What to do when a American National account holder dies
Contact American National — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and claims are typically processed within 2-4 weeks of receipt of all required documentation. timeline may vary depending on completeness of submitted paperwork and whether additional review is required.
Brand change
Acquired by Brookfield (now Brookfield Wealth Solutions Ltd.) on May 22, 2022 in an approximately $5.1 billion all-cash transaction. Existing policies remain in force and are serviced under the American National brand; the company stopped writing new life insurance in 2024 and now focuses on annuities and pension risk transfer. Effective May 2022.
The procedures below reflect American National's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Annuity Bill Pay & Policy Service
American National Insurance Company, One Moody Plaza, Galveston, TX 77550
Annuity Bill Pay & Policy Service
American National Insurance Company, One Moody Plaza, Galveston, TX 77550
Life & Annuity Claims Department
American National Insurance Company, P.O. Box 10466, Springfield, MO 65808-0466
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact American National's Life & Annuity Claims Department at 1-800-615-7372 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 claims at American National can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at American National:
Filing a claim
- Full name and Social Security number
- Policy or contract number
- Date of birth and date of death
- Each beneficiary must complete the claim form in its entirety
- Obtain a certified copy of the death certificate
- If a trust is the beneficiary, include trust documents and trustee identification
- Mail to: American National Insurance Company, P.O. Box 10466, Springfield, MO 65808-0466
- Or fax to: 281-538-6757
Required Documents
- Completed Life Claim Form (life insurance) or Annuity Claim Form (annuities)
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Government-issued identification for the beneficiary
- Policy or contract number and deceased's name, date of birth, date of death, and Social Security number
- Trust documents and trustee identification (if a trust is the beneficiary)
- Letters of administration or court appointment (if estate is the beneficiary)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Life and annuity death claims: call 800-615-7372 (Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CST). Email: Life.LifeClaimsDept@AmericanNational.com (life insurance) or Annuity.LifeClaimsDept@AmericanNational.com (annuities). Fax: 281-538-6757. Mailing address: P.O. Box 10466, Springfield, MO 65808-0466. Health, Disability & Life claims use a separate mailing address: P.O. Box 10546, Springfield, MO 65808-0466 (phone 800-899-6520, hours Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CST). Claim forms are available at americannational.com/home/find-a-form. Each beneficiary must complete a separate claim form. Property and casualty insurance products have moved to the Farm Family brand at FarmFamily.com; for P&C claims, call 800-333-2860 (24 hours).
Prepare your letter of instruction to American National
American National provides its own letter-of-instruction form. Answer a few questions and we complete that official form for you to print and sign.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at American National: Claims are typically processed within 2-4 weeks of receipt of all required documentation. Timeline may vary depending on completeness of submitted paperwork and whether additional review is required. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
American National requires several documents to process a claim, including Completed Life Claim Form (life insurance) or Annuity Claim Form (annuities), Certified death certificate (original or certified copy), and Government-issued identification for the beneficiary, and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. American National life insurance policy ownership can be transferred to an ILIT using the Change of Ownership Form or the Assignment/Release of Policy Form, both available at americannational.com/home/find-a-form. You will need to provide trust documentation including the trust name, date established, trust EIN, and trustee identification. The three-year lookback rule (IRC Section 2035) applies: if the insured dies within three years of the ownership transfer, the death benefit may be included in the taxable estate. For new policies, have the trustee apply as the policy owner from inception.
American National life insurance is in run-off as of 2024; existing policies continue to be serviced for the life of the contract. The in-force product lines include Signature Whole Life (participating whole life with a Paid Up Additions Rider), Signature Performance Indexed Universal Life (IUL with crediting strategies based on the S&P 500, S&P MARC 5%, and Nasdaq-100 indices), Signature Protection IUL (guaranteed death benefit ages 80 to 121), Universal Life (flexible premium permanent coverage), and Signature Term Life (level-premium term coverage). Whole life and IUL policies include Living Benefits at no additional premium, with Accelerated Benefit Riders for critical, chronic, and terminal illness. Existing policies can still be assigned to an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT).
Contact the Life & Annuity Claims Department at 800-615-7372 (Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CST). Provide the deceased's name, Social Security number, policy or contract number, date of birth, and date of death. American National will verify the beneficiaries on file and mail the appropriate claim form (Life Claim Form or Annuity Claim Form) to each listed beneficiary. Each beneficiary must complete and return the form with a certified death certificate. Submit completed forms by mail to P.O. Box 10466, Springfield, MO 65808-0466 or by fax to 281-538-6757. Claims are typically processed within 2-4 weeks of receipt of all required documentation.
Signature Protection is an indexed universal life insurance product that provides guaranteed death benefit protection from ages 80 to 121. It offers five index crediting strategies based on the S&P MARC 5% Excess Return Index, Nasdaq-100 Index, and S&P 500 Index. The product includes Accelerated Underwriting, various loan options, and Living Benefits at no additional premium covering chronic, critical, and terminal illness. Cash value is accessible during the insured's lifetime as an emergency or supplemental retirement fund.
American National's Life & Annuity Claims Department can be reached by phone at 1-800-615-7372, email at Life.LifeClaimsDept@AmericanNational.com, and fax at 1-281-538-6757 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple American National policies, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Life & Annuity Claims Department can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from American National primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Annuity Bill Pay & Policy Service
American National Insurance Company, One Moody Plaza, Galveston, TX 77550
Annuity Bill Pay & Policy Service
American National Insurance Company, One Moody Plaza, Galveston, TX 77550
Life & Annuity Claims Department
American National Insurance Company, P.O. Box 10466, Springfield, MO 65808-0466
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