Keeping a close eye on your credit is an important way to protect your identity and your financial future. Equifax offers a credit monitoring service known as Equifax Complete. With Equifax Complete, you can monitor your credit score to make sure it’s in good standing and no fraudulent activity is taking place.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Cancel Your Own Equifax Membership
- How to Permanently Cancel an Equifax Membership for a Deceased Loved One
- Why Close Your Loved One’s Account?
However, there sometimes comes a time when you need to cancel your Equifax membership. You might also have to cancel a loved one’s membership on their behalf as part of your executor duties.
It’s easy to cancel your own or a deceased loved one’s Equifax membership. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions on this process of protecting your digital legacy.
How to Cancel Your Own Equifax Membership
When canceling subscription memberships from the 3 credit agencies isn’t always easy, Equifax is one of the simplest of the bunch. Here are the steps to cancel your own membership.
1. Log into your account
First, you’ll need to log into your Equifax account. You can do this by visiting their website and going to the “Sign In” tab. Whether you have an Equifax Complete account or another one of their smaller memberships, the process is the same.
2. Go to “My account”
Once you’ve logged into your account, navigate to “My account” to access your account details. Here, click the “Manage Billing” tab. This is where you’ll find a button to cancel your subscription.
3. Receive your confirmation
After you click “Cancel,” you’ll receive a confirmation in your email. If your cancellation is not complete, contact Equifax support for more assistance. Otherwise, you’re all set once you’ve received your cancellation confirmation.
4. Alternatively, call or email
If you’d rather speak to someone directly, you can always call or email Equifax to cancel your paid membership. You can call (866) 640-2273 between 8 a.m. and 3 a.m. (ET) every day of the week to speak to a representative. Once on the phone, let them know you’d like to cancel your membership.
Another option is to email their customer support team. Send your email to customer.care@equifax.com, and include the subject “Immediate Cancellation.” In your email, inform the agent that you want to immediately cancel the account associated with your email address. Do not provide any other personal information in the email.
5. Monitor your credit
Once you’ve closed your account, make sure to find a new way to monitor your credit. It’s important to have a close eye on your credit and social security number to make sure it’s not used fraudulently.
While you don’t need to use a credit monitoring system, you’ll still need a schedule for checking your own credit report regularly. Look for signs of unusual activity and don’t be afraid to take action quickly.
How to Permanently Cancel an Equifax Membership for a Deceased Loved One
Losing a loved one is never easy. It’s especially difficult to navigate the next few weeks and months when it comes to handling their financial affairs and digital accounts.
Part of protecting your loved one’s credit is making sure his or her Equifax Membership is closed. Follow these steps to handle this on their behalf.
1. Report the death to credit agencies
Your first step is to make sure your loved one’s death has been reported to the credit bureaus. While some creditors and agencies will report the dead to credit agencies, this can take a lot of time. A delay could mean your loved one’s credit is at risk of fraud.
To report your loved one’s death to credit agencies, you’ll need to either be their spouse or the executor of their estate. From there, send a written request to the agencies either by mail or online. You’ll also need to include a copy of the death certificate.
2. Contact Equifax’s support
If you can’t gain access to your loved one’s account through a password manager or other tool, you’ll need to contact Equifax directly to cancel your loved one’s account.
You can do this via phone or email. You can call (866) 640-2273 between 8 AM and 3 AM (ET) every day of the week or email customer.care@equifax.com. When you call or email, let the associate know that your loved one has passed and you’re looking to close their account.
Like with the process of reporting the death to the credit bureaus, you’ll need to prove you have the authority to manage this individual’s affairs. In addition, you might need to provide a copy of the death certificate. Calling or emailing is the best way to learn your next steps.
3. Monitor your loved one’s credit
Last but not least, make sure you have a copy of your loved one’s final credit report. You might wish to access this before you close the account, but you can also contact the credit bureaus directly.
From here, keep any confirmation for your records. Your loved one’s account will likely be marked as deceased and closed securely.
Why Close Your Loved One’s Account?
It’s essential to keep a strong grip on your own credit as well as your loved one’s credit. This is especially true after the passing of a loved one. Unfortunately, scammers often target deceased people’s social security numbers for fraudulent activity.
How do they use these social security numbers? They’re likely to open accounts and lines of credit in your loved one’s name, ruining their credit in the process. This not only impacts your loved one’s legacy, but it creates challenges for his or her estate.
Closing your loved one’s accounts, especially accounts that provide access to credit information, is part of securing their digital legacy. It does take a few extra steps to ensure it’s closed securely, but it’s worth this effort for peace of mind.
Close Your Equifax Membership
Equifax provides a quality credit monitoring service for those hoping to keep a close watch on their credit score. Because fraud and identity theft are always possible, these types of memberships make it easier to keep up with your own finances.
That being said, you might find yourself needing to cancel your membership for yourself or a deceased loved one. Equifax is one of the simplest memberships from all of the agencies to cancel using the steps above. In just a few clicks, you’ll be on your way.
Sources
- “How do I cancel my product?” Equifax, www.equifax.com/personal/help/cancel-product/