What to do when an Achieva CU account holder dies
Report the death to Achieva CU's Member Service Center at 1-800-593-2274
After a member of Achieva CU dies, the Member Service Center manages the transfer of accounts. POD-designated and trust-owned accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. Accounts held solely in the member's name may require probate court documents—Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration—before funds can be released.
To start, call Achieva CU at 1-727-431-7680. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate ready before you call.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Achieva CU:
Filing a claim
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued ID of the person handling the account
- Letters of Administration or trust documentation, depending on the route
Required Documents
- Written notice of the member's death
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID of the claimant
- Letters of Administration from the Florida circuit court, if the account has no payable-on-death beneficiary, joint owner or trust title
- Order of Summary Administration, if the estate qualified for summary administration
- Trust agreement or certification of trust, plus the trust's Tax ID Number, for a trust-owned account
- Separate written beneficiary designation, for any certificate or Certificate IRA
- Indemnification agreement, if Achieva requires one
What happens to each kind of account8
- Account in one name
With no joint owner and no beneficiary, "we may hold the Account funds until we receive a proper court order or where there is no estate or probate proceeding, at our sole discretion, we may pay the funds to any heir who will be solely responsible for the distribution of funds."1
- Joint account with survivorship
All accounts with more than one owner are joint with rights of survivorship, expressly not tenancies by the entireties, so the deceased owner's interest passes to the surviving owner.1
Once Achieva is notified of a primary member's death, "any Account where there is a joint owner may be closed within a reasonable time," and Achieva may open a new one. A deceased joint owner on a surviving primary member's account is removed within a reasonable time.1
- Payable-on-death account
The beneficiaries named on the Signature Card are paid, and "payment to any beneficiary shall be valid and discharge us from any liability for such payment." Two or more surviving beneficiaries own the funds jointly with rights of survivorship.1
- Certificate of deposit
The payable-on-death designation on the Signature Card does not reach certificates or Certificate IRAs. The separate written beneficiary designation controls.1
- IRA
An IRA is paid to the beneficiary named on that account's own designation form.1
- Health savings account
An HSA is paid to the beneficiary named on that account's own designation form.1
- Trust account
The successor trustee provides the trust document, a certified death certificate and the trust's Tax ID Number. Achieva takes no responsibility for confirming that a fiduciary was duly appointed.1
- Loan
A loan that carried Credit Life and Disability protection can have its balance retired rather than left as a claim on the estate.2
State law on paying a balance without lettersFlorida
- Florida
Fla. Stat. § 735.303
Florida law permits a credit union to pay from a deceased member's balance on an affidavit made under oath, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.Fla. Stat. § 735.303Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: family member (surviving spouse; else adult child; else adult descendant; else parent)
Limit: $2,000 held at the institution and $2,000 in total from every holder
When: not earlier than 6 months after the date of the decedent’s death
The section permits the payment. It does not require the credit union to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Achieva Wealth Advisors
Investment accounts held through Cetera, claimed separately from the deposit accounts2
Phone: 1-844-658-3698
What Achieva CU's agreement and guidance say7
- Telling the institution
Achieva "may continue to honor all transfers, withdrawals, deposits, and other transactions on the Account until the Credit Union is notified IN WRITING of a member's death."1
- Payments after the death
Even after notice, Achieva "may pay Items or honor other payments or transfer orders authorized by the deceased member for a period of ten (10) days unless the Credit Union receives instructions from any person claiming an interest in the account to stop payment of all remaining outstanding Items."1
- Deposits after the death
"All deposits made payable to the decedent which are credited after the decedent's death may, at the Credit Union's sole discretion, be debited from the Account and returned to the payor." Deposits payable to a deceased member are not accepted.1
- How proceeds are paid
Dividends stop on the date of death, not on the date of notice: "All dividend payments will cease to accrue effective on the date of death of the primary owner."1
- Debts owed to the institution
"Any payment of funds upon the death of any Account holder is subject to our lien and security interest." Achieva has a statutory and consensual lien on every account in which the member had an ownership interest.1
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
"You agree the Credit Union can require that anyone who claims funds in your Account after your death to indemnify the Credit Union for any losses actually or potentially resulting from honoring that claim."1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
A $15 monthly Inactive Account fee begins after 12 months with no activity other than dividend postings. Unclaimed funds are eventually reported and remitted to the State of Florida.1
Not in Achieva CU's published guidance4
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A claim form
- A fax number for claim documents
- An email address for claim documents
Sources2
Achieva CU's Member Service Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-593-2274 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Achieva CU primary sources (21 pages reviewed). How we research.
Achieva CU death claims support
Member Service Center
Phone
Toll-free
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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