What to do when a Ameriprise account holder dies
Contact Ameriprise's Estate Settlements — 9-step process, 11 required documents, and several business days once all documents received in good order
Client Service Center
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70100 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
After an account holder at Ameriprise dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact Ameriprise's Estate Settlements at 1-800-862-7919 with the proper legal authority documents.
Ameriprise offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Ameriprise works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Deceased's account number(s)
- Social Security number
- Death certificate
- Brokerage/IRA claims: Estate Settlement Claim Form (Form 116189)
- RiverSource Life insurance/annuity claims: Insurance and Annuity Death Claim Form (Form 140838)
- RiverSource Life of New York claims: Death Claim Statement (Form 38111)
- Privileged Asset annuity claims (national): Death Claim Form (Form 12179)
- Privileged Asset annuity claims (New York): Death Claim Statement (Form 200334)
Required Documents
- Certified copy of death certificate (obtain multiple copies; insurance/annuity claims may not accept photocopies)
- Estate Settlement Claim Form (Form 116189 for beneficiary-directed brokerage/IRA claims)
- Insurance/Annuity Death Claim Form (Form 140838 for RiverSource Life claims)
- Death Claim Statement (Form 38111 for RiverSource Life of New York claims)
- Privileged Asset Death Claim Form (Form 12179 for national; Form 200334 for New York)
- Government-issued ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Administration (if estate is beneficiary)
- Power of Attorney (if Attorney-In-Fact is signing on behalf of claimant)
- Court order dated within 12 months (if Guardian/Conservator is acting)
- New account paperwork for heirs receiving inherited assets
- State estate or inheritance tax waiver (if required by your state)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Estate settlement mailing address per the official Ameriprise estate settlement guide is 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474. Submit all documents together in one envelope. Include the deceased's name, an Ameriprise client ID number or account identifier, and the submitter's name and contact information on each document. Physical address required on forms (P.O. Box not accepted). The financial advisor of record can submit documents on the claimant's behalf. Tax withholding may be required based on state and/or federal regulations. For RiverSource Life of New York products, contact 1-800-541-2251.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Ameriprise
Ameriprise asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Ameriprise requires.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at Ameriprise →Processing timelines at Ameriprise: Several business days once all documents received in good order. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Ameriprise requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of death certificate (obtain multiple copies; insurance/annuity claims may not accept photocopies), Estate Settlement Claim Form (Form 116189 for beneficiary-directed brokerage/IRA claims), and Insurance/Annuity Death Claim Form (Form 140838 for RiverSource Life claims), 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. A trust can be named as beneficiary on Ameriprise IRA accounts using Form 3993 (IRA Designation of Beneficiary). Naming a trust as IRA beneficiary may limit heirs' ability to defer income taxes under the SECURE Act. Only the trust name and date established are needed on the beneficiary form; full trust documents are requested at claim time when the IRA moves to Trust Beneficial ownership.
Call 1-800-862-7919 and say "Estate Settlements" at the prompt, or notify the deceased's financial advisor (https://www.ameriprise.com/customer-service/estate-settlement-guide). Ameriprise mails personalized claim materials to each claimant; scheduled transactions and brokerage features are stopped on non-joint accounts. Beneficiaries complete the Estate Settlement Claim Form (Form 116189) for brokerage/IRA accounts. RiverSource insurance and annuity products use separate death claim forms (Form 140838 for RiverSource Life; Form 38111 for RiverSource Life of New York). All documents should be submitted together in one envelope to 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474.
Ameriprise's Estate Settlements can be reached by phone at 1-800-862-7919 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Ameriprise investment accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Estate Settlements to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Ameriprise primary sources (21 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Service Center
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70100 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
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