Notifying the NCUA when someone dies
Executor is responsible for notifying the NCUA
OverviewWhen someone dies
NCUA Consumer Assistance Center
Phone1-800-755-1030
EmailDCAmail@ncua.gov
Mailing Address
NCUA Consumer Assistance Center, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3418
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Share Insurance Questions
Phone1-800-755-1030
EmailDCAmail@ncua.gov
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET (select option 1 for share insurance)
Contact Your Credit Union Directly
Phone1-800-755-1030
Timeline
6-month grace period for NCUA share insurance coverage; credit union account access timelines vary by institution
WebsiteLearn more →
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Verified Jul 2026
When someone dies, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) must be notified. The executor is responsible for notifying the NCUA.
Notification deadline: Restructure accounts within 6 months of death to preserve full NCUA share insurance coverage.
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the NCUA and applying for survivor benefits:
1
Notify the credit union of the member's death:
- •Contact each federally insured credit union where the deceased held accounts
- •Provide a certified copy of the death certificate
- •Ask about the account types and current coverage levels
2
Understand the 6-month NCUA grace period:
- •NCUA treats the deceased as still alive for 6 months for insurance purposes
- •Coverage levels remain unchanged during this period for individual and joint accounts
- •The grace period does NOT apply to POD/trust accounts — coverage transfers immediately to beneficiaries
- •Use this time to restructure accounts if needed to stay within insurance limits
3
Review and restructure accounts if needed:
- •Individual accounts: coverage continues at $250,000 for 6 months, then reverts to the new owner's limits
- •Joint accounts: the surviving co-owner's coverage continues at $250,000 per co-owner for 6 months
- •POD/trust accounts: coverage changes immediately when the owner dies — funds transfer to beneficiaries
- •Estate accounts: a separate $250,000 coverage category for funds managed by the executor
- •Consider consolidating or redistributing deposits to stay within insurance limits
4
Use the NCUA's Share Insurance Estimator (https://mycreditunion.gov/share-insurance-estimator-home) to calculate your specific coverage after restructuring.
5
Verify that the credit union is federally insured using the NCUA Credit Union Locator (https://mapping.ncua.gov/ResearchCreditUnion).
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Member identification and account numbers
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration (for estate access)
- Trust document (if accounts are held in a revocable trust)
- Government-issued photo ID of the person making the claim
Timeline
6-month grace period for NCUA share insurance coverage; credit union account access timelines vary by institution
Survivor benefits
6-Month Grace Period for Share Insurance
The NCUA insures a deceased member's accounts as if they were still alive for 6 months after death (12 CFR 745.2(e)). During this grace period, insurance coverage does not change unless accounts are restructured. This allows heirs and estate administrators to reorganize accounts without losing coverage. The grace period will not be applied if it would result in less coverage than would otherwise apply.
Eligibility: All share accounts held by the deceased at federally insured credit unions
Amount: Up to $250,000 per member, per credit union, per ownership category
How to apply: No action needed for the grace period itself — it applies automatically. Notify each credit union where the deceased held accounts and provide a certified death certificate. Use the 6-month window to restructure accounts if needed to stay within insurance limits.
Learn more →Joint Account Coverage After Death
Joint accounts receive $250,000 in NCUA coverage per co-owner. When one co-owner dies, the 6-month grace period preserves the deceased co-owner's share of coverage while the account is administered. After 6 months, the surviving co-owner's share is added to their individual accounts and subject to the $250,000 single-account limit.
Eligibility: Surviving co-owner of a joint credit union account
Amount: $250,000 per co-owner
How to apply: Contact the credit union with a certified death certificate. The surviving co-owner should review total deposits across all ownership categories at that credit union to ensure balances remain within insured limits after the 6-month grace period ends.
Learn more →POD/Trust Account Coverage Changes
Payable-on-death (POD) and revocable trust accounts receive $250,000 in coverage per owner per beneficiary, up to $1,250,000 per owner (for 1-5 beneficiaries). The 6-month grace period does NOT apply to POD/trust accounts — when the account owner dies, coverage transfers directly to the named beneficiaries and is recalculated based on their own ownership interests. Note: Effective December 1, 2026, the NCUA is simplifying trust account insurance rules (12 CFR Part 745 final rule) by establishing a single unified "trust accounts" category covering revocable trusts (including formal trusts, POD, ITF, testamentary, and Totten Trust accounts) and irrevocable trusts, all calculated as $250,000 per beneficiary up to $1,250,000 per owner at five or more beneficiaries.
Eligibility: Beneficiaries of POD or revocable trust accounts
Amount: $250,000 per owner per beneficiary (up to $1,250,000 per owner for 1-5 beneficiaries)
How to apply: Named beneficiaries should contact the credit union with a certified death certificate to claim funds. Coverage transfers automatically to beneficiaries — no NCUA claim is needed unless the credit union has failed.
Learn more →Decedent's Estate Account Coverage
Funds held in the decedent's name or in the name of an executor or administrator are covered as a separate insurance category up to $250,000 in aggregate. This is separate from the deceased member's individual account coverage. Either the decedent must have been a credit union member, or all beneficiaries of the estate must be members.
Eligibility: Estate of a deceased credit union member
Amount: Up to $250,000 in aggregate for all estate accounts at the same credit union
How to apply: The executor or administrator should present letters testamentary or letters of administration to the credit union along with a certified death certificate. Estate funds deposited at the credit union are covered as a separate ownership category.
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
The NCUA insures a deceased member's accounts as if they were still alive for 6 months after death. During this grace period, insurance coverage does not change unless accounts are restructured. After 6 months, coverage reverts to the new owner's limits based on ownership category.
Joint accounts receive $250,000 in NCUA coverage per co-owner. When one co-owner dies, the 6-month grace period preserves the deceased's share of coverage. After 6 months, the surviving co-owner's deposits are recalculated under their individual ownership categories.
No. The 6-month grace period does not apply to payable-on-death (POD) or revocable trust accounts. When the account owner dies, coverage transfers immediately to the named beneficiaries and is recalculated based on their own ownership interests at that credit union.
NCUA insures deposits at federally insured credit unions. FDIC insures deposits at banks. Both provide $250,000 per depositor per institution per ownership category, and both offer a 6-month grace period for deceased account holders. The coverage rules are nearly identical.
No. If the credit union is operating normally, contact the credit union directly to handle the deceased's accounts. The NCUA only becomes involved if the credit union fails. In a failure, insured deposits are paid automatically — you do not need to file a claim for amounts within the $250,000 limit.
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 4 benefits through the NCUA. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the NCUA. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
NCUA Consumer Assistance Center
Phone1-800-755-1030
EmailDCAmail@ncua.gov
Mailing Address
NCUA Consumer Assistance Center, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3418
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Share Insurance Questions
Phone1-800-755-1030
EmailDCAmail@ncua.gov
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET (select option 1 for share insurance)
Contact Your Credit Union Directly
Phone1-800-755-1030
Timeline
6-month grace period for NCUA share insurance coverage; credit union account access timelines vary by institution
WebsiteLearn more →
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Verified Jul 2026