COOPERATIVE MEMORIAL SOCIETY
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What is an executor?

An executor is a person (or institution) appointed by an individual to carry out the terms of that individual's will after death. The executor is now called a personal representative in Alberta, although most people commonly still use the term executor.
​

Executor Duties

Written for CMS by Shirley Surdhar, ACS, QAFP, Estate and Trust Specialist, Servus Credit Union
If you have been asked to be an executor you might want to take into consideration the myriad of duties before accepting this responsibility.  Some things you will do, but not all:
  • Get copies of the death certificate
  • Go to the deceased’s home - list of all assets in the home and secure any valuables.
  • If a rental, notify the landlord
  • Get the locks changed or re-keyed
  • Have the mail redirected

​Notification to:
  • Beneficiaries
  • Landlord or insurer of home
  • Banks and other financial institutions
  • Employers or business associates
  • Providers of health, benefits, and life insurance plans
  • Government agencies including: CRA, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security
  • Insurance companies: home, vehicle
  • Phone, internet, and utility providers, subscriptions, associations
  • Obtain Probate - Complete probate forms and submit, if probate is required.  A lot of detail is required for these forms
  • Identify banks and financial institutions and notify them that you are the executor, determine the details of assets in all accounts.  Access safety deposit boxes, if any, and list the contents.  Open an estate account.
  • Take inventory of all the assets and liabilities of the estate, including real estate, and determine their value. Advertise for creditors, assess claims against the estate, pay debts and any obligations. Invest all estate funds in an account
  • Apply for Canada Pension death benefits, and other pensions or life insurance benefits
  • Report estate assets, liabilities, income, expenses to submit to beneficiaries
  • Complete the final tax returns and pay any taxes owing.
  • Obtain Canada Revenue Agency Clearance Certificate
  • Distribute estate to beneficiaries and obtain their release

An executor is obligated to follow the terms of the will.  Anything actions outside of these this could result in a lawsuit.
Your advisor can help you and can advise you on the best course of action, including using charitable donations to reduce the tax bill and insurance as a strategy to cover some or all of the tax bill and contributing to the surviving spouses RRSP. 

more information

youve_been_named_executor.pdf
File Size: 829 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Cooperative Memorial Society (CMS)
Suite 204A, 223-12th Ave. S.W. Calgary, Ab. T2R 0G9 Canada (Appointments required)
1-403-248-2044 
​Toll free: 1-800-566-9959
admin@calgarymemorial.com

​
​The Cooperative Memorial Society of Alberta would like to acknowledge that what we refer to as Alberta is the traditional ancestral territory of a diversity of Indigenous peoples and home to Treaty 6, 7, and 8. We honor the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika, the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta. This includes the Métis Settlements and the Six Regions of the Métis Nation of Alberta within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland. We recognize and give thanks to the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations, all who continue to grace these lands, and all future generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting.
  • Home
  • About
    • Mandate and Action Plan
    • History
    • We're a co-op >
      • Memorial societies
      • Funeral co-ops >
        • Business Case: Funeral Co-op in Calgary
    • Legislation
    • Governance >
      • Board of Directors >
        • Bylaws
        • AGM Materials
        • Join Board
        • Policies >
          • Privacy policy
          • Terms & conditions
        • Contact us
    • Become a Volunteer
  • Membership
    • Purchase Online
    • Purchase by Cheque
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Request Presentation >
      • Testimonials
  • Partners
  • Registry
    • About the Registry >
      • Troubleshooting Login >
        • Dealing with 3rd party cookies
    • Member Login
    • Hard copy forms
  • Advance Planning
    • Must-Have Documents >
      • Personal Directive
      • Enduring Power of Attorney
      • Will >
        • Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta
    • Manage Your Estate >
      • Be Prepared
      • Adult Guardianship & Trusteeship
      • Selecting an Executor
      • Executor Duties
      • Executor's Checklist
    • Palliative & End-of-Life Care >
      • Hospice Care
      • Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
      • Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation
    • Body Donation
    • Family-Led Deathcare
    • Funeral / Memorial Service >
      • Funeral homes with CMS plans
      • After-death Documentation
      • Funeral Benefits
      • Cremation
      • Green Burials
      • AB Municipal Cemeteries >
        • Red Deer and Area
      • Obituary - Writing
  • Dealing with the Death of a Member
    • Death Benefit
    • Last Post Fund
    • Grieving Together
    • Useful links