What to do when a Beacon Pointe account holder dies
Report the death to Beacon Pointe's Your Beacon Pointe advisor at 1-949-718-1600
What happens to Beacon Pointe investment accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Beacon Pointe's Your Beacon Pointe advisor (1-949-718-1600) to claim the funds.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Beacon Pointe:
Filing a claim
- Which custodian holds it: Schwab, Fidelity, SEI Private Trust Company, Pershing, Raymond James, or, for some accounts of acquired firms, HSBC
- How it is registered: individual, joint with survivorship, trust-titled, IRA, or a private fund interest for which Beacon Pointe GP, LLC is the general partner
- Whether a TOD registration or beneficiary designation is on file at the custodian
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificateOne for each custodian that holds an account.
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- The custodian's own transfer, distribution, inherited-IRA or estate-registration formsFrom Schwab, Fidelity, SEI Private Trust Company, Pershing or Raymond James. Beacon Pointe has no death-claim form of its own.
- Certification of trust and the successor-trustee provisions, for trust-titled accounts
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, for individually titled accounts with no TOD registration
- Small estate affidavit, where the state and the account value allow itThe custodian decides whether it accepts one in place of Letters.
- Signature guarantee or Medallion stamp, where the custodian requires it
- Fund transfer paperwork from the fund administrator, for a private fund interest
What happens to each kind of account8
- Payable-on-death account
On a TOD-registered taxable account, the named beneficiary claims directly from the custodian.1
- Joint account with survivorship
The survivor re-registers the account with a certified death certificate.1
- Trust account
The successor trustee documents authority to the custodian with a certification of trust, the death certificate and ID, then directs the account, which moves once the trustee is documented. Beacon Pointe continues as adviser at the successor trustee's direction.1
Where the relationship came from a firm Beacon Pointe acquired, confirm who the acting trustee is first: Beacon Pointe serves as trustee or co-trustee for a limited set of those legacy accounts.2
- IRA
For an IRA, Roth, rollover, SEP or SIMPLE IRA, the beneficiary on file with the custodian opens an inherited IRA at that custodian.1
- Account in one name
For an individually titled account with no TOD and no trust, the executor gives Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to the custodian, which re-registers the account into the estate's name.1
- Employer retirement plan
For an employer plan advised under the Retirement Plan Services platform, the claim goes to the plan recordkeeper under the plan document, not to a Beacon Pointe custodian.1
- Investment account
The advisor's discretionary authority comes from an advisory agreement that ends at death. The custodian is the party that restricts the account.1
The deceased person's advisory agreement does not automatically bind an heir. Once assets move to an inherited or trust account, the heir decides with the advisor whether Beacon Pointe continues managing them.1
- Life insurance policy
A policy placed through Beacon Pointe Insurance Services, LLC is a contract with the issuing carrier and does not appear on any custodial statement. It is claimed from the carrier on the carrier's own claim form.1
Accounts handled elsewhere6
- Charles Schwab & Co.
Custody of Beacon Pointe client accounts, including Wrap Fee Program accounts2
- Fidelity
Custody of Beacon Pointe client accounts, including Wrap Fee Program accounts2
- SEI Private Trust Company
Custody of Beacon Pointe client accounts2
- Pershing Advisor Solutions
Custody of Beacon Pointe client accounts, including Wrap Fee Program accounts2
- Raymond James & Associates
Custody of Beacon Pointe client accounts2
- HSBC
Custody of certain legacy accounts of firms Beacon Pointe acquired2
What Beacon Pointe provides to the estate1
- Date-of-death balance letter
The advisor obtains from the custodian a date-of-death valuation of every position, for the estate inventory.1
Help Beacon Pointe offers survivors2
- What to Do When a Loved One Passes
A Beacon Pointe guide, requested through a form, that separates what must be done immediately from what can wait days, weeks or months.1
- Organizing Vital Family Information
A Beacon Pointe guide to organizing a family's vital information, requested through a form.1
What Beacon Pointe's agreement and guidance say4
- What it does when notified
The advisor identifies every account and its registration, notifies the custodians, prepares the right custodian forms, obtains date-of-death valuations and advises the survivors. The custodian restricts the account, checks the death certificate and the claimant's authority, and transfers or pays out the assets.1
Each custodian sets its own forms, signature-guarantee rules and processing time, so accounts at two custodians run on separate clocks. Beacon Pointe cannot waive or shorten those, but the advisor can follow up on the submission.1
- Accounts from a merged institution
For legacy clients of firms Beacon Pointe acquired, HSBC holds certain accounts, and for a small set of those clients Beacon Pointe itself serves as trustee or co-trustee.2
- What it says about taxes
Beacon Pointe's Form ADV says its planning services exclude preparing estate tax returns or any legal documents, including wills and trusts. Some Beacon Pointe offices provide tax preparation and accounting as a separate engagement for separate compensation.2
- Online access
The Client Access page links the custodians' portals (Fidelity, SEI Connect and Pershing NetXInvestor) and Beacon Pointe's own Tamarac reporting portal and eMoney planning site. Neither Tamarac nor eMoney is a system of record.3
Sources3
- 1.Losing a Loved One
- 2.Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026
- 3.Client Access
Beacon Pointe's Your Beacon Pointe advisor can be reached by phone at 1-949-718-1600 and email at info-compliance@beaconpointe.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Beacon Pointe primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Beacon Pointe death claims support
Your Beacon Pointe advisor (the firm has no claims department; the custodian pays the claim)
Phone
Compliance Department (document requests)
Mailing address
Website
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