by 
The Curious Bag
-
Depending on your situation, marital status and laws of your state, you may be leaving your bills behind for your loved ones to pay off if you die having debt.
General Rule
Upon your death, your creditors have the right to collect the balance owed from your estate unless there is not enough to cover what is owed. In this case, they will have to write off the balance.
Considerations
The only individuals creditors can collect debt from are those who have co-signed a loan or are listed as joint account holders on the credit card accounts.
Community Property States
Under community property laws, some states, including Texas, California and Arizona, may require spouses to be responsible for each others debts when the other passes away.
Warning
Even if the debtor leaves behind a will, the executor must pay off debts before any of the heirs are awarded their share of the estate.
Prevention/Solution
If you want to allow someone to charge purchases to your credit card account without making them legally responsible for the debt, you can add them as an authorized user.
Source:
Creditcards.com: What Happens to Credit Card Debt After Death
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC