What to do when an Atlantic FCU account holder dies
Report the death to Atlantic FCU's Member Contact Center at 1-800-834-0432
After a member of Atlantic FCU dies, the Member Contact Center manages the transfer of accounts. POD-designated and trust-owned accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. Accounts held solely in the member's name may require probate court documents—Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration—before funds can be released.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Atlantic FCU requires:
Filing a claim
- Monday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Tuesday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Wednesday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Thursday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- A letter identifying the deceased member, the accounts and your authority to act
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- A copy of your government-issued photo ID
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, trust documents, or a Maine small estate affidavit, as applicable
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID of the person settling the account
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, when probate is required
- Trust agreement or certification of trust, and the trust's tax ID number, for a trust-titled account
- Maine small estate affidavit, when the estate qualifies as a small estate
What happens to each kind of account8
- Account in one name
With no joint owner and no beneficiary, the personal representative presents Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the Maine probate court.1
- Joint account with survivorship
The surviving owner keeps the account by right of survivorship. It passes to the surviving owner on notification.1
- Payable-on-death account
Each named beneficiary presents a death certificate and government-issued ID to claim their share.1
- Trust account
The successor trustee presents the trust agreement or certification of trust, the death certificate and the trust's tax ID number.1
- IRA
The named beneficiary claims an IRA on the account's own beneficiary designation, not through probate.1
- Health savings account
The named beneficiary claims the health savings account on its own beneficiary designation, not through probate.1
- Coverdell education savings account
The named beneficiary claims a Coverdell education savings account on its own beneficiary designation, not through probate.1
- Certificate of deposit
Certificates renew automatically after a 10-calendar-day grace period, so a certificate left untouched during probate rolls into a new term.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersMaine
- Maine
9-B M.R.S. § 427(8)(A)
Maine law permits a credit union to pay from a deceased member's balance on proof the institution accepts, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.9-B M.R.S. § 427(8)(A)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $1,000 per account
Paid to: the surviving spouse; next of kin; funeral director or other preferred creditor or creditors who may appear to be entitled to the deposit or account
The section permits the payment. It does not require the credit union to make it. The section sets further conditions.
What Atlantic FCU provides to the estate1
- Statement copies
The fee schedule prices account research or reconciliation at $20.00 per hour, a printed statement copy at $3.00 and a check copy at $5.00, which is what an executor pays to reconstruct date-of-death balances.2
What Atlantic FCU's agreement and guidance say3
- Membership
The $25 share balance in the primary Member Savings account is the membership itself, so that account is usually the last one closed.1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
The fee schedule charges an inactive account fee of $5.00 per month after 365 days of no activity, and a $50.00 abandoned property processing fee.2
- Fees
The fee schedule charges $50.00 per item for legal processing of writs, liens, levies and summonses.2
Not in Atlantic FCU's published guidance3
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A claim form to download
- How long a claim takes
Atlantic FCU's Member Contact Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-834-0432 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(3)·
Data sourced from Atlantic FCU primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Atlantic FCU death claims support
Member Contact Center
Phone
Toll-free
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Atlantic FCU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for your state.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
