What Happens to a POA After Death?

Let's talk about what happens to a power of attorney after death. Let’s say that you have a power of attorney for financial purposes for a loved one. They have since passed away and you try and present it to the bank or to another entity in order to use it to transact businesses for them like you were able to when they were alive. Unfortunately, it's not gonna happen.

Power of attorneys are only active when the principal who gave the power is still alive. So if you have a power of attorney for someone and they pass away, it’s not going to work any longer. You will need either a letter of authority or a transfer on death nomination in order to be able to do anything further.