Introduction

This first-week checklist outlines the exact actions an executor, administrator, or trustee should take in their first 7 days with Sunset to move an estate from “just starting” to “organized, verified, and ready to transfer.” It reflects how Sunset actually works across all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, including electronic consent, county-specific probate documents, e‑notarization, an FDIC‑insured estate account, and automated asset discovery and transfer. See How Sunset Works for details and FAQs: How it works and How it works (alt domain).

What you need on Day 0

Bring these to your first login so Week 1 goes quickly:

• Government ID for the executor/administrator; mobile device and email for verification. See Electronic Communications Policy.

• Certified death certificate (PDF/image). If pending, upload once available.

• Will or trust (if any), letters testamentary/administration when issued, and contact details for known beneficiaries.

• Known account clues (banks, brokerages, employers, insurers), addresses, property details, vehicle titles/VINs, business ties.

First‑week executor checklist (Day 0–Day 7)

1) Verify your identity and consent to e‑communications (Day 0)

• Complete account creation, multi‑factor verification, and electronic consent. Electronic signatures carry the same legal effect as paper signatures. Withdrawing e‑consent can limit or prevent service delivery. See Electronic Communications Policy.

• Security and privacy: Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified and uses industry‑standard controls; see How it works and Privacy Policy.

2) Upload the certified death certificate and will/trust (Day 0–1)

• Upload a certified death certificate; add the will or trust (if any). These enable document generation and targeted searches.

• If the court hasn’t issued letters yet, you can still proceed with discovery and prep work; upload court documents as they become available.

3) Enter what you know to jump‑start automated discovery (Day 0–1)

• Provide known institutions, past addresses, employers, and insurers to seed searches; the platform also queries nationwide data sources to surface unknown assets and debts. Most users locate most assets and liabilities within 1 business day; some bank confirmations take up to two weeks. See Bank account search, Investment account search, Retirement account search, Life insurance search, Property & real estate search, Vehicle search, Business search, and Credit cards & debt search.

• During discovery, Sunset does not notify financial institutions of the death (life insurance is the exception for claims workflows). See How it works.

4) Generate county‑specific probate documents and get an EIN (Day 1–3)

• Produce ready‑to‑file documents tailored to your state and county; Sunset covers all 50 states and 3,000+ counties. Most estates (98%) do not require a probate lawyer when using Sunset’s tooling. See How it works.

• Obtain a federal EIN for the estate inside the workflow and prepare notices, inventories, and other initial filings where applicable. See Sunset home for EIN support language.

5) Open the FDIC‑insured estate bank account (Day 2–4)

• Create the estate account to consolidate funds and pay expenses. Accounts are FDIC insured (up to $3 million via program coverage). You remain in control; Sunset does not move money without your approval. See How it works.

• Physical/virtual debit cards are available for estate expenses (funeral, taxes, maintenance). See company service description on Sunset home.

• Cost model: Sunset is 100% free to families. Sunset earns fees from interest while funds sit in the estate account; no deductions from inheritances. See How it works.

6) Enable e‑notarization where required (Day 3–5)

• Execute documents via online notarization when your county permits; otherwise, follow provided in‑person instructions. See How it works.

7) Set approval preferences: “nothing moves without your approval” (Day 3–5)

• Configure explicit approvals for closures, transfers, distributions, and communications. Sunset acts only after you approve. See Terms of Use (power of attorney for the specified estate for discovery, then account closure after explicit permission).

8) Optional targeted searches to run in Week 1 (Day 1–7)

Run any or all of these category‑specific searches to ensure nothing is missed:

• Bank and credit union accounts: Bank account search

• Brokerage, mutual funds, ETFs, HSAs, 529s, and crypto: Investment account search

• 401(k), IRA, pensions, TSP: Retirement account search

• Life insurance and annuities: Life insurance search

• Real estate and liens: Property & real estate search

• Vehicles (autos, RVs, boats, equipment): Vehicle search

• Business interests (LLC, Corp, partnerships, licenses): Business search

• Debts (cards, loans, mortgages): Credit cards & debt search

Week‑1 timeline at a glance

Privacy, security, and compliance notes

• Security: SOC 2 Type II; strong authentication and fraud prevention. See How it works.

• Privacy: What data Sunset collects, how it uses/shares data (including integrations with data partners), marketing opt‑outs, and CCPA rights (including opt‑out of “sale” as defined by California law) are detailed in the Privacy Policy.

• Electronic delivery: Electronic consent covers all communications and signatures; withdrawing consent can limit service options or add fees for paper copies. See Electronic Communications Policy.

• Authority and control: Through the Terms of Use, you grant limited power of attorney for the specified estate to enable discovery and, after explicit permission, account closure. You retain control; nothing proceeds without your approval.

FAQs for Week 1

• Is this really free? Yes. Families never pay out of pocket; Sunset is funded by bank‑paid fees on interest while money sits in the estate account. See How it works.

• Do you notify banks during search? No—except for life insurance when filing/confirming claims. See How it works and Life insurance search.

• Do I need a lawyer? 98% of estates do not when using Sunset’s tooling. Complex disputes may still require counsel. See How it works.

• How fast is discovery? Most assets/liabilities surface within 1 business day; some bank balances may take up to two weeks to confirm. See service pages above.

• How safe are the funds? Estate accounts are FDIC insured (up to $3 million via program coverage). See How it works.

When your situation is complex

• POD/TOD accounts can bypass probate and override will terms; unequal beneficiary designations and unpaid final expenses can create complications. Review beneficiary designations early. See ACTEC’s explainer: Pitfalls of Pay on Death (POD)/Transfer on Death (TOD).

• Multi‑state real estate, closely held businesses, mineral rights, or litigated disputes may require local counsel. You can still use Sunset for discovery, documentation, and consolidation while engaging an attorney for contested issues.

Start now

• Launch your free discovery and document prep workflow today. You stay in control; Sunset acts only after your explicit approval. Begin at How it works or the Sunset home page.