Who is liable for credit card balances after death?

If the authorized user is a spouse of the deceased, and that couple lives in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington or Wisconsin (all community property states), then that spouse may be held liable for any balances.

Who is responsible for deceased spouses credit card debt?

That means you will be responsible for your deceased spouse’s credit card debt, even if you’re not a joint account holder or authorized user on the card. The community property states are: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin; in Alaska, spouses can choose to make their property community.

Can a person be held liable for a credit card debt?

When a cardholder makes someone an authorized user, they are promising to pay any debts incurred by that person when they use the card. Because the authorized user makes no promise to make payments, they cannot be held liable for the debts. However, authorized users should be careful.

Who is obligated to pay debt of a person who has died?

As a general rule, no one else is obligated to pay the debt of a person who has died. Here are some exceptions to that general rule: If there was a co-signer on a loan, the co-signer owes the debt. If there is a joint account holder on a credit card, the joint account holder owes the debt.

Can a credit card issuer pursue an authorized user?

Though the card issuer can’t pursue the authorized user for payment, late or missed payments on your part can harm their credit. Most other negative account activity will impact their credit, too. “It’s a two-way street,” says Lowry.

Can a spouse be held liable for your credit card debt?

Under certain circumstances, you can be held liable for your spouse’s credit card debt. Whether you may be on the hook for your spouse’s credit card debt depends on: where you live. whether it is a joint credit card. whether you are a cosigner, and. whether the debt was assigned to you in a divorce proceeding.

What happens if the primary holder of a credit card dies?

If the primary holder of a credit card on which you’re an authorized user dies, you can’t continue to use the card as it is illegal. If you have, these are your options.