When a member has died
Losing a loved one can be overwhelming. You have important responsibilities to manage and, likely, many questions. One of those responsibilities might be settling their accounts. We are here to support you through the process in any way we can.
When a member has died, UNFCU remains dedicated to protecting their personal information as well as their assets. In most cases, we may only communicate information about a deceased member’s accounts to the authorized representative of their estate.
Notify UNFCU of a member’s death
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Gather important documents.
All documents should be in English. Please be sure to use a certified translation service to translate documents in other languages.
If you are a representative of the member’s estate, we will need:
- An original or certified copy of the death certificate. If issued outside the US, apostille or authentication by a US consulate or embassy is required.
- A copy of your unexpired government-issued identification
- An original or certified copy of documentation of your authority to act on behalf of the member’s estate. These can include unexpired Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, certificates of inheritance, and/or notary deeds establishing heirs. If issued outside the US, apostille or authentication by a US consulate or embassy is required.
- A completed wire form
- A completed UNFCU Affidavit
- We may contact you to request other documents as needed.
If you are a beneficiary on the member’s account, we will need:
- An original or certified copy of the death certificate. If issued outside the US, apostille or authentication by a US consulate or embassy is required.
- A copy of your unexpired government-issued identification
- A completed wire form (or internal transfer form if you have an account at UNFCU)
- A completed UNFCU Affidavit
If you are a joint account holder on an account where the primary account holder has died, we will need:
- An original or certified copy of the death certificate. If issued outside the US, apostille or authentication by a US consulate or embassy is required.
- A copy of your unexpired government-issued identification
- A completed wire form if you are not a UNFCU member
If you are the primary account holder on an account where the joint account holder has died, we will need:
- An original or certified copy of the death certificate. If issued outside the US, apostille or authentication by a US consulate or embassy is required.
- A copy of your unexpired government-issued identification
If the member resided outside the US
We can accept documentation of your authority to act on behalf of the member’s estate from the member’s place of residence or from the state of New York. If the documentation is from outside the US, it should be authenticated by an apostille or the US embassy or consulate in the country where the document is issued:
- View a list of competent authorities that issue apostilles in each applicable country.
- View a list of US embassies or consulates in each country.
Please note that the apostille or authentication by a US embassy or consulate is required to authenticate the signature and capacity of the public official who signed the document, not to validate the document’s content.
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Send information to UNFCU.
Once you have gathered all required documents as listed in Step 1, contact our Legal Processing team (the team responsible for handling member estate matters). In your message, include:
- Your name
- Your relation to the deceased member
- Your contact information
- All required documents
Please note that processing the deceased member’s account(s) may take some time. Thank you for your patience as we take the necessary steps to protect our members’ assets.
FAQs for surviving family members
We may place restrictions on a deceased member’s account(s) to secure the funds until the rightful owners can claim them, or to secure any outstanding debt.
If the deceased member was the only account owner, the account will be closed. Once any outstanding loans have been satisfied, the remaining funds will be distributed:
- To the designated beneficiary(ies), if the account lists one or more beneficiaries
- To the estate, if no beneficiaries have been designated
For joint accounts, if the deceased member was listed as the primary account holder, the account will also need to be closed. This is to ensure proper tax reporting. If the deceased member was the secondary account holder, and was not the only US taxpayer, the account can continue. UNFCU will remove the name of the deceased member.
For individual retirement accounts (IRAs), please contact us for details.
You are welcome to continue banking with UNFCU. If you are not already a member, you will need to apply for membership. Learn more about who can join.
For individual accounts, any automated transfers to or from the account will be rejected. For jointly owned accounts, any automated transfers to or from the account that list the deceased member’s name will be rejected. Please notify any companies or agencies making automated transfers of the member's death.
Any payments in the deceased member’s name from the US federal government received after the date of death must be returned to the US Treasury. Common federal payments include Social Security benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, and military retirement payments.
No, the deceased member's Digital Banking credentials will be deactivated to prevent unauthorized use.
Contact us to discuss your options, such as becoming a successor in interest.
Contact our Global Card Services team at cardserv@unfcu.com. They can help ensure you are able to continue to view credit card details and make payments.
No, authorized users cannot continue to use a credit card after the primary card holder has died.
Contact us to discuss future payment arrangements.
UNFCU is required to report dividends earned under the deceased member’s social security number (SSN) to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This continues until the account is closed.
If a non-US taxpayer passes away and their tax certification expires, annual withholding rules will be applied. The withholding will continue until the account is closed, or their name/profile is removed from accounts where they are listed as a joint account holder.
In order to avoid potential negative tax complications, accounts should be settled in a timely manner. To begin the process, notify us.
No, the POA is void upon the death of the principal party. It can no longer be used to manage their account(s).
More resources
- Securely submit information to UNFCU’s Legal Processing team
- Notify the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) of a retiree or beneficiary’s death
- IRS guidance for when a US taxpayer has died
- Official list of US embassies and consulates