What to do when a Black Hills FCU account holder dies
Contact Black Hills FCU — 7-step process, 6 required documents, and pod accounts typically process within 5-10 business days after all documentation is received. accounts requiring probate depend on court timelines.
Member Services
Black Hills Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709
Member Services
Black Hills Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709
Member Services - Death Claims
Black Hills Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709
When a member of Black Hills FCU passes away, the Member Services - Death Claims handles the transition of accounts to beneficiaries or the estate. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate, while solely-owned accounts may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 1-605-718-1818. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Black Hills FCU:
Filing a claim
- POD accounts: surviving beneficiary provides government-issued ID and Social Security number
- Joint accounts with rights of survivorship: funds pass to the surviving owner
- Accounts without POD or joint ownership: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court
- Small estates: a South Dakota Small Estate Affidavit may be accepted once 30 days have elapsed since death, if the entire estate, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $100,000 (SDCL 29A-3-1201)
- Trust accounts: successor trustee provides trust document, death certificate, and trustee ID
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID of claimant
- Claimant's Social Security number
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD and probate required)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $100,000 under SDCL 29A-3-1201)
- Trust documents and Certificate of Trust (if trust is beneficiary or account is in trust)
What to know at this institution
Per the Membership and Account Agreement (Section 31, Death of Account Owner), the credit union may continue to honor transfer orders, withdrawals, deposits, and other transactions on an account until it knows of the member's death. Once it knows of the death, it may keep honoring checks, drafts, and other payments or transfer orders authorized by the deceased member for up to ten (10) days after death, unless a person claiming an interest instructs it to stop payment. The credit union may require anyone claiming a deceased owner's account funds to indemnify it for any losses resulting from honoring that claim, and the Agreement is binding on any heirs or legal representatives of the owner. On death, the account interest passes to the owner's estate or POD beneficiary/trust beneficiary, subject to applicable law; a surviving joint owner's interest and the account remain subject to the credit union's statutory lien for the deceased owner's obligations (funds may be applied to amounts in default). POD/trust beneficiary designations do not apply to IRAs. The credit union is not obligated to notify any beneficiary of the existence of any account or the vesting of the beneficiary's interest, except as provided by law. South Dakota has no state income tax and no state estate or inheritance tax.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Black Hills FCU
Black Hills FCU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Black Hills FCU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at Black Hills FCU: POD accounts typically process within 5-10 business days after all documentation is received. Accounts requiring probate depend on court timelines. 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 Black Hills FCU includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID of claimant, and Claimant's Social Security number, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Call Black Hills FCU at (605) 718-1818 or toll-free at (800) 482-2428, Monday-Friday 7 AM to 6 PM (Mountain time). You can also text (605) 718-1818 from 8 AM to 5 PM, or visit any branch location across South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709. Black Hills FCU does not have a dedicated estate planning department; member services handles beneficiary designations, trust account retitling, and death claims.
POD beneficiary designations are available on deposit accounts including checking, savings, money market, and share certificates. You can add or update POD beneficiaries by visiting any branch or calling (605) 718-1818. You will need to provide each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship to the account owner. Youth accounts are not eligible for POD designations. IRA and HSA accounts require separate beneficiary designation forms.
Contact Black Hills FCU at (605) 718-1818 or visit any branch. For POD accounts, the surviving beneficiary provides government-issued ID and Social Security number to claim the funds. For joint accounts with right of survivorship, funds pass to the surviving owner. Accounts without POD or joint ownership require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court. South Dakota estates with total value (less liens and encumbrances) not exceeding $100,000 may qualify for a Small Estate Affidavit under SDCL 29A-3-1201. Trust accounts require the successor trustee to present the trust document, death certificate, and trustee ID.
Black Hills FCU's Member Services - Death Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-482-2428 and fax at 1-605-646-4136 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Black Hills FCU accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Member Services - Death Claims can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Black Hills FCU primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Member Services
Black Hills Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709
Member Services
Black Hills Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709
Member Services - Death Claims
Black Hills Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1420, Rapid City, SD 57709
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