What to do when a VALIC account holder dies
Report the death to VALIC's Client Care Center at 1-800-448-2542
VALIC is now Corebridge FinancialRebranded
AIG spun off its Life and Retirement business as Corebridge Financial, and the AIG Retirement Services / VALIC consumer brand now operates as Corebridge Financial; valic.com 301-redirects to corebridgefinancial.com/rs. Corebridge's own brands page states that "The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC) and VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. (VFA) continue to operate as legal entities of Corebridge Financial and so you may see these names referenced in materials you receive from us," alongside VALIC Retirement Services Company (VRSCO), the recordkeeper and transfer agent. Existing VALIC contracts, contract numbers, and the myaccount.valic.com login are unchanged. A SECOND brand change is already in motion: Corebridge and Equitable Holdings, Inc. are merging, stockholders of both companies approved the merger on 2026-07-30, and on closing (expected by year-end 2026, still subject to regulatory approval) the combined company will operate under the EQUITABLE name and brand. Until then, the contacts and procedures below are the Corebridge Retirement Services operation that services VALIC contracts.
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact VALIC's Client Care Center at 1-800-448-2542 to start the claims process. Insurance proceeds are paid directly to the named beneficiary and do not go through probate. How quickly the claim is processed depends on the policy type, documentation, and cause of death.
Death claim process
The death claim process at VALIC works as follows:
Filing a claim
Required Documents
- Death Claim Form (VL 995), completed by the beneficiary claiming the account
Forms VALIC issues1
- Death Claim Form (VL 995)
Completed by the beneficiary. Available to download.1
What happens to each kind of account1
- Loan
A loan payment check can be returned when a death claim has been made on the account, because the loan could have been terminated in the process.2
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- American General Life Insurance Company and US Life
Corebridge individual life insurance policy claims, started with the Report a Death online form3
What VALIC's agreement and guidance say2
- How proceeds are paid
The claim form gives the payment options and the timing within which a beneficiary needs to begin receiving distributions.4
Corebridge's beneficiary FAQ says "plan documents and underlying investment contracts may require a more rapid payout to beneficiaries than the law would permit."5
Where the estate is the beneficiary, Corebridge notes that "estates are rarely kept open much more than a year from the date the estate is opened," which "may result in a more rapid payout."5
- What it says about taxes
Death Claim withdrawals are subject to tax withholding based on the plan type.4
Sources5
VALIC's Client Care Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-448-2542 and fax at 1-877-202-0187 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from VALIC primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
VALIC death claims support
Client Care Center
Phone
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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