What to do when a Axos account holder dies
Contact Axos — 6-step process, 5 required documents, and pod accounts: transfer occurs upon death without necessity of probate. processing time varies after documentation is received.
Personal Banking
Axos Bank, 4350 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 140, San Diego, CA 92122
Personal Banking
Axos Bank, 4350 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 140, San Diego, CA 92122
Death Claims / Estate Services
Axos Bank, PO Box 509127, San Diego, CA 92150-9727
After an account holder at Axos 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 Axos's Death Claims / Estate Services at 1-888-502-2967 with the proper legal authority documents.
Axos provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Axos requires:
Filing a claim
- POD accounts: beneficiary provides government-issued ID and identity verification
- Trust accounts: successor trustee provides trust documentation and ID
- TOD investment accounts: beneficiary contacts Axos Invest with death certificate and ID
- Accounts without POD/TOD/trust: estate representative provides Letters Testamentary or Administration
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary, successor trustee, or estate representative
- Trust documents (if trust-owned account)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if eligible under state law)
What to know at this institution
Under the "Death or Incompetence" clause of the Axos personal deposit account agreement, Axos may act with respect to any account as if all owners are alive and competent until it receives written notice of an owner's death; if instructions were given before death, Axos may act on them unless it receives written notice of death before honoring them. Once notified, Axos may place a hold on the account and refuse deposits or withdrawals until it identifies the successor. If a salary, pension, Social Security, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment payable to the deceased owner is credited after the date of death, Axos may debit the account and return the deposit to the payer. Axos has no obligation to locate beneficiaries; the beneficiary or estate representative must initiate the claim. POD accounts pass outside probate. For Axos Invest (brokerage) accounts, the designated TOD beneficiary must notify Axos Advisor Services of the death and provide a copy of the death certificate (plus a tax waiver if required by applicable law); Axos Advisor Services may require the beneficiary to open an account and to execute an agreement indemnifying it in connection with the transfer, and only beneficiaries living on the date of death are eligible. The Axos Invest TOD Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Nebraska.
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.
- Deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loan assumption
- Refinance the mortgage
- Pay off the balance
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)
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-866-923-7112
Axos Bank Loan Payments, P.O. Box 80471, City of Industry, CA 91716-8471
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Axos 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. Financial hardship assistance: 1-877-764-9998.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Axos
Axos accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Axos'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 Axos →Processing timelines at Axos: POD accounts: transfer occurs upon death without necessity of probate. Processing time varies after documentation is received. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Axos includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued ID for beneficiary, successor trustee, or estate representative, and Trust documents (if trust-owned account), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Transfer of ownership generally occurs upon death, and the named Payable on Death beneficiary becomes the owner without the necessity of further action including probate. The beneficiary must contact Axos at 1-888-502-2967 and provide a certified death certificate and valid identification to receive the funds.
The beneficiary or estate representative must notify Axos at 1-888-502-2967 and provide a certified death certificate. Axos will restrict the account, stop charging fees, and cease systematic distributions. For POD accounts, the beneficiary provides identification to receive the funds without probate. For TOD investment accounts, the beneficiary contacts Axos Invest with the death certificate and ID. For accounts without a POD, TOD, or trust designation, the estate representative must provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. Axos does not proactively locate or notify beneficiaries.
Axos Bank is an FDIC-insured bank offering deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs). Axos Invest is a separate entity (Axos Invest LLC, Member FINRA & SIPC) offering self-directed trading and managed portfolio investment accounts. Deposit accounts use POD (Payable on Death) designations; investment accounts use TOD (Transfer on Death) designations and require the separate TOD Agreement at axos.com/documents/transfer-on-death. Both are subsidiaries of Axos Financial, Inc.
Yes. For deposit accounts, you can name a trust as the Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary. For Axos Invest investment accounts, a trust can be named as the Transfer on Death (TOD) beneficiary using the TOD Agreement form. For IRA accounts, a trust can be named as the beneficiary using the IRA Beneficiary Designation or Change Request form. Naming a trust as beneficiary allows the account to pass outside of probate according to the trust terms.
Axos's Death Claims / Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-888-502-2967 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Axos accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Death Claims / Estate Services to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Axos primary sources (32 pages reviewed). How we research.
Personal Banking
Axos Bank, 4350 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 140, San Diego, CA 92122
Personal Banking
Axos Bank, 4350 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 140, San Diego, CA 92122
Death Claims / Estate Services
Axos Bank, PO Box 509127, San Diego, CA 92150-9727
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Axos accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
