Accouncement
Launching today: Sunset automatically finds and secures forgotten financial accounts after a death — completely free for families.
November 1, 2024
Today, we’re officially launching Sunset. A free platform that finds, secures, and settles financial accounts of a deceased loved one so families don’t have to.
When someone passes away, the financial aftermath can be staggering. Tracking down bank accounts, retirement funds, insurance policies, and debts typically takes months—sometimes years—and hundreds of hours of phone calls, paperwork, and dead ends. Most people are navigating all of this while grieving. It’s a broken process, and until now, there hasn’t been a real solution.
Sunset changes that. We’ve spent the past year building and testing an automated estate settlement engine, and after a successful beta, we’re now live with our full web application and a significantly expanded feature set.
What We’re Launching
With today’s launch, Sunset can help familes search across financial institutions and public databases to locate accounts that families may not even know exist. The full scope of what we discover includes:
- Bank Accounts: Checking, savings, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and more.
- Retirement Accounts: 401(k)s, IRAs, Roth IRAs, pensions, annuities, and other employer-sponsored plans.
- Debts and Liabilities: Mortgages, personal loans, auto loans, credit card balances, and lines of credit.
- Real Estate and Vehicles: Primary residences, rental properties, investment properties, and titled vehicles.
- Investment Accounts: Brokerage accounts, mutual funds, index funds, individual stocks, bonds, and ETFs.
- Additional Assets: Life insurance policies, unclaimed property, business ownership interests, health savings accounts (HSAs), and more.
How It Works
Sunset connects to both public and private databases, including financial reporting from banks, investment firms, credit bureaus, the IRS, and state agencies. Once we confirm a match with the deceased, we take over—automating the closure process, handling the paperwork, and moving the recovered funds into a secure account for the family.
What used to mean stacks of certified death certificates, hours on hold with customer service, and an endless chain of notarized forms can now be handled in a fraction of the time. Sunset manages the complexity so families can focus on what matters.
Completely Free for Families
Sunset is free. No upfront costs, no hidden fees, and no percentage taken from the assets we recover. Our revenue comes from interest earned on deposits while they’re held in our accounts during the distribution process.
We designed this model intentionally. Because we only earn while funds are with us, our incentives are aligned with our customers’: find every dollar, move fast, and get the money where it belongs.
Why We Built This
Sunset started with a personal experience. When my father-in-law passed away, our family asked me to take over the financial closure process. As a lawyer, I assumed I’d be well-equipped for it. I wasn’t. The process was overwhelming: endless calls to institutions, inconsistent requirements, lost paperwork, and months of back-and-forth—all during one of the most difficult periods our family had ever faced.
I kept thinking, “There has to be a better way.” There wasn’t—so we built one. No family should have to become a forensic accountant while they’re mourning a loss. That’s why Sunset exists.
Get Started Today
If you’ve recently lost a loved one—or know someone navigating the financial aftermath of a death—we’d love to help. Visit hellosunset.com to get started for free.
Questions, feedback, or just want to share your story? Reach me directly at support@hellosunset.com.
We built Sunset for the families who need it most. Today, it’s live—and we’re just getting started.
HOW WE MAKE MONEY
We’re paid by banks, not families
Just like any bank, we make money from interest yielded while money sits in the estate bank account.
No out-of-pocket costs or fees
You never pay for anything out of pocket. Ever.
We make money on interest
No hidden costs. No surprise fees. No fine print.
You keep all your money
We never take a cut of your inheritance.
Frequently asked questions
Who can use Sunset?
Any family member, executor, or personal representative responsible for managing a deceased person’s assets can use our software tool. We support asset search and probate in all 50 states and every county in the U.S.
If someone else has been appointed by court or will, to manage the probate process, we’ll need a waiver from them. We can generate that waiver and automatically send for signatures if requested.
Will the financial institutions be notified when Sunset searches for the assets?
No, we do not notify any financial institutions of the death when performing our searches, except for in the case of life insurance.
Our process combines document review, data integrations, and indirect verification with financial institutions. Families usually discover most accounts within 1 day, although some bank account confirmations take up to two weeks.
Financial institutions are notified after a request for closure and transfer has been made by you.
Am I responsible for their debts?
No in most cases. If the deceased was solely responsible for the debt and it was not backed by a physical asset, such as a home or vehicle, it can often get charged off entirely.
If it was a joint credit card or loan, the responsibility remains with the other person on the account, often a spouse. Sunset automatically identifies if a debt has a living responsible party, and clearly flags it.
Do I need a lawyer if I use Sunset? What about probate documents?
In most cases, no. 98% of estates don’t require a probate lawyer. You can use our software to generate and sometimes file probate documents in every county nationwide, often avoiding legal fees altogether.
We generate county-specific probate forms, provide quick online notarization, and guide you through any assisted filings if required.
If your case is unusually complex, our team can guide you through the steps and connect you with additional resources if needed.
What is an estate bank account? Who controls it?
It’s a special bank account in the estate’s name where all funds are consolidated. You can use it to pay expenses, view a full transaction history, and eventually distribute inheritance to beneficiaries.
After set up, you control the estate bank account. We simply help you set it up and keep your records organized. You can pay bills, taxes, and finally distribute the funds to the heirs.
All estate bank accounts set up by Sunset are FDIC insured and protected from fraud and identity theft.
How can I pay estate expenses?
Your estate bank account gives you access to both physical and virtual debit cards you can use to pay expenses related to settling your loved ones affairs. You can also reimburse yourself for expenses you may have paid out of pocket before the bank account was set up.
Anything that helps you settle your loved one’s affairs is an estate expense. This includes paying for funeral expenses, accountants and attorneys if needed (most families do not need these services when working with us), realtor fees when selling property, money going towards settling debts, money spent fixing up a property before selling it, etc.
How much does Sunset cost?
Nothing. Sunset never charges families or takes a percentage of the estate.
All of our tools are free to use, including search and discovery, probate document generation, asset transfer, and more. No upfront fees, subscriptions, and deductions from the inheritance.
Our bank partners pay us a fee, based on interest generated from estate bank accounts. That way, all the deceased’s assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
How does Sunset protect against fraud or identity theft?
We run authentication on both the deceased and the executor to prevent unauthorized access, account fraud, or new accounts being opened in the decedent’s name.
What security measures does Sunset have?
Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified, meaning we hold ourselves to the highest standards in how we build our software and store data so that you’re always protected. We have in depth fraud and identity verification measures on the deceased and the beneficiaries, and we run background checks on all employees.
How long does the process take, and can I move at my own pace?
You’ll locate most assets and liabilities within 1 business day of signup, some bank accounts take up to two weeks to confirm balance.
If you request help to close and transfer an account, we’ll start the process immediately. Some financial institutions are very quick to respond and transfer, unfortunately most are not and the process can take a few weeks.
You stay in control the whole time and nothing ever moves forward without your approval.
