for the genealogical report. When we handle the inventory, our invoice carries straight into the deed. If the costs are a problem for the estate, funeral assistance can be applied for from the wellbeing services county's social services.

  • Funeral home invoice presented to the bank for payment from the deceased's account
  • Parish union invoice received after the blessing and paid
  • Invoices for flowers, the memorial gathering and the death notice filed
  • Gravestone or engraving invoice filed when it eventually comes
  • All receipts in one folder for the deed; kept for six years
  • Funeral assistance applied for from the wellbeing services county, if funds fall short

Insurance and pensions

Insurance companies do not learn of the death from the population register, so life insurance, group life insurance and burial benefits must be reported by the family. Go through the deceased's policies, including any taken out through the employer or a trade union. Payouts and beneficiaries are recorded in the deed. Pension providers are informed automatically; pension payments made after the date of death are settled with the provider, and their statements are needed for the deed.

  • Life insurer notified of the death and the payout claimed
  • Employer's or union's group life insurance checked
  • Burial benefit or similar insurance benefit checked
  • Non-life and home insurance transferred or cancelled
  • Pension provider's statement on payments after the date of death filed

Post, the home and the landlord

The deceased's post can be redirected to the person caring for the estate, so bills and official letters do not go unread. Relatives themselves inform the housing manager or landlord; the information does not arrive automatically. For a housing company flat a property manager's certificate is later needed for the deed, and for a rented flat the notice and clearing out are agreed. Electricity, water and heating contracts are transferred into the estate's name or cancelled depending on whether the home stays in use. If the surviving spouse lives in the home, they declare at the inventory whether they keep possession of it.

  • Post redirected to the person caring for the estate
  • Housing manager informed and the manager's certificate ordered for the deed
  • Landlord informed; notice and clearing out agreed
  • Electricity, water and heating contracts transferred to the estate or cancelled
  • Home insurance kept in force until the home is cleared or sold
  • Keys gathered and agreed who has access to the home

The employer and time off for the funeral

If the deceased was working, relatives inform their employer of the death; the information does not travel automatically. The employer is asked for the final payslip, details of holiday compensation and of any insurance the employer took out. For relatives' own leave the law sets no fixed number of days: most collective agreements give paid leave for the funeral day, and longer absence is agreed with your own employer. Tell your manager in good time when the funeral is and how much leave you need for the arrangements.

  • The deceased's employer informed of the death
  • Final pay, holiday compensation and employer insurance clarified
  • Your own leave for the funeral day agreed with your employer
  • Longer absence for the arrangements agreed, if needed
  • Collective agreement terms on paid leave checked

Subscriptions, phone and memberships

Ongoing contracts do not end by themselves, and their bills keep coming to the estate until they are cancelled. Go through a few months of bank statements: they show newspaper subscriptions, the phone contract, streaming services, membership fees, insurance and e-invoices. Cancelling is usually done through the provider's customer service with a population register extract. Keep the phone contract open for a few weeks, because verification messages sent to it may be needed when closing accounts; after that the contract is cancelled or transferred to a relative.

  • Bank statements reviewed to find recurring payments
  • Newspaper subscriptions cancelled
  • Streaming and online services cancelled
  • Memberships in associations and unions cancelled
  • E-invoice agreements and direct debits stopped
  • Phone contract kept open while accounts are closed, then cancelled or transferred

Digital accounts and social media

Email, cloud storage, online shops and social media accounts are closed according to each service's own rules; most have a procedure for a deceased user's account, and it usually requires a population register extract or death certificate. Depending on the service, a social media account can either be deleted or turned into a memorial page; decide this together. Do not log in with the deceased's credentials; the request is made as a relative. First save the photos and other memories you want to keep, because the content of a deleted account cannot be recovered.

  • List of the deceased's accounts and services compiled
  • Photos and memories saved before accounts are closed
  • Social media accounts deleted or memorialised according to the service's instructions
  • Email and cloud accounts closed
  • Online shop accounts and saved payment cards removed
  • Devices: phone and computer wiped or passed to a relative

What we handle and the next step

Most items on this list are notifications the family makes, but the documents behind them are obtained by us. When we handle the estate inventory, we order the genealogical report and register extracts, request the balance certificates from the banks and gather the funeral invoices straight into the deed; the price is 590 euros for funeral clients and 690 euros standalone. The deadline for the inventory is three months from the death. If any item on this list feels difficult, ask us; we also advise on matters we do not handle ourselves. Call 09 6129 890 or book a planning visit at Annankatu 12; the visit is free of charge.

  • We handle: the genealogical report and register extracts for the bank and the deed
  • We handle: balance certificates for the date of death from every bank
  • We handle: the funeral invoices straight into the deed
  • We handle: the estate inventory within the three-month deadline, 590 or 690 euros
  • You: the notifications to the insurer, employer, housing manager and service providers
  • You: closing digital accounts and saving memories

Frequently asked questions

May the funeral invoice be paid with the deceased's bank codes?

No. The codes and cards stop being valid once the bank learns of the death, and using them is unlawful. The funeral invoice still need not be paid from your own money: the bank usually pays it from the deceased's account when the invoice is presented at the bank with the register extract.

What is a virkatodistus and where do you get one?

A virkatodistus is a register extract that shows the death and the relative's relationship to the deceased. For a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church it is issued by the regional register and for others by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The bank and service providers ask for it before the deed is ready. We order the extracts for you when the inventory is in our hands.

Do Kela and the pension provider have to be told of the death?

No. The death is recorded in the population register from the doctor's notification, and from there the information goes to Kela, the banks and the pension providers. Insurance companies, however, are not told automatically, so relatives report life insurance and burial benefits themselves. A balance certificate for the date of death is still requested from the bank for the deed.

Can you get time off work for the funeral?

The law sets no fixed number of days for a relative's leave. Most collective agreements give paid leave for the funeral day, and longer absence is agreed with the employer. Tell your manager in good time the date of the funeral and how much time the arrangements take; funerals are usually held within 2-4 weeks of the death.

How is the deceased's social media account closed?

Each service has its own procedure for a deceased user's account: the account can usually be either deleted or turned into a memorial page, and a register extract or death certificate is attached to the request. The request is made as a relative, not with the deceased's credentials. Save photos and messages before deletion, because deleted content cannot be recovered.

Which receipts must be kept for the deed?

Every funeral cost invoice: funeral home, parish union, flowers, memorial gathering, death notice, gravestone and the fees for the genealogical report. They are deducted from the estate's assets in the deed. Receipts are not sent to the Tax Administration, but they are kept for six years, because the Tax Administration can ask to see them. Our invoice carries into the deed directly.

Can the deceased's post be redirected to another address?

Yes. Post can be redirected to the person caring for the estate, so bills, official letters and the bank's notices arrive even when the home stands empty. It is worth doing soon, because the parish union's invoice and the Tax Administration's letters come by post, and an unpaid bill causes needless trouble.