What to do when a Atlantic Union account holder dies
Contact Atlantic Union's Trust & Asset Management — 5-step process, 5 required documents, and varies based on account type and documentation; pod claims typically faster than probate
Phone800-990-4828
Mailing Address
1051 East Cary Street, Suite 1200, Richmond, VA 23219
International
Atlantic Union Financial Consultants
New Mortgage Inquiries
Mortgage Assistance Center
Trust & Asset Management
Phone855-244-3767
Fax804-967-8820
Mailing Address
4300 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060
Atlantic Union Financial Consultants
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Care / Trust & Asset Management
Phone800-990-4828
Fax804-967-8820
Mailing Address
1051 East Cary Street, Suite 1200, Richmond, VA 23219
Trust & Asset Management
Mortgage Assistance Center
Verified Jul 2026
When a Atlantic Union account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Atlantic Union's Trust & Asset Management (800-990-4828) to access and distribute the funds.
The claim process can be initiated by phone at 800-990-4828 or by sending documentation to customer.advocate@atlanticunionbank.com. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Atlantic Union:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Atlantic Union Bank of the account holder's death:
- Call Customer Care at 800-990-4828 or visit a local branch
- For trust accounts, contact Trust & Asset Management at 855-244-3767
2
Provide a certified death certificate
3
Bank may continue to honor checks until it has knowledge of death and reasonable opportunity to act
4
Bank may pay or certify checks drawn on or before date of death for up to 10 days after death
5
Choose the appropriate settlement path based on account type:
- For POD accounts: beneficiary provides death certificate and valid government-issued ID to claim funds
- For joint accounts with survivorship: ownership passes automatically to surviving owner(s)
- For non-POD individual accounts: executor provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- For IRAs: beneficiary provides death certificate and completes distribution paperwork
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary or authorized representative
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for probate estates)
- Trust documentation (if account was held in trust)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if applicable under state law)
What to know at this institution
Trust & Asset Management: 855-244-3767 (Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm ET). Customer Care: 800-990-4828 (Monday-Friday 7:00am-8:00pm ET; Saturday 7:00am-5:00pm ET). Atlantic Union can serve as executor or co-executor, handling asset gathering and inventory, court communications, beneficiary distribution, and fiduciary tax coordination. Upon death of joint account holder, bank may restrict withdrawals until obligations under applicable law are satisfied. Early withdrawal penalties on CDs may be waived upon death of account holder. Upon death of a POD beneficiary, the bank must be promptly notified and all deposits and withdrawals must stop.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
1
Notify Atlantic Union Bank of the borrower's death:
- Call the Mortgage Assistance Center at 844-661-0093 or Customer Care at 800-990-4828
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
2
Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
3
Establish your legal interest through the Successor in Interest process:
- Request information about the Successor in Interest process
- Provide documentation proving your ownership interest: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document naming you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Atlantic Union Bank will review your documentation and confirm your status
4
Once confirmed, discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loan assumption, refinance, or pay off the balance
5
Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Atlantic Union Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options under CFPB mortgage servicing rules. Mortgage Assistance Center: 844-661-0093 (toll-free) or 804-589-3187 (direct). Email: MortgageAssistanceCenter@AtlanticUnionBank.com. Fax: 804-482-2983. Customer Care: 800-990-4828.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Atlantic Union
Atlantic Union accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Atlantic Union's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
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 Atlantic Union →How long the process takes at Atlantic Union: Varies based on account type and documentation; POD claims typically faster than probate. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Atlantic Union requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary or authorized representative, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for probate estates), 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
Visit any Atlantic Union Bank branch with a valid government-issued photo ID to request a Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designation. Provide each beneficiary's full legal name and identifying information, and specify primary and contingent beneficiaries if desired. Sign the updated account documentation and request a copy for your records. POD designations are available on checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts. For IRA accounts, separate beneficiary designation paperwork is required. Beneficiary changes must be made by notifying the bank in writing or in person.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Atlantic Union Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Contact the Mortgage Assistance Center at 844-661-0093 (or 804-589-3187 direct) or Customer Care at 800-990-4828 to notify the bank and begin the Successor in Interest process. Confirmed Successors in Interest are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options under CFPB mortgage servicing rules.
If your spouse is named as the beneficiary, the HSA transfers to them and becomes their own HSA. If a non-spouse beneficiary is named, the account ceases to be an HSA as of the date of death and the fair market value becomes taxable income to the beneficiary. Beneficiary designations for an HSA are handled separately from deposit account POD designations.
Atlantic Union completed its acquisition of Sandy Spring Bancorp on April 1, 2025, and integrated Sandy Spring branches and operations into Atlantic Union Bank systems on October 14, 2025. Legacy Sandy Spring deposit accounts, including any existing Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designations and trust titling, transferred to Atlantic Union Bank. To confirm that a POD beneficiary or trust designation carried over correctly, or to update one, visit any Atlantic Union Bank branch with valid photo ID, or call Customer Care at 800-990-4828. For trust account questions, contact Trust & Asset Management at 855-244-3767.
For a Virginia decedent with no POD beneficiary, joint owner, or trust on the account, a successor may be able to collect the funds using a Virginia small estate affidavit under Va. Code 64.2-601 when the decedent's entire personal probate estate does not exceed $75,000, at least 60 days have passed since death, and no personal representative has been appointed. The affidavit, a certified death certificate, and government-issued photo ID are presented to an Atlantic Union Bank branch. Accounts that already carry a valid POD beneficiary or are held in trust pass outside probate and do not require the affidavit.
Atlantic Union's Customer Care / Trust & Asset Management can be reached by phone at 800-990-4828, email at customer.advocate@atlanticunionbank.com, and fax at 804-967-8820 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Atlantic Union accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Trust & Asset Management can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Atlantic Union primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Phone800-990-4828
Mailing Address
1051 East Cary Street, Suite 1200, Richmond, VA 23219
International
Atlantic Union Financial Consultants
New Mortgage Inquiries
Mortgage Assistance Center
Trust & Asset Management
Phone855-244-3767
Fax804-967-8820
Mailing Address
4300 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060
Atlantic Union Financial Consultants
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Care / Trust & Asset Management
Phone800-990-4828
Fax804-967-8820
Mailing Address
1051 East Cary Street, Suite 1200, Richmond, VA 23219
Trust & Asset Management
Mortgage Assistance Center
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
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