What to do when a Ameriprise account holder dies
Contact Ameriprise's Estate Settlement Team — 7-step process, 11 required documents, and several business days once all documents received in good order
Phone1-800-862-7919
Mailing Address
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70100 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Settlement Team
Phone1-800-862-7919
Fax1-866-432-9267
Mailing Address
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70310 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
RiverSource Life of New York
Ameriprise Bank, FSB
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Settlement Team
Phone1-800-862-7919
Fax1-866-432-9267
Mailing Address
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70310 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
RiverSource Life of New York
Ameriprise Bank, FSB
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
After a Ameriprise account holder 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 Settlement Team 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
1
Contact Ameriprise at 1-800-862-7919 (Monday-Friday, 7am-6pm CT) and say "Estate Settlements" at the prompt, or notify your financial advisor
2
Provide initial information:
- Deceased's account number(s)
- Social Security number
- Death certificate
3
Scheduled arrangements are stopped to prevent further activity on the accounts
4
Complete the appropriate claim form for the account type:
- 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)
5
Submit all documents together in one envelope with the deceased's name, Ameriprise client ID, and submitter's contact information on each document
6
Your financial advisor can submit documents on your behalf
7
Processing completes within several business days once documents are in good order
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)
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). Your financial advisor can submit documents on your behalf. Tax withholding may be required based on state and/or federal regulations. An Estate Processing fee is charged one time at estate settlement, waived if the estate contains no eligible Ameriprise brokerage or advisory accounts. For RiverSource Life of New York products, contact 1-800-541-2251.
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). However, 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.
Contact Ameriprise at 1-800-862-7919 and say "Estate Settlements" at the prompt, or notify your financial advisor. Scheduled transactions are stopped. Beneficiaries must complete the Estate Settlement Claim Form (Form 116189 for brokerage/IRA accounts). For RiverSource insurance and annuity products, separate death claim forms are required (Form 140838 for RiverSource Life; Form 38111 for RiverSource Life of New York). All documents should be submitted together in one envelope.
RiverSource Life Insurance Company and RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York are both subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial, but they use different forms and have a separate claims phone number. RiverSource Life of New York uses Form 38120 for beneficiary changes and Form 38111 for death claims, and can be reached at 1-800-541-2251. RiverSource Life (national) uses Form 33032 for beneficiary changes and Form 140838 for death claims.
Ameriprise's Estate Settlement Team can be reached by phone at 1-800-862-7919 and fax at 1-866-432-9267 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 Settlement Team to confirm what applies.
Phone1-800-862-7919
Mailing Address
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70100 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Settlement Team
Phone1-800-862-7919
Fax1-866-432-9267
Mailing Address
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70310 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
RiverSource Life of New York
Ameriprise Bank, FSB
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Settlement Team
Phone1-800-862-7919
Fax1-866-432-9267
Mailing Address
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70310 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
RiverSource Life of New York
Ameriprise Bank, FSB
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
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