What to do when a Ally Invest account holder dies
Contact Ally Invest's Ally Invest Securities — 6-step process, 9 required documents, and claim is opened on the phone call; document review follows once ally invest and apex receive the packet
Ally Invest Customer Service
Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230
Ally Invest Securities
Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)
Ally Invest Securities
Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)
What happens to Ally Invest investment accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Ally Invest's Ally Invest Securities (1-855-880-2559) to claim the funds.
Ally Invest provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Ally Invest:
Filing a claim
- All open orders on the account are canceled
- Ally Invest may restrict transactions in the account and retain a portion of it while the claim is worked
- It may require papers and inheritance or estate tax waivers it deems advisable before releasing assets
- It may close out the account without waiting for a personal representative to be appointed
- On a joint account, the decedent's estate remains jointly and severally liable for any net debit balance or loss from transactions initiated before the written notice arrived
- TOD account: certified death certificate and the beneficiary's government-issued ID — Apex then moves the assets out of the TOD account into the beneficiary's account
- No TOD and no joint owner: certified death certificate plus Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (or a state small estate affidavit), and the estate's taxpayer ID
- IRA: certified death certificate, beneficiary ID, and the inherited/beneficiary IRA paperwork; the year-of-death RMD must be satisfied out of the decedent's IRA first
- Trust-titled account: the trust documentation and successor trustee certification
Required Documents
- Written notice of the death from the estate's representative or the surviving joint owner (required by Customer Agreement Section 28)
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued ID for the beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration when there is no TOD beneficiary and no surviving joint owner
- State small estate affidavit where state law allows it in place of court appointment
- Estate taxpayer identification number (EIN) for an estate transfer
- Inheritance or estate tax waivers, if Ally Invest requires them for the decedent's state
- Trust documentation and successor trustee certification for a trust-titled account or a trust named as beneficiary
- Beneficiary/inherited IRA paperwork for an Ally Invest IRA
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Ally Invest is a separate broker-dealer from Ally Bank, with its own phone number (1-855-880-2559), its own fax (866-699-0563), and its own address (PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230). Ally Bank's estate page and its 1-877-247-2559 line do not cover brokerage or Ally Invest IRA accounts. Brokerage assets clear through Apex Clearing Corporation (One Dallas Center, 350 N. St. Paul, Suite 1300, Dallas, TX 75201), so the beneficiary transfer is executed by Apex once Ally Invest accepts the documents. There is no in-person option: Ally Invest has no branches.
Processing timelines at Ally Invest: Claim is opened on the phone call; document review follows once Ally Invest and Apex receive the packet. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Ally Invest includes Written notice of the death from the estate's representative or the surviving joint owner (required by Customer Agreement Section 28), Certified copy of the death certificate, and Government-issued ID for the beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Ally Invest Securities LLC is operating and accepting new accounts as of July 2026 — Self-Directed Trading, Robo Portfolios, and Personal Advice are all still offered on ally.com, and Ally reissued its Transfer on Death beneficiary form in May 2026. The securities themselves are cleared and custodied by Apex Clearing Corporation (One Dallas Center, 350 N. St. Paul, Suite 1300, Dallas, TX 75201). That matters at death: a TOD designation is subject to receipt and acceptance by Apex, TOD registration is not available to residents of all jurisdictions, and it is Apex that moves the assets out of the TOD account into the beneficiary's account once Ally Invest accepts the death certificate and beneficiary identification.
Section 28 (Event of Death) of the Ally Invest Securities Customer Agreement requires the representative of the estate or the surviving joint owner to give Ally Invest written notice of the death immediately. On that notice all open orders on the account are canceled, and Ally Invest may restrict transactions, retain part of the account, and require papers and inheritance or estate tax waivers before releasing anything. It may also close out the account without waiting for a personal representative to be appointed. Until the written notice actually arrives, Ally Invest is not responsible for trades executed on the decedent's standing orders — which is why calling 1-855-880-2559 and sending notice on day one protects the estate.
Ally Invest does not publish a blanket medallion rule, but its Account Transfer Form carries a Medallion Signature Guarantee panel and lists "Estate" as a selectable account type, so a medallion guarantee can be required on an estate transfer. Confirm the requirement with Ally Invest at 1-855-880-2559 before anything is signed — a medallion guarantee must be stamped by a participating bank or broker in the signer's presence, and getting it after the fact means re-executing the paperwork. Ally Invest's clearing firm, Apex Clearing Corporation, also has to accept the documents, and the transfer form directs the delivering firm to cancel all open orders on the account.
No. The Ally Invest TOD Beneficiary Designation Request states the designation may not be revoked or changed by a will, codicil, trust document, or other testamentary document — only a new TOD form, actually received and accepted by Ally Invest, supersedes the prior one. If a primary beneficiary dies before you, their share goes pro rata to the surviving primary beneficiaries; if none of your primary or contingent beneficiaries survives you, the assets pass as if the TOD instructions never existed, which sends them into your probate estate. The form holds 3 primary and 3 contingent beneficiaries, and shares must total 100% with no fractional percentages or dollar amounts.
Ally Invest's Ally Invest Securities can be reached by phone at 1-855-880-2559 and fax at 866-699-0563 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Ally Invest investment accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Ally Invest Securities can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Ally Invest primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Ally Invest Customer Service
Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230
Ally Invest Securities
Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)
Ally Invest Securities
Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Ally Invest accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
