The industry's most complete source of DOD information.

Immediate and accurate date of death (DOD) identification and verification is critical to the success of any recovery strategy. Forte helps clients identify DOD quickly and accurately with our patent-pending DOD Finder^™ Technology. The DOD Finder database cross-references DOD information from the Social Security Administration's Death Master File, along with data from our proprietary Probate Finder^® estate database and other continually updated data sources. This combination creates the most complete source of DOD information available, delivered in a timely and secure manner.

Best Practices

DOD Finder is the most up-to-date DOD verification solution available. Because deceased account information is perishable, best practices recommend that organizations regularly scrub their entire delinquent portfolio for deceased accounts. Use of the DOD Finder Technology enables clients to:

• Proactively identify deceased accounts: Research shows that deceased account information is highly perishable. Many organizations identify deceased accounts on a reactive basis, i.e., when someone calls or writes to inform them of a death. Given the realities of a grieving family's priorities, such notification often takes place weeks or even months after the consumer has passed away, substantially diminishing the odds of recovery. Forte recommends that organizations regularly conduct DOD scrubs of their entire active portfolio of accounts to ensure timely notification of deceased status.
• Increase recoveries: Proactive identification of deceased accounts eliminates missed opportunities with probated and non-probated estate accounts. For non-probated estate accounts in particular, deceased account information can quickly become obsolete as phones are disconnected, mail forwarding orders cease and homes are sold. Regular DOD scrubs can substantially improve deceased account recoveries and ensure that both non-probated estates and probated estate collections opportunities are maximized.
• Reduce fraud and after-date-of-death (ADOD) charges: Deceased accounts are particularly vulnerable to identity theft. Without a live account holder to identify fraudulent purchases and to alert his or her creditors, fraud can go undetected for months. Proactive scrubs give clients the information they need to reduce the chance of fraud and ADOD charges.
• Ensure claims are filed before estates expire: Estate claim periods can be brief - in many states, the time to file a claim is less than four months. A creditor that files claims in a timely manner is entitled to payment. A creditor that misses the claims period is entitled to nothing. Fast identification of deceased accounts ensures a better opportunity to find a relevant estate and file a claim on time.
• Assumptions: With proactive identification of deceased accounts, creditors can significantly modify their contact strategies. Instead of collection calls, creditors could use first contacts with surviving families to offer condolences, introduce survivor-centric solutions like MyWayForward.com and extend offers to assume outstanding credit card balances.

Contact Forte today to understand how our DOD Finder Technology can help you identify deceased accounts earlier in the process so that you can increase recoveries, reduce fraud and file more estate claims on time.