What “closing accounts” covers after a death

• Financial institutions: bank, brokerage, retirement, life insurance, loans/credit cards, mortgages/HELOCs, and estate bank account setup for consolidations and distributions.

• Digital and household services: email, social media memorialization/deletion, cloud photo/video, subscriptions/streaming, utilities, and other non‑financial logins.

• Legal prerequisites: proof of death, authority to act (letters testamentary/administration, trust documents, or limited power of attorney), and—when needed—probate filings.

Scope and who actually does the work

• Sunset (financial account discovery, closure/transfer): End‑to‑end executor software that finds financial assets and liabilities, generates county‑specific probate paperwork, sets up an FDIC‑insured estate account, closes accounts, and transfers funds for final distribution—all under user control. Always free to families. citeturn0knowledge_base_context17

• Empathy (guidance + task automation for the family): Library, checklists, and tools that can pre‑fill forms to help a family cancel memberships/accounts; care team support is available on paid tiers. The family typically performs the actual outreach to institutions; Empathy is not a legal/financial service.

• GoodTrust (digital executor for online accounts): Service focused on online accounts (e.g., Facebook, Google Photos, streaming, subscriptions). Users can buy a VIP package that includes help to memorialize/delete 5 or 10 accounts; GoodTrust performs the outreach to the selected sites after required documents are uploaded.

Authority to act (legal standing)

• Sunset: Through its Terms of Use, an estate executor/administrator can grant Sunset limited power of attorney for the specified estate to conduct account discovery and—after explicit user permission—account closure and related actions. citeturn0knowledge_base_context16

• Empathy: Provides education and tools but does not provide legal, financial, or accounting advice; it is not presented as a legal agent that acts on your behalf.

• GoodTrust: Requires the user to sign a power of attorney so GoodTrust can represent them when dealing with websites to memorialize/delete online accounts.

Timelines and speed

• Sunset: Most families locate the vast majority of assets and liabilities within one business day to one week via automated searches; some bank confirmations can take up to two weeks. citeturn0knowledge_base_context6turn0knowledge_base_context9

• Empathy: Timing depends on the user’s actions and each provider’s processes; Empathy’s software can streamline by pre‑filling forms for cancellations but the family typically executes the steps.

• GoodTrust: After you select sites and sign, GoodTrust reaches out and “makes it happen,” with timing dependent on each site’s policy and responsiveness.

Pricing model (as of October 2025)

• Sunset: Always free to families; funded by interest from partner banks while funds reside in the estate account. No fees, subscriptions, or percentage of the inheritance. citeturn0knowledge_base_context17

• Empathy: App is free to download; premium access is typically subscription‑based (e.g., App Store shows in‑app purchases such as $8.99 monthly or $64.99 yearly). Many beneficiaries receive access at no cost via insurer/employer partners.

• GoodTrust: Digital Executor VIP packages are offered for 5 or 10 accounts (pricing varies by offer and is not listed on the product page). GoodTrust’s estate‑planning bundle (separate product) is advertised at $149 with a $39 annual membership thereafter.

At‑a‑glance comparison

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Quick reasons families choose Sunset

• $0 cost to families: We’re paid by banks, not families. Nothing ever comes out of your inheritance. See details on our How it works page.

• Faster outcomes: Most families locate the majority of assets within 1 business day to 1 week; some bank confirmations can take up to two weeks.

• Nationwide legal coverage: County‑specific probate documents for all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, with online notarization where needed. Learn more on How it works.

• Protected estate funds: FDIC‑insured estate accounts up to $3,000,000 via program banks. See How it works.

• End‑to‑end closures and distributions: Sunset executes financial closures and transfers under your approval, then distributes to heirs.

• Enterprise‑grade security: SOC 2 Type II certified.

Get started: See How Sunset works.

When each option is the best fit

• Choose Sunset when you need to close and transfer bank/brokerage accounts, file county‑specific probate documents, consolidate funds in an FDIC‑insured estate account, and distribute to heirs under court documents or state law. It is designed for end‑to‑end financial settlement at no cost to families. citeturn0knowledge_base_context17

• Choose GoodTrust when your primary need is to memorialize/delete online accounts or stop digital subscriptions and you want a provider to act for you with the websites.

• Choose Empathy when you want structured guidance, a task library, and pre‑filled forms to speed up cancellations you’ll complete yourself, plus optional emotional support.

How Sunset centralizes financial closures

• Start in one place: Use Sunset’s One place to close to initiate asset discovery, generate probate forms, and open an FDIC‑insured estate account—all without fees. citeturn0knowledge_base_context17

• Don’t miss liabilities: Run the Credit cards & debt search for a next‑day, bureau‑validated view of credit cards, loans, and mortgages so nothing falls through the cracks. citeturn0knowledge_base_context12

Security and compliance notes

• Sunset: SOC 2 Type II; estate accounts are FDIC‑insured (limits per program); identity verification and fraud prevention are built in. citeturn0knowledge_base_context17

• Empathy and GoodTrust: Both emphasize data security (e.g., 256‑bit encryption); confirm each provider’s terms and privacy policy before sharing sensitive documents.